Opening with the salvo “It is well established that the Daily Mail does not understand videogames,” blogger and game marketer Bruce Everiss lays into the UK tabloid’s constant attack on games.
The latest article to draw Everiss’ ire was a piece written by Andrew Alexander on politicians Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. At the end of the story, Alexander takes a shot at Shadow Minister Ed Vaizey’s plan to boost the UK games industry:
'Culture' also has a minister of its own operating under the grand panjandrum of the Secretary of State. The Shadow Minister, Ed Vaizey, provides a foretaste of nonsense to come with his declaration that the video games industry - there's culture for you - has been let down by the Government. It has not grown fast enough.
He proposes a Video Games Council.
Why there should be a government role in this field may well defeat you. It is at least as silly as the role of Hereditary Butler to the Crown etc and no doubt more expensive.
Everiss answers:
I have some news for Mr Alexander, by any and all definitions video games are culture. They entertain, have creativity, genre, subtlety, a history, engender emotion and have everything else that ballet or the opera have. Except that video games are massively more popular.
In fact Mr Alexander actually provides compelling evidence for the need for a Video Games Council, because if we had one we would not have to suffer so much ignorance from journalists (and politicians).
Everiss details other accounts of the Mail’s anti-game stance and also laments the lack of tax incentives for game developers, which he blames partly for the UK’s slip to a world rank of sixth place when it comes to producing videogames.
Comments
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
When smart and intelegent people who are paid top money for their service in society start to talk about videogames that they have not played, the only prove themselves to be even more childish than the people who play videogames.
So why am I not surprised when the Daily Mail always seems to make the most genuine of people more stupid from their trash they always seem to publish, not only just on videogames but almost on many other topics.
The Herald Sun from Australia is almost the same thing too.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Are video games attracting these insane fanatics like flies?
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
I notice that the only user comment in support of games (and well written) on the Mail's website for that article gained a lot of negative views.
Yes that front page is real, so was another "Murder by Playstation" again about the Manhunt murder case from the Daily Mail.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
I really hope that cover isn't real.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Oh, it's real. See my comment above.
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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Can you get a bigger picture of that newspaper?
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
That cover in the screenshot. Is that a real cover?
(If yes) Holy shit, people, get a fucking grip already!
(If no) Where'd it come from?
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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Real cover, from the Manhunt Fiasco era.
Incidentally, "Ban This Sick Filth" was also a genuine Mail headline.
/b
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Jesus, people can be so fucking stupid... *head/desk*
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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Well, after all, it's the Daily Mail we're talking about. You cannot ask apple trees to produce oranges. Nor can you blame sewer rats for loving the sewers. It's their raison d'être. The only time I've been really shocked by the Daily Mail is when I read a good paper on GTA Rockstar Games. By "good", I mean well-written, balanced, with a moderate tone and plenty of references from all sides. To this day, I still can't believe I read such a good paper in the Daily Mail.
By the way, I don't even think they're the worst British paper on the subject of video games. To me, it's the Times. From Janice Turner's "Xbox is crack for kids" to Peta Bee's "wii have a problem" to Giles Whittel's "video games : I'll never buy one" to their horrible coverage of Tanya Byron's report... Really, I think the Times breaks the record, especially considering that they're not considered as a tabloid.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
Or the Enqirer. Maybe when Winston Churchill gets back from Mars, he can ban video games from existance.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
I've heard mixed things about Bruce in the past, but I completely agree with the above - the Daily Mail are willingly ignorant, I think they're doing a minor level of sensationalism so that they can pander to their readers for sales. The Daily Mail demograph is what you'd expect - relatively right-wing nutcases who scream at the drivel the DM feed them about the government.
Why is the idea of a Video Games Council that absurd to them? Do they seriously think it would be several spotty teenagers discussing Pac-Man?!
It's easily countered with the fact that videogames have now overtaken film (I forget in what capacity - I think it was revenue). I'd like to see the gaming-related MPs call out the Daily Mail on the issue, but I suppose Bruce will suffice for now.
Re: Blogger: Daily Mail Fails at Videogames
A few UK MPs already have called out the Daily Mail with atleast one of them doing it in the House of Commons.