In Parliament, Keith Vaz & Prime Minister Discuss Game Violence

In Parliament, Keith Vaz & Prime Minister Discuss Game Violence

January 17, 2008
Labour MP Keith Vaz, a frequent critic of violent video games, quizzed Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the issue in Parliament yesterday.

While Vaz pushed for a meeting on the topic, the PM deferred to the upcoming, government-commissioned report of Dr. Tanya Byron.

The Prime Minister did, however, suggest that "changes in the law" might be necessary based on the outcome of the Byron study.

Here is the exchange between Vaz and Brown: 

MP Keith Vaz:
On Monday, the Prime Minister said that he was very worried about the content of video and computer games. Some of those games, such as Manhunt 2, depict scenes of torture and murder using hammers, knives and guns. They seem to make a virtue of gratuitous and graphic violence.

Will he meet a delegation of Members, including the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier), who has a private Member's Bill on the subject, to see what further steps the industry can take to show better responsibility? Does my right hon. Friend, as a parent, agree that—

Prime Minister Gordon Brown:
My right hon. Friend is right, and this is an issue that concerns all parties in the House and every parent. It is right that we look again at the classification system for those games and at what is happening on the Internet in influencing young children.

That is why the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has set up the Byron review, in which Dr. Tanya Byron is looking at these very issues. We want children to be able to enjoy the benefits of the internet and video games, without being influenced by the pornography or violence of them.

Dr. Byron will report in March 2008 and while it would be premature for me to say what she is likely to recommend, the classification system is one of the things that she is looking at. I hope that when we get the report we can have a debate in this House. I would be happy to meet my right hon. Friend's delegation and move forward whatever changes in the law are necessary.
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Comments

Submitted by Wyvern - January 17, 2008 at 6:19 am -0500
Oh hell. I was hoping Britain would be free of crap like this. Yet another reason to get rid of Brown...
Submitted by NovaBlack - January 17, 2008 at 6:22 am -0500
""to see what further steps the industry can take to show better responsibility?""


wow.. that isnt predetermining the results atall mr vaz


dont you mean to see IF THE INDUSTRY needs to take better steps?




how about parents need to take better steps. it really isnt hard. advertise parental control features of ALL next gen consoles. Advertise the rating system, and advertise the fact that the average gamer is over 30! GAMES ARE NOT A 'KIDS THING'


ps. Vaz is an ill informed ignoramus anyway. i remember about 2 years ago he was reporting on the rating system he so despised, yet he was using the outdated rating system that hadnt been used for several years as his examples.

Perhaps Mr Vaz and Mr McCullough should be collected with the rest of societys ill informed parents and sent to a simple government funded parenting class where video game awareness is raised. i mean what itd take about 2 minutes to put the necessary points across?
Submitted by NovaBlack - January 17, 2008 at 6:23 am -0500
in fact funding parenting classes would probably cost less than all the money spent on putting forward waste of time laws to deal with it.

Oh and all members of parlaiment could just cut back on limousine rides once a month and that itself would fund it.
Submitted by Pominator - January 17, 2008 at 6:26 am -0500
noo, you couldn't do that!

that would be common sense!

Common sense is not allowed in politics, even more so in Britain! I am afraid we are just going to have to prove them right and become violent bloodthirsty killers, I mean, that is what we are being told to do by the evil videogames which have desencitized us to real world violence...

This is the reason why the gene pool needs cleaning, forcibly, idiots like those in parliament make me more of a self elitist anarchist by the day, soon I will be working alongside Maddox
Submitted by Canary Wundaboy - January 17, 2008 at 6:28 am -0500
I wouldn't worry about it, the Byron report will come back and the politicians will hit a brick wall.

"So Dr Byron, you state that violent videogames CAN have an effect on impressionable children?"
"Yes, which is why impressionable children are not able to buy them."
"But....parents claim that their kids are being manipulated!"
"Well parents shouldn't buy their kids these games. End of story."
Submitted by GoodRobotUs - January 17, 2008 at 6:42 am -0500
As I've said before about Vaz, he doesn't understand political speak for 'Sit down, shut up, and pay attention'.

It was like when he asked whether there would be a European hearing on Game Rating almost 6 months after there had actually been one. He only pays attention when he thinks he will get attention for it.

Maybe he should be campaigning for a law that means that people who commit financial crimes cannot be politicians? Of course, that would mean that most of the Houses of Parliament would be unemployed, himself included.
Submitted by NovaBlack - January 17, 2008 at 7:11 am -0500
hahah yeah.

