Where Politics And Video Games Collide

I got this news sometime last week from the online retailer I buy from (I live in NZ). Is quite annoying, but as long as it doesn't alter any significant part of the game (like removing all traces of blood, thus removing from the realism), then I'm fine with it.

"Players could re-enact having sex with a prostitute, beating her bloody, taking her money and running her over with a car and shooting at police officers."

I could re-enact that in real life too, but I won't. Having sex with prostitutes (which is LEGAL in New Zealand) is not forced upon the player and only those wanting to do do it. The example I just mentioned (besides the shooting at the police thing) are things people have to choose to do. Your mind has to already be capable of thinking up such acts to actually carry them out. It's not the game's fault if the player already has a desire to run over sex workers.

"It is completely naive to believe that teenagers and young children won’t have access to and be able to play the game."

This is a pathetic arguement. This is the what I think is called "respecting the lowest common denominator" or something, where we should give up our rights to adhere to what more sensitive people want. Why should I sacrifice my right to play GTA4 just because if it's made available some 15 year might get their hands on it? I mean, I don't like the fact that Manhunt was banned, but I do consider it something I would probably be willing to give up the right to own or play to stop children from having the chance to play it, because it looks so brutal, but GTA4 is no manhunt.

"It is also completely unrealistic to believe that young people will not be influenced in their attitudes and behaviours by constant exposure to this type of material."

It's also unrealistic, at least at this point, to consider that a video game, especially GTA4, would have any sort of negative effect on a person that will manifest into some kind of morally-wrong or illegal activity. I played GTA3 when I was 15 and I have never even had the urge to steal a car or kill a hooker. I have never even had a great urge to fire a gun. I have loved Doom since before puberty and my point about firing guns above still stands. Sure, I probably have an unhealthy respect for the shotgun, but that's mroe idolising, rather than desire to go on a killing spree.

"So-called ‘entertainment’ and freedom of expression should never be at the expense of the safety of our community, appropriate emotional and moral development of our children, and promoting acceptable attitudes towards women, violence and law enforcement."

(From Dictionary.com) "Entertainment (noun): something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement, esp. a performance of some kind." Yeah, I'm pretty sure GTA4 isn't "so-called 'entertainment'" but is, in fact, entertainment. And I agree that there should be limits on freedom of expression and all that, but I do not regard video games, movies or TV to be able applicable to this. Once these ignorant people forget their pseudo-science, thinking that exposure to something makes people more likely to do it, and can prove their points with real science, then perhaps I'll actually take them seriously. It is possible to have respect for women, positive attitudes towards police and not be a violent person and still be able to play video games. I am an example of this. I would hope most gamers were. Perhaps these sorts of people should spend less time fighting this "evil" and more time actually educating children or getting the government to introduce education to schools about morals and ethics.

Only a very small people will ever replicate a video game in real life and those people are very likely to be disturbed people and if not getting inspiration from video games, then from somewhere else. And in New Zealand? We're not America, no offence. I'm pretty sure we have a lot more restrictive gun laws and a lot lower crime rate, although I could be wrong about the latter.