German shrinks call for videogame ban

[Twin-Skies]

German Shrinks Call Violent Games “Landmines for the Soul”, Seek Ban

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/12/03/germa...-seek-ban/

Murder simulators?

So twenty minutes ago…

The new catch phrase to describe violent video games has been crafted by a group of psychotherapists in Germany:

Landmines for the soul…

As reported by Heise, the German Society for Scientific Person-Centred Psychotherapy (GwG) claims that parents are somehow being duped into buying violent games for their children on the basis that they promote “media competence.”

Thus, the GwG, which claims to be the largest professional organization of psychotherapists in all of Europe, has called for a ban on violent games. GwG spokesperson Elke Ostbomk-Fischer, who came up with the “landmines” line, told Heise:

In the past few years, the exposure of young people to dangerous media has reached such a shocking level that politicians need to act immediately before an entire generation of children and adolescents are taken in by this whirlwind of violence… [A ban is the only way to] maintain the fundamental consensus of a humane society.

Ostbomk-Fischer disputed the idea that a ban would make violent games more attractive to German youth:

This is clearly not the case for traffic lights, theft, and a murder.

[J.E_Magog]

GTA they should ban. Armored core not.

[NiX]

Hahahah Armored Core promotes creativity, dexterity, PATIENCE and TOLERANCE. -_-

[Fox]

Aye, especially for the last two. One of the main detractions for GTA is that anyone can pick it up and just go mental. That includes five-year-olds who later try to replicate what they did in the game in the real world.

Trust me, i've seen this one happen. Good thing the kid just hit his playmate with pillow and not a tire iron.

[pulse]

why dont they tell that to the americans for making GTA...

[Serene]

GTA, the God Damned game...
One time, I've even heard of a kid below 8 saying: "Dyan o, may -nag-aanuhan- dyan~!!" Then they all watch with smiles on their face.
GTA is the most twisted game I've seen...

[Twin-Skies]

The group's pretty dicey with their claims, if you ask me.

Riddle me this: If the situation is really as bad as the GwG claims it to be, then why aren't our kids going about, slitting each other's throats?

We've got a userbase of over 10 million players for GTA alone. And out of this population, how many have actually committed an act of violence directly related to playing the game?

That is, their actions were not don based on other factors, such as domestic problems, alcohol, or drugs?

[Serene]

Good points...
But still, we don't have to wait do we?

One problem we have here in the Philippines is that shops only care for profit, not even caring about the age rates of their players, often times not even caring if their customers are already cutting their classes just for their favorite game specially the minors. Hell, it even rare to see a warning outside shops that minors are not allowed during class hours all for the sake of profit.

In other countries, they usually don't care much because most think they're raising their kids right.

Don't forget that whatever children are exposed to, they retain over adulthood.

[J.E_Magog]

Games can be a contributing factor to violence. Yes , kids may not slith each others throats every time,but like what serene said, you'll retain things like that til you get old.
Issues like these is just a wake up call, especially for video game developers who would intentionally cross over the lines of morality just to get some sales. And this isn't banning freedom of expression, this is abusing the freedom of expression if you ask me.

In my opinion, games involving senseless acts of violence are the ones that should get banned. Recently, there was one game that went under fire(i think it was manhunt 2)- it's from the same guys from GTA.

[Grim]

New catchphrase, same old issue. It's like twisted old Jack Thompson in another part of the world.

In the past few years, the exposure of young people to dangerous media has reached such a shocking level that politicians need to act immediately before an entire generation of children and adolescents are taken in by this whirlwind of violence… [A ban is the only way to] maintain the fundamental consensus of a humane society.

So by this logic, violent movies, TV shows, and even news are to be censored. OK, that's stupid. The reason why the ESRB (the board responsible for assigning ratings to games) has existed up until now is because they do their function, and that's making sure that the violent games get tagged and identified as such. The job of being the youth's guardians to the level of screening out what games they should play in their homes isn't their responsibility anymore. Parents are the one who should do that. Parents, parents, parents. I don't know why they can't understand this.

As reported by Heise, the German Society for Scientific Person-Centred Psychotherapy (GwG) claims that parents are somehow being duped into buying violent games for their children on the basis that they promote “media competence.”

Duped, huh? So are there examples of parents buying their young kids GTA because they "didn't know it was violent", and promoted "media competence", despite the big black and white rating pasted up front? If so, then it's the parent's fault, not the games. We can't blame video games developers forever, in spite of them admittedly making some of these games to cash in on shock value (which, when you think about it, people get pretty tired of anyway).

Our country and gaming scene is another matter entirely though. Ratings don't apply here, and we have bigger problems than looking at the correlation of real-life viiolence and video games. I think we're poor enough as a country to not have to resort to attaching violence outside to the games we play. It just doesn't happen in that magnitude here as compared to say, Korea and America.

Somehow though, there has to be a line drawn on where the responsibility of the ratings board ends, and personal responsibility starts. People just can't argue that the ratings don't work, if they don't follow them. That's stupid.

[Serene]

Well basically, games have ratings,it's just that most child-spoilong adults have no idea how to read...
Or maybe they should advertise those on TV and Billboards...
If only they get to care more.

They don't need to ban games, They just have to read and listen.
Adults could be stupid sometimes... Or most of times... It depends.

At last, a serious topic.

[J.E_Magog]

Napansin ko lang, ang madalas na naaapektuhan ay ang mga developed countries. Ever seen a gun toting goth retard in your colleges lately?(tell me if you've seen one)

This is mostly a western phenomenon. For now at least.

[Grim]

Napansin ko lang, ang madalas na