Vaz just really gets me mad tho, moreso than most, he seems to focus continually on games, and has done for years, like he is parlaiments leadin expert in the field.

It scary because with the misinformation he spreads, the other politicians tend to lap it up trusting the untrue, out of date , incorrect information he tells them

I think it was him who called out bully, as the game where all you do is go around and get points for being a bully. Which clearly isnt what the game is about, infact you succeed by avoiding trouble and you are fighting back AGAINST the bullies.

But not one person questioned it, they just all murmored in agreement that this 'sick' game should be banned.
Submitted by JMack - January 17, 2008 at 7:12 am -0500
Guys, I would cool it a bit, we all know that Vaz really wants to push this thing forward, but I don't think Brown's really as bothered. For him I imagine it's a case of not wanting to be seen as uncaring about child safety.

What I personally read between the lines of what Brown's saying is "yeah yeah, ok Vaz, we all get that you want to save the kids, but until that report comes through there really is no point discussing it all here so can we move on to some more pressing issues."

Thats the name of the game. Politics. Yes he is saying they may need to "move forward (with) whatever changes in the law are necessary," but personally I think it is very unlikely.
Submitted by Tom - January 17, 2008 at 7:30 am -0500
"We want children to be able to enjoy the benefits of the internet ... without being influenced by the pornography..."

...

Really?

...

Yeah, good luck with that.
Submitted by odc04r - January 17, 2008 at 8:08 am -0500
Pornography is a benefit of the internet as far as teens are concerned :)
Submitted by The Discombobulator - January 17, 2008 at 8:16 am -0500
The UK ratings system can only be reinforced by educating parents. Sadly i have witnessed a few times, a parents complete disregard for the ratings. Parents roll their eyes when a shop assistant tells them the age rating. Soon adults in the UK may not have the freedom to purchase video games. What is wrong with this country?
Submitted by Ian Charles - January 17, 2008 at 8:29 am -0500
Did Gordon Brown interrupt him? I know that towards the end Tony Blair seemed to be fed up with Vaz bringing up video games all the damn time.

Heres a hint Vaz - right now quite a bit of the UK is under water. I think parliament should be talking about that, not video games.
Submitted by Paul G - January 17, 2008 at 9:01 am -0500
Does this asshat ever quit? At least that weird picture of him isn't being used. It made him look like he was made of putty.
Submitted by Gordon Jackson - January 17, 2008 at 9:01 am -0500
Funny, last I looked Manhunt 2 was still banned. How can he use it as an example of a failing classification system.
Submitted by Chris Wallace, Lawyer - January 17, 2008 at 9:29 am -0500
Aren't there any important issues that need resolution in the UK?

Why are MPs talking about games?
Submitted by Mr Welch - January 17, 2008 at 9:38 am -0500
Quote Ian Charles
"Heres a hint Vaz - right now quite a bit of the UK is under water. I think parliament should be talking about that, not video games."

They will be Ian. It will be covered under Climate Change debates which will entail blaming us the public for the mess and resolved with more taxation placed upon us, and more civil liberties taken away, rather than actually tackling the problem.

If Vaz is to say that the BBFC classification is not working for video games, then he must be also saying that is not working for films at cinemas and DVD movies to buy. Last time I checked no one has been saying the BBFC has been getting anything wrong for film classification in over a decade.

Just remember my fellow Brits, if Vaz pushes his luck further, just remind him of the Filkin Inquiry that has stopped any chance he has becoming a front bencher. That will shut him up!
Submitted by BlackIce, Dragunov Marksman - January 17, 2008 at 10:34 am -0500
Miss Byron's report WILL show that the effects of violent video games are absolutely fuck all.
Submitted by NovaBlack - January 17, 2008 at 10:46 am -0500
i hope

im honestly scared if even one line says ''violent videogames affect kids, but the rating system protects them adequately"

they will read it as

"violent video games affect kids....*SNIP*...."

im sure JT wouldnt hesitate to misquote
Submitted by Chris S - January 17, 2008 at 12:08 pm -0500
In the UK, it is illegal to sell videogames or DVDs to someone younger than the age rating given by the BBFC. This is enforced by law. It is therefore impossible for a child to lawfully buy an 18 rated game.

Vaz has even less of a leg to stand on than his fellow game-critics in the USA.
Submitted by Matthew - January 17, 2008 at 12:28 pm -0500
Props to Gordon Brown (and you don't get to say that often) for taking a neutral stance on it and not appearing to prejudge the results. Vaz, well, we already know which way he's leaning and he's probably already written his speech about the "fence-sitting" PM failing to ban Geometry Wars.

