Lord Puttnam: Political Legitimacy of Games Overdue

July 7, 2009

The political legitimacy of video games is overdue.

So says Lord David Puttnam, producer of hit movies such as Chariots of Fire and The Killing Fields. Puttnam, long an advocate of technology and the arts, also serves as a member of the recently-formed All Party Parliamentary Group on the Computer and Video Games Industry.

Puttnam made the comment during a lengthy interview with British newspaper The Guardian's Games Blog:

My own belief is that the [video game] sector should get significantly more [government] support, particularly at the entry and training level...

I'm also trying to persuade people within the interactive entertainment industry that the role they are playing, and the role that the games they develop are playing, could be far more significant in British cultural life...

What I hope we'll achieve with this new committee is the overdue political legitimacy of the games industry; to get a level of informed parliamentary understanding of interactive games... Most parliamentarians don't have a clue as regards the challenges or the opportunities the games industry faces. If for example, they had a full understanding of the levels of support the Canadians offer their industry they would, I'm sure, fall off their chairs!

As GamePolitics reported earlier this year, Puttnam called upon game makers to help spread the word about climate change.

Posted in

Comments

Re: Lord Puttnam: Political Legitimacy of Games Overdue

Submitted by SticKboy on Fri, 07/10/2009 - 08:26.

I applaud Lord Puttnam for his modern and progressive views. This is exactly the kind of approach this industry needs from Government, not just in the UK but internationally.

What's up with you GP.com cunts anyway? Something genuinely positive and worth supporting, but none of you can be arsed to post? Pathetic.

-- teh moominz --

Re: Lord Puttnam: Political Legitimacy of Games Overdue

Submitted by beemoh on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 12:32.

Entertaining fact, for certain definitions of "entertaining": Lord Puttnam was chancellor of the University of Sunderland up until the year I graduated from it. For bonus irony, my final year project was a PC game on the matter of climate change.

Poll

Shout box

Cecil475: @hellfire7885 - Makes me want to support Nintendo even more.05/24/2013 - 4:49pm

hellfire7885: Man, EA seems to be determined to destroy the Wii U ,and the evidently are so arrogant as to believe not making games for it will do that.05/24/2013 - 4:45pm

DorthLous: Pwahahahha http://www.destructoid.com/wii-u-sales-drastically-spike-after-xbox-one-presentation-254449.phtml#LlG8HEYbQj2krql5.0105/24/2013 - 2:23pm

james_fudge: she gets no credit until she employs some common sense. - 2 credits for her.05/24/2013 - 11:22am

Andrew Eisen: To Stender's credit, she did unmoderate my most recent comment within a day's time. There's even a couple other replies. None from her though.05/24/2013 - 11:18am

james_fudge: apparently gamers are all 14 - 21 years-olds living in basements according to her way of thinking...05/24/2013 - 11:11am

ZippyDSMlee: EZK: 0_o thier video card chipset is at the very least 3 versions behind the top PC video card.......05/24/2013 - 7:38am

MechaTama31: "You just wouldn't understand how my parenting preferences are more important than everybody else's freedoms."05/24/2013 - 7:37am

DorthLous: I love how she plays the "I'm a parent, you're a gamer, you couldn't understand" card... I'm a parent and I find her position despicable...05/23/2013 - 4:16pm

E. Zachary Knight: She didn't address your questions because she doesn't have any answers.05/23/2013 - 3:38pm

Andrew Eisen: I replied to her comment. Maybe in a few weeks I'll get a reply.05/23/2013 - 3:24pm

Thomas Riordan: @Andrew Eisen To what bowling alley does she go that puts sexual images in the faces of 6 year olds?05/23/2013 - 3:17pm

Andrew Eisen: Well, it took a month but Linda Stender finally replied to me... and didn't address a single one of my questions. http://aswlindastender.com/2013/04/23/follow-up-video-games-and-their-effect-on-children/05/23/2013 - 3:13pm

Imautobot: Also, from a tech perspective the PS4 is apparently already winning. http://bgr.com/2013/05/22/xbox-one-vs-playstation-4-specs/05/23/2013 - 3:12pm

Imautobot: Sony's PS4 motto should be "We play games." Microsoft's should be "We play games, when we're not rewinding your tapes."05/23/2013 - 3:11pm

Andrew Eisen: Oh look, Dying Light was just announced For Everything But Wii U. That's 73.05/23/2013 - 2:06pm

james_fudge: Zippy: they said the same thing about Cell. How did that turn out.05/23/2013 - 1:28pm

Andrew Eisen: Need for Speed Rivals is coming out For Everything But Wii U - PS3, 360, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. That brings the grand total up to 72.05/23/2013 - 12:55pm

PHX Corp: http://wiiudaily.com/2013/05/microsoft-is-selling-the-wii-u-better-than-nintendo/ Wii U daily Opinion: Microsoft is selling the Wii U better than Nintendo05/23/2013 - 12:23pm

E. Zachary Knight: Zippy, they very well may be. But that will only last until they are released. At that time, they will be two generations behind.05/23/2013 - 11:14am

All shouts

<< Return To Top

Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :