Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

If I ever decide to commit a crime I'll blame it on something from the media too. It could lighten my sentence. <i>"My client is the victim here, he was influenced by [media product]. How about community service and some time with a psychologist? Thanks you your Honor."</i>

Also any parents who let their kids play a Mature rated games should have their kids taken away. Come on, do you buy porn movies for your kids? No difference.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

Self-satisfied expression gets better with practice. But even then you never know if the other person is understanding you correctly. ;)

I appreciated your contribution, as it took the conversation down a new route. :)

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

I don't think it's a defense, but a motive. It won't reduce culpability.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

Hi Chewbacca.

Banning art is not the same thing as preventing the mass distribution of anti-social art. There is a difference between a) allowing everyone the right to speak freely, and b) making sure everyone's words are heard by everyone else.

No-one's saying the game shouldn't be made. (Cerek said he saw no reason to create it) At most people would say the game shouldn't be sold.

I make music. I can either make art for myself or for public consumption. It's not to be expected that all art is fit for public consumption.

Laws exist to prevent a person abusing their freedom to destroy others in society. If people can't self regulate their behaviour, they need to be regulated to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This is wisdom handed down from the most primitive of societies. Though the means by which we may destroy each other change, the essential need is the same.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

While I am all for freedom and liberty in this issue, I would have to agree. The rating system just doesn't work. And what's the point when a mother can buy them for her kid's birthday or christmas gift anyways? Certainly there needs to be a system to screen "gifts" presented to minors.

And most parent's are ignorant to the level of exposure in games like these in this day and age. Back in the day a video game was about space invaders or plumbers and hedgehogs. An R-rated game isn't limited the way an R-rated movie showing on HBO is. There is no time restriction (i.e. the game doesn't become playable and unlock itself after a certain hour such as when a kid should be in bed!) and furthermore there is no NCA-like organization censoring the airing of the game like there is with TV. Oh, there are parental locks on consoles and even MMO's (see WoW and EQ) but how many parents even know how to access them? Mine don't. There is currently only one screening process in purchasing these games and it is a broken one because anyone over the age of 18 can purchase it for a minor, all the while never realizing how similiar this is to buying beer for a child.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

There is nothing wrong with the rating system and everything wrong with retarded parents not monitoring what their kids are doing.

It's not hard, just check what your kids are doing. Are they taking drugs? Are they watching porn? Are they playing mature games?

It doesn't take much effort to tell if Manhunt or Grand Theft Auto is suitable for your children. Any parents who have so much as read the box should be able to tell, or if they're really slow and don't understand the words "MATURE" and "DEPICTION OF DRUG, ALCOHOL, and SEX", they certainly should be able to tell from five minutes of gameplay.

The argument about time doesn't work. Mature games are like adult dvds. If you have an adult dvd you can watch it at any time of the day, and it's your responsibility to keep it away from your kids. As far as I know, video games don't get streamed live on cable tv yet. Or at least that's what Microsoft told me when they sold me an XBOX console.

http://www.christianexaminer.com/Art..._Aug08_01.html

Even Christian websites are realizing it's the parents' responsibility to get involved. Parenting is hard, shifting the blame is easy.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

Well, there's something wrong if 14 year old kids are still obtaining these. In theory, the system works but please, it's broken as far as games go. The TV system isn't flawless but circumstantially it works better. I agree, check what your kids are doing. I agree, the parents are where it starts. But the video game industry changed in the last few years.
There were little (if any) video games that had ratings back in the day, and we cannot point the finger at parents simply because they are ignorant to the fact that video games are now rated like movie titles. It is the game companies that skirt this issue, because they know that if the restrictions were 100% adhered to, they would lose alot of money.

I will state again, this does not erase all responsibility from parents, but at some point the government needs to intervene, at least even running some commercials about "What games is your teen playing?" or offer some education classes for old-fashioned guardians who are "out of the loop" and cannot fathom all this newfangled thechnology. I'd hardly call all parents who haven't realized this danger "retarded".

The time thing still holds merit IMO. The R-rated DVD shouldn't be in the hands of a minor anyways.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

And neither should M-Rated Games be in their hands either. Kids manage to get their hands on alcohol, so I suppose we should ban alcohol too. Oh! They also manage to get their hands on firearms. I guess we need to ban firearms!

Oh no! Some kids could get his hands on his parent's car keys and go for a joyride! Let's ban cars too!

What about lighters? Some kid could set fire to something. Let's ban lighters!

Do I need to go on, or can we simply agree "Let's ban it because a kid could get his hands on it" doesn't make much sense as an argument?

And no, the time argument still doesn't make sense. Kids shouldn't be in contact with these products so that would not be a restriction for kids, but for the legit adult customers. If you want to argue about limiting adults' access to adult products start another thread.

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

I never said anything about banning it....

Re: Grand Theft Auto inspires Thai murder
 

There are countless things used responsibly by many and abused by few; why single out video games? As Luvian said, it's a fantastic scapegoat for bad parenting.

If you can make up reasons to ban certain games, you can make up reasons to ban anything. It's also a little patronising to say that society needs help protecting itself, that we're all too weak and impressionable to decide for ourselves what to play or watch or drink, that we need it decided by a higher authority and imposed on us.

I've been playing violent video games for a long time, as I'm sure many members have, and I've never so much as contemplated harming another human being. The types of people prone to influence from video games and subsequently commit crimes because of them were messed up to begin with. Sure, the game may have given them an idea or two, but it rarely made them crazy in the first place.