U.K.'s Vaz Meets with Government Ministers to Discuss Violent Games

January 19, 2007
Fulfilling a promise made by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Labour MP Keith Vaz, a frequent critic of the video game industry, was granted a meeting with British government officials to discuss concerns over violent game content.

Minister for Creative Industries Shaun Woodward, Minister for Industry Margaret Hodge and Vaz discussed violent games and their availability to children - specifically, according to Vaz, a pair of Rockstar titles, Canis Canem Edit (known in the U.S. as Bully)and Manhunt. As reported by MCV, Vaz said:
I am pleased that the Ministers agreed to meet with me and discuss this important issue. This is a good opportunity to raise concerns that many parents and I have on violent video games falling into the hands of young children. I do not believe that this is a question of censorship, but of protecting children.

Apparently, no representatives of the video game industry were present at the talks.  The outcome of the meeting remains unknown. Currently, however, restricting the access of minors to violent game content is a hot topic in Europe politics. 

-Reporting from the U.K., GamePolitics correspondent Mark Kelly

Comments

Submitted by Nyder (not verified) on Wed, 02/07/2007 - 02:58.
These clowns just create controversy so they can have an excuse for existing. Fear-mongering, freedom-haters.

Anyone who commits a crime because of game is unstable anyway, and we all know there have been violent sociopaths far before videogames, movies, and tv.

Submitted by theshroomguy (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 15:11.
God help us if vaz and thompson start working together.

Submitted by gameclucks (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 12:09.
"I do not believe that this is a question of censorship, but of protecting children."


... (through censorship)

Submitted by Vladimir on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 11:01.
I can't believe people are still worried about Manhunt.

Submitted by Chuma (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 09:04.
The UK already restricts such games to be sold to minors. If he wants to restrict a parent's right to buy them for their kids then frankly I hope he is told where to get off. Theres a term over here used by the press called "The Nanny State". I suspect Vaz is quite a fan of this.

Submitted by GordonJ (not verified) on Sat, 01/20/2007 - 11:34.
Manhunt. certificate 18 and Bully, certificate 15, and their availability to childrens, sounds like a retail problem, nothing to do with the game industry.

Submitted by Dagrak (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 06:16.
Well the reply I got from Mr Woodward seems to indicate that unlike Vaz he has actually looked at the current set up with regards to games ratings. I understand the EU has perhaps gone a bit overboard by listening to extremist views but I don't think we're going to see any major UK changes at the moment. As it stands the only problem is at the retail level, the games themselves are not being marketed at underage players, its just shops sell them to them and parents buy them for them.

Vaz doesn't understand video games and has done no research into how they are handled. Hopefully this conversation has instilled some knowledge into him.

Submitted by aniki21 (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 06:11.
So, they specifically talk about two Rockstar games - Bully, which isn't actually that bad (and actually does a decent job of discouraging random violence), and Manhunt, which shouldn't be sold to children anyway and which any responsible parent would step in to prevent their kids playing.

I'm going to have to email Mr. Vaz again, although I'm pretty sure I'll end up with the same futile argument that I had to wade through last time.

Submitted by Ben (not verified) on Sat, 01/20/2007 - 06:48.
I seriously dislike people like Vaz. Riding the coattails of New Labour to get their own petty agendas in place, so they have another chance to interrupt my life. He can fuck right off.

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee (not verified) on Sat, 01/20/2007 - 13:41.
Gotta ban them all comes to mind....

Submitted by Daniel (not verified) on Sat, 01/20/2007 - 05:12.
The word that is the most ridulous in this whole thing is PROTECTION. People need protection from bad things, not entertainment. Entertainment and violent images on a screen are NOT evil and NOT something that people need to be protected from. The word protection means to guard against something evil somthing that can cause harm and violent video games aren't something evil and aren't something that can cause harm. No politicians should attack violent video games.

Submitted by Snakestream (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 13:31.
@IanC
Yup, makes almost as much sense as having major surgery without any doctors or nurses in the operating room.

Submitted by IanC (not verified) on Fri, 01/19/2007 - 13:22.
Apparently, no representatives of the video game industry were present at the talks.
Yes, thats the way to do things!
 
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E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am
MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am
E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am
MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am
E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm
E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm
Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am
E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am
MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am
E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am
Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am
Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm
Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm
E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm
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IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm
BearDogg-X: http://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm
quiknkold: I am thinking of writing a musical about videogames, violence, and the first amendment. Would need a collaborator though and would kickstart it after the script is written. was thinking off broadway.05/15/2013 - 2:00pm
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