"Video Games are bad!" Where does it end?

[Rosetinted Gamer]

What with the Byron report now released and the media going into overdrive with their continued campaign to convince the world that video games and gaming are the cause of just about every ill in our 'free' society whilst also continuallly being used as a smoke screen for a lot of children failing to grow up to become 'model citizens', I'm curious as to how you think this might [eventually] end? Will video games, like Rock n' Roll, become less of a concern for the press and Government as the novelty, for lack of a better word, wears off because games become more generally accepted or are we going to see a time where, like the video nasties of the 70's and 80's, more and more games are banned and locked away/or cut and edited untill such a time when they're no longer seen to be as offensive as originally percieved?

[Bob Syko]

I can see it ending in one of two ways. When newspapers stop hiring idiots to write for them or when something else comes along that is newer like extreme bowling where you bowl.....for your life!

I can't see more games being banned though. Manhunt was unbanned after some changes which takes the grand total of banned games to around 0 I believe.

[Rosetinted Gamer]

Thrill Kill was banned, but I've edited in 'cut & edited' to the opening post as that does seem to be more the case.

[Bob Syko]

Thrill Kill wasn't banned. It just wasn't released. A quick check on the wiki reveals EA took over the company that was going to release it a few weeks before it was due for release and didn't want to be associated with such a game.

[leeray666]

This is a difficult one really, and it is hard to figure out where it will end, if ever.

As my position on newspapers and mass media in general has always been one of contempt. I see them as nothing more than being totally subjective and being used as mere tools for the higher powers to disseminate their propaganda, I always look for the agendas that are hidden between the lines.

I think to be honest the attack on Videogames and the Internet is not one of securing an agenda, but one of fear.
I feel the old media fears the rise of new media. It's an unfounded fear, but I don't really think they understand the subject, so to attack it by any means is their only option.

Unlike Rock 'n' Roll and Film, the Videogames industry is constantly evolving, even if we reach an understanding in this generation and games become accepted, who's to say that these issues won't be raised again in the future when we have even more realistic graphics, even more realistic artificial intelligence and a more natural and realistic control mechanism?

The issue about whether games have an effect on people will only grow stronger and stronger with every leap forward in gaming technology.

Though on one hand I can see the articles written today having an effect on certain portions of the close minded community, they are also so badly written and based on very little thought and research that this could end up actually being a good thing.
As like with the past attacks on music and film they could well end up making themselves look totally ridiculous in the eyes of the general public, and any future debate could well end up being ridiculed before it even starts.

[Bloodbath McGinty]

It will end with a mushroom cloud.

[TheDeleted]

There's nothing difficult about it.

The more gaming is taken on by the mainstream and familys begin to use consoles the way they use a Trivial Pursuit board, the parents are going to take more notice of what is and isn't suitable for family entertainment. Just like films.
As the non-gaming parents become more comfortable with gaming, they'll seek out more mature games to see what else is availiable.

Gaming will be accepted as a perfectly normal pass time.

Everyone will realise that the media is full of crap and knows nothing about modern lifestyles and that people can & do make up their own minds (unless they're absolutely brain dead).

Eventually, the media will pick on something else.

Just think of all the good the media could do if it put all this effort in to racism or abuse.

[Onswitch]

I agree with marthagogo, it will end when the ground beneath our feet parts and swallows us all, lucky for me i like games and if thats what the devil does then he's got my support.

[vp002]

This just in from the metro paper,

Video game addicts may find it easier to relate to computers than people, new research has shown.

They may also share the negative personality traits found in sufferers of a form of autism linked with poor social skills.

Gaming junkies have low self-­esteem, are neurotic and are emotionally unstable, the study found.

If they kept away from their PCs and consoles, they even display withdrawal symptoms similar to those of compulsive gamblers.

The study, in which participants played an online role-playing game, found about three per cent of gamers showed symptoms of genuine addiction, such as missing meals and sleep.

All the addicts tended to be introverted and displayed traits of ­Asperger's syndrome – a type of ­autism where sufferers find it hard to interact and empathise with others.

Instead, they were more comfortable dealing with machines, said study leader Dr John Charlton, of Bolton University.

He added: 'There is a scale along which people, even those considered to be “normalâ€

[TheDeleted]

Funny. There's another report that states gamingis good for you.
See Gamecentral Teletext pg: 805.
Obvoisly it doesn't go into too much detail.
But you can guarantee the Metro article is an absolute worst case scenario.

Just like those tossers who apparently starve themselves playing WOW et al, it's really extreme cases that you will get with any past time.

[Daniella Defines Divinity]

Wow, a report on a whole 3% of gamers who obviously reflect what all gamers are like...

What I'd like to see a report on is the 3-5% (I'm estimating) of people in the media profession taking class A drugs and show signs of addiction...

I think all this bad press will last until something more interesting to write about comes along.

[keirboy]

Video game addicts may find it easier to relate to computers than people, new research has shown.

I wonder if what they are describing are the traits of addicts of any kind, rather than addicts of video games. Lets try it...

Chocolate may find it easier to relate to chocolate than people, new research has shown.

They may also share the negative personality traits found in sufferers of a form of autism linked with poor social skills.

Chocolate junkies have low self-­esteem, are neurotic and are emotionally unstable, the study found.

If they kept away from their chocolate, they even display withdrawal symptoms similar to those of other people that are addicted to things.

The study, in which participants ate three dairy milks and a walnut whip, found about three per cent of chocolate addicts showed symptoms of genuine addiction, such as missing meals and sleep.

All the addicts tended to be introverted and displayed traits of ­Asperger's syndrome – a type of ­autism where sufferers find it hard to interact and empathise with others.

Instead, they were more comfortable dealing with chocolate, said study leader Dr John Charlton, of Bolton University.

He added: 'There is a scale along which people, even those considered to be “normalâ€

[TheDeleted]

If they kept away from their chocolate, they even display withdrawal symptoms similar to those of other people that are addicted to things. !

There it is.

[Shaolin_monkey]

This just in from the metro paper,

Video game addicts may find it easier to relate to computers than people, new research has shown.

Yes, computers don't lie, cheat, steal, hurt or break your heart. I trust computers. There are only about 4 people in the world I can rely on and trust totally.

They may also share the negative personality traits found in sufferers of a form of autism linked with poor social skills.

In my experience, social skills are learnt by being social. So this lack of socialskills may also apply to:
readers of books
watchers of lots of TV
people with very insular occupations

Are we going to decry all those too?

Gaming junkies have low self-­esteem, are neurotic and are emotionally unstable, the study found.

That has just described the majority of girlfriends I have had, none of which were gamers.

If they kept away from their PCs and consoles, they even display withdrawal symptoms similar to those of compulsive gamblers.

I'm like that with sex, a good book and my harp, as well as games. Does that really make me bad? Does this means I actually have worse issues than most gamers? I think not. Everyone suffers withdrawal if removed from something the enjoy. The statement is farcical.

The study, in which participants played an online role-playing game, found about three per cent of gamers showed symptoms of genuine addiction, such as missing meals and sleep.

Again, I miss meals and sleep 'cos of so many other things, and I'm sure most adults do. Work, family, socialising, reading a good book, watching TV. All of those things have led to missing meals and lack of sleep! Are they all addictions too?!? And if so, why aren't they getting the media attention? This report is a joke!

All the addicts tended to be introverted and displayed traits of ­Asperger's syndrome – a type of ­autism where sufferers find it hard to interact and empathise with others.

When the majority of the human race in my area is scum, of course I'm going to have problems empathising with them. That is not games related. My social interactions with friends and colleagues at work has not been compromised. In fact, with many colleagues I find games a good springboard topic into other social interactions, empathy included. I'm sure many other people do too. This study is a crock.

Instead, they were more comfortable dealing with machines, said study leader Dr John Charlton, of Bolton University.

Isn't that a male thing anyway? Give any man a two-stroke bike and a toolbox and see what happens.

He added: 'There is a scale along which people, even those considered to be “normalâ€

[drewski]

If you're not aware of these, here are some links to other publications that see fit to prove (without evidence) that Dr Byron was wrong.

The Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... rtComments

The Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 663097.ece

Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main ... do3005.xml

And here is a link to a website where an unnamed tabloid newspaper is trying to find people who turned to a life of crime as a direct result of games:
http://www.starnow.co.uk/Magazines-news ... wanted.htm

Unfortunately, the Byron Review has just brought more attention to gaming and it has driven the tabloids into an apoplectic rage. Evidence, statistics and pragmatism, it seems, is not good enough to placate those with a specific agenda.