April 5, 2008 -
Stephen King, best-selling author of scary novels, has taken a swipe at video game legislation currently under consideration in Massachusetts.In a guest column for Entertainment Weekly, King writes:
I'm no fan of videogames... But when I heard about HB 1423... I still hit the roof. HB 1423 would restrict or outright ban the sale of violent videogames to anyone under the age of 18. Which means, by the way, that a 17-year-old who can get in to see Hostel: Part II would be forbidden by law from buying... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
According to the proposed bill, violent videogames are pornographic and have no redeeming social merit... Now, what does and doesn't have social merit is always an interesting question... But what makes me crazy is when politicians take it upon themselves to play surrogate parents. The results of that are usually disastrous. Not to mention undemocratic...
King notes that video games have a rating system in place and adds:
The most effective bar against what was called ''the seduction of the innocent'' when this hot-button issue centered on violent comic books 60 years ago is still parents...
Could Massachusetts legislators find better ways to watch out for the kiddies? Man, I sure hope so, because there's a lot more to America's culture of violence than Resident Evil 4.
What really makes me insane is how eager politicians are to use the pop culture... as a whipping boy... it allows legislators to ignore... the ever-deepening divide between the haves and have-nots... [also, there is] America's almost pathological love of guns...
Comments
Stephen King the best writer
Also Steven King has used violence in many of his books but he himself is an ok guy.
So yeah, even though he never had played Videogames before, I still respect him and feel that his comments are really good, the best comments coming from a non gamer.
though not exactly a game, he wrote the story for a digital novel with a couple of minigames in it. can't remember the name though...
And so Stephen King is today's BEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!
I agree 100%. But as soon as i even try n debate the issue i get a mound of flame and abuse and merely followed by the same old tired arguments.
About time someone prolific over the age of 55 told the truth.
I can't help but wonder if he is like so many of the older people I know that claim to not like video games, but then you see them playing some crap like bejeweled on the PC for hours on end.
Anyway, serious respect for the King, and I hope he keeps churning out books because I NEED them.
Says it all really.
I hope someone of importance reads these remarks and takes them into account, because it is very undemocratic, and the government need not play parent to people who should technically be allowed to play the game anyway.
Back off politicians!
"it allows legislators to ignore… the ever-deepening divide between the haves and have-nots… [also, there is] America’s almost pathological love of guns…"
12 year old shoots a 15 year old.. Blame a mythological based game! Oh, by the way, why did the 12 year old have a loaded gun? Oh, his gun-happy father left it out and brought him to shoot it at a gun range? How about we save guns for when Aliens, or Zombies rise up or when someone is attacking your loved ones, or home and for the love of god, lock and key, people!
Comin' here to save the motherfucking day, yeah!
Stephen King (Fuck Yeah)
No legislation is the only way, yeah!
Politicians your game is through,
cuz now you have to answer to...!
Stephen King (Fuck Yeah)
I hope so.
The people behind this law will be effectively forced to expand the legislation to more and more media when the first ban neither solves the existing problems or protects The Children.
Eh, Anyway... It's really nice to have an older, non-gamer actually defending games. Hell, his intelligence level is over nine-thousand.
@ Al Wesker
That's due to the fact that these meatheads never pay attention to the story. All they need to see is a little blood, gore, or a freakin' boob and the game is like something spawned from satan.
Ah, the voice of reason. Sure would be nice if those politicians and so-called "lawyers" would listen to it once in a while.
Thanks for the words Mr. King. They are always welcome. :)
Comic books, rock 'n roll, horror movies, heavy metal, Garbage Pail Kids cards and about 1000 other things have taken the brunt of this type of bulls**t controversy over the years. Today it's video games, in 5 years time, who knows what will take the blame. But, the underlying problems with society remain undiscussed because there are groups of parents who don't want to do the parenting of their own kids.
I fear that the type of parent who respects King's work isn't going to be the type who fell for this crap in the first place but lets hope King's sage words manage to convince some people of what we've been saying here all along.
Basket of muffins?
There are Stephen King videogames out there... kinda. He produced a CD-ROM puzzle thing called Stephen King's F13. There were also adventure games back in the day based on The Mist, The Dark Halfand probably a few others (check abandonware sites for most of these).
Yeah, it would kick ass to have a decent King game but considering Clive Barker's videogame efforts have been merely OK (not great but entertaining), I wouldn't get my hopes up if does decide to do one.
King wasn't the first and he won't be the last... theres more of them out there then you'd think. :3