Will,

Stand by me still rocks.

"Just you Ace, Just you"

I was never a big fan of Will's, but he really hits the nail on the head here. Thanks Will - you just got a notch cooler in my book.

must say he is completely spot on with his comments.

The sad fact is that it greatly easier to blame everything on a convenient scapegoat than it is to actually fix any problems.

So polititions and 'for the children' parents/groups will continue to mindlessly bash videogames as it makes them look like they're doing something for the minimum of effort required.

[...] wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptActor Wil Wheaton, who rather bluntly dissed anti-game attorney Jack Thompson at PAX 2007, has weighed in on the GTA IV controversy via his blog: The usual gang of idiots are up in arms about how this game will lead to the end of civilization as we know it… The hysteria surrounding the release of GTA IV has officially crossed into the realm of the absurd… [...]

Right on man. Right on.

More people should be blaming The Parents instead of The Games. The only reason why they blame The Games is because they can cash in.

@Ken

The USA is full of people who would rather point fingers than actually take responsibility for a problem. Because the finger pointing existed 50 years ago, it will be here in some form 50 years from today and probably for the near future...

"…which leads me to wonder where The Parents are,"

Too busy battling what they find morally wrong and telling other show to raise their kids

@ DAM_THEM

But then we wouldn't have guns...

Seriously, i have no problem with some gun legislation, like here in Australia it is really difficult to get a handgun, and there are relatively few gun crimes, but i choose to believe that there can be a balance between absolute gun control and no gun control which still leaves the public safe. Besides most crimes involving firearms are illegal ones, purchased from unlicensed dealers, usually illegal models in the first place, and given to the street thugs who think they own the streets (bad idea).


Sorry, went off topic for a sec.

Personally, i never thought that Wesley was a very good character in the Next Generation, but these comments have easily made up for that. Wil +1

@DAM_THEM

Uhhh, yeah you guys just have people blaming car accidents and racing on the Need for Speed series.


Wil Wheaton was also the male reporter on the GTA:SA radio news segments.

Wesley Crusher...uh, I mean Wil Wheaton knows what he's talking about. Yeah, people might not have liked the character in TNG, but he sure as hell knows what he's talking about here.

If only many people on TV are more like you who are able to sit though a game before criticizing it

I also listened to your speech last year, really good but you just need to be careful about your language because if we are to say to the non-gamers that JT can suck our balls, then they might think that us gamers are crazy,

So yeah, when speaking to a non-gamer, it is important to control our own emotions and to speak with a clear voice and not to get over emotional like swearing.

But all the while, your speeches are top Gamer quality.

"why they don’t invest the same amount of energy and resources into securing quality healthcare and world-class education for them"

That's what really hit me as the cold hard truth ;) .

Speak the truth my friend. These "politicians" who are supposed to be looking after the society are just a bunch of greedy people looking to further their own agenda.

What sane person would ever believe that a game can cause violence? It was a theory put forward by some people and the politicans are jumping on it to get attention.

You just made the world a slightly better place.

People all too frequently blame the parents but what action is being taken to educate people about the age limits of the games, parents need to be taught that an age rating on a game is there for same reason that is on any DVD.

You wouldn't let a 12 year old watch 'Hostal' so why let them play a game where you can throw morality out the window, steal cars, shoot passers by, beat up tramps and all sorts of other GTA 4 awesomeness

Well said. This makes perfect sense. Why ruin this game for people who are old enough? Thats pretty much what the people against this game want to do. Of course its not for children. He is right. Why don't the parents just take more time into protecting their own children rather then complaining and ranting and trying to stop a game?

"…which leads me to wonder where The Parents are, and if these people are so serious about making the world better for The Children, why they don’t invest the same amount of energy and resources into securing quality healthcare and world-class education for them as they spend wringing their hands over video games that aren’t even supposed to be played by The Children in the first place. "


Exactly the newer gta series is for people over 18, this really blew up after some of the school shootings and they found the kids responsible were playing doom. Well where were the parents??? Most likely just deluding themselves with the old "it's just a phase"

Just because people or kids play violent video games doesn't mean they will go psycho and try to kill everyone in sight, or we would be in a real crysis right now with murder rates 30-100% higher than they are with all the gamers out there today....

If people do not want thier kids playing these violent video games I say grow up, take responsibility, and stop trying to put it off on the industry to raise your kids for you...

Awesome.

Speaking as both a parent of a teenager and game player myself I feel his comments are spot on. It is the parent's responsibility to pay attention to what their children are doing. The game is rightly rated mature. Just as I would not let my children watch a rated R movie I will not let them play a game like GTA. It's called "Parenting" and personal responsibility. If they don't like the game, then don't buy the game.

Wil nailed it spot on. Instead of all of these groups wasting their time and energy whining about video games, they need to focus on being parents. Seems that in these days, the children are far more mature than their parents.

"in the name of protecting The Children."


that's a good one lol... but seriously people are scared of everything now a days.

DAM_THEM Says:

May 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Im Canadian and we never blame GTA for shooting because we can’t get guns here. No guns to shooting, no shooting no killing. If everyone in the good old USA didn’t have guns then maybe just maybe less people would die.



I'm an American, and we never blame GTA for shooting. We BLAME CANADA!!

sorry, eh. t'was too easy to pass up...

ps i love Canada and hockey. A sport where fighting is, well, sorta discouraged, yet allowed.

That's why you have no gun violence. Skated and sticks.
oh, and less class separation.

"...as they spend wringing their hands over video games that aren’t even supposed to be played by The Children in the first place."

Very well said; spot on!