Boston Transit Chief Bitter, But Says No More M-rated Game Ads on Buses, Trains
Boston Transit Chief Bitter, But Says No More M-rated Game Ads on Buses, Trains
November 25, 2006
While those controversial ads for GTA Vice City Stories will remain on Boston subway cars through November, it may be the last GTA ad carried on Beantown mass transit - ever.As reported by GamePolitics, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority boss Daniel Grabauskas has refused to pull the current ads, citing contractual and First Amendment concerns.
But in a November 22nd letter to the Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood, Grabauskas wrote that he has begun the process of amending the MBTA's advertising guidelines with an eye toward banning future ads for M- and AO-rated games.
GamePolitics has obtained a copy of the letter (faxed in by Jack Thompson), in which Grabauskas quite acidly addresses the way the situation went down:
If you had a concern... a more open way to accomplish what you sought would have been to... engage in a constructive dialogue... We were given no opportunity to do that... the manner of your request... was cheap.
While violent video games may be a contributing factor, they are certainly not the only factor in the rise of violence among young people... By overplaying the importance of this not-most-important factor... you have not addressed the more important root causes. In fact, you have done a disservice.
Next Grabauskas writes about the GTA ads, which will stay on MBTA trains through the end of November:
The advertisements... will remain... Absent agreement by the advertiser to voluntarily pull the advertisements, we have no choice...
We have begun the process of amending our current guidelines in a manner that would result in the prohibition, in the future, of the advertisement of video games that have received either a rating of "M" ...or "AO"...
The worst of all results... would be to take knee-jerk action in a manner... that would be overturned by any possible legal challenge...
I expect that you will now be about the business of taking on the other challenges causing violence in our City and in our Commonwealth with equal zeal... I urge you not to be too smug with the result. There is no victory where there was never a battle.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:29am
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
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Comments
"I urge you not to be too smug with the result. There is no victory where there was never a battle." Actually, I'd say the Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood loses in this case. They didn't get the ad pulled, and there's only a potential that the advertising guidelines will be changed in a manner that they approve of. IMO, score one for the vidiots.
I like that line. I'm going to have to steal it sometime.
Though more important, I thought, was this line:
"By overplaying the importance of this not-most-important factor… you have not addressed the more important root causes. In fact, you have done a disservice."
That's what so few people understand - by chasing after things that are not definitely the cause you do harm by squandering resources that could be spent elsewhere, and by letting yourself think the problem is solved when in fact it's as bad as ever.
That's all fine, but take a look at the actual ad (in the previous news post).
It's Rating Pending.
So would this even have stopped the current ad? Not unless they state they'll only advertise rated games.
Heck, what WAS the last AO-rated game? The ESRB only lists ~25 on their site from what I heard.
But advertisements for R-rated and NC-17-rated movies can stay? Why do these people continue on with such a blatant double standard? And don't bring out that tired old "interactivity" excuse. The ads themselves are no more interactive than those for movies, and from what I've heard, they are no more violent.
While I applaud Grabauskas for standing firm, I'm worried that eventually he'll either be forced to cave in or the politicians will replace him with someone that will. But when (it's obviously not an "if" anymore) they do, he will still be right. Even with all the influential figures shouting against him, he will still be right.
It's just like Harper Lee said: "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conciensce." Obviously, this man's conciensce told him what we've all been saying for a long time: This GTA-scapegoating is total BS. And I'm proud of him for standing up for what he believes in.
Well, of course. They can't allow a pro-first amendment transit cheif, that would be harmful to society! ONE CENSORCRAT TRANSIT CHEIF, COMING RIGHT UP!!!
Dammit, the rest of the industry should have supported him while they still could.
Hey, that sounds like a line a hero from a video game would say. Grabauska for the NSA! :)
He alone has succeeded where so many others cannot.
A bus ad? Hell, when I was a kid it was the bus DRIVER that used to freak me out.
Evil killer doll Chucky staring at you= scary.
The Prince of Persia climbing a wall = not scary
Yeah, they couldn't even get the friggin' game right. The kid was scared by Hitman, NOT Prince of Persia (which was the one they filed the complaint over).