"We want children to be able to enjoy the benefits of the internet and video games, without being influenced by the pornography or violence of them."

While I'm sure many people will jump on the fact that he said "pornography" and "games" in the same sentence, he doesn't appear to be making that connection. He's saying there's a Big Scary Media out there and it's increasingly difficult to filter what your child can and can't see.

"Dr. Byron will report in March 2008 and while it would be premature for me to say what she is likely to recommend, the classification system is one of the things that she is looking at."

Spoken like a politician. The classification system already says that GTA can't be bought by kids so it's hard to imagine it getting more restrictive. Chances are she'll suggest the BBFC use more descriptive information, like the PEGI system.
Submitted by RichD - January 17, 2008 at 1:16 pm -0500
Kids playing violent video games in the UK... no way, they're too busy outside shooting each other in Nu-Labours 'tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime' Britain!
Submitted by Father Time - January 17, 2008 at 4:08 pm -0500
Don't those idiots remember the 80s when they (Britain) were absolutely CONVINCED violent films like Rmabo and natural born killers were causing juvenille crime.

Now the BBFC gives them better treatment than games.
Submitted by Paul Kerton - January 17, 2008 at 8:13 pm -0500
Guys, I am working on a website right now for UK gaming issues, for grass roots gamers. I hope that when I launch it, some of you may be willing to contribute in some way towards it. It will hopefully launch in a couple of weeks, and I'm hoping GamePolitics.com will help me in regards to getting the word out to UK visitors to this site.

I'm totally believe that adult content should not get into children's hands, and I am not, as can easily be seen in previous content a great fan of the Manhunt series either, but I'm hoping we can have a serious, sensible and adult debate on some of these issues that we are now seeing in the UK, and especially from Keith Vaz MP, who seems to be quite the loose with facts at times.
Submitted by Paul Kerton - January 17, 2008 at 8:15 pm -0500
Oh and further more, I do believe the Byron Review will come down to better education for parents on the matter of video game reviews and content, as once again its parents that seem to be a major issue when it comes to 11 year olds being able to play this content, not the shops and not the publishers.
Submitted by A Dutch Gamer - January 18, 2008 at 9:46 am -0500
I wonder why all the governments which are so worried over violent videogames play the 'real thing' in Iraq and Afghanistan themselves. I see the outcome of their games daily on the news. And on times children probably can see it too. So plz you concerned governments give a good example and stop all the wars because it will probaly corrupt the children and give then the feeling that war is a normal thing to do.
Submitted by degenerate1991 - January 18, 2008 at 10:54 pm -0500
Quote "Don’t those idiots remember the 80s when they (Britain) were absolutely CONVINCED violent films like Rmabo and natural born killers were causing juvenille crime."

No, but the lead content in the UK's air pollution was poisoning their citizens and contributing to violent crime
Submitted by Net Land Owner Gamer - January 19, 2008 at 2:33 pm -0500
Sorry for Off Top:

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I just randomly won $50 but already spent 20 bucks on in-game credits - should I ontinue playing or get my money now? (they transfer in E-gold and Webmoney)
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For Russian peakers:

Submitted by Halo 3 Gamer - January 20, 2008 at 7:44 am -0500
Isn't it strange how people who DON'T play video games BLAME video games for all of societies ills.

Now i'm sure i'm not the only person who has become sick of seeing the BBC give out biast reports of video games(they always mention violent ones)

Frankly the media and politics should keep their nose out of the gaming industry and maybe tackle crime or climate change or the many other problems facing britain. I'm sad to say 80% of the public are stupid as hell.
And can't make a well informed decision but that is life and democracy.

Oh and anyone see how the bbc selectively chooses their comments to show on their website. Now that is censorship and biasm.

P.S Anyone see the BBC report on video games may make children smarter a couple of months ago. They showed Battlefield 2. You should see the shight graphics they gave it. Are their P.Cs Commodre 64's or something. or is it to make video games look foolish and unrealistic.

Hmmmm
Submitted by C'tri - January 22, 2008 at 5:17 am -0500
gah, this sort of thing is silly. i may email the PM...
Submitted by Halo 3 Gamer - January 24, 2008 at 10:09 am -0500
This is on behalf of me. Email the priminister using this website.

http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/page821.asp

I just did and frankly to be heard we need everyone to. Show your support and send him an email of your thoughts on gaming issues. IT YOUR RIGHT TO!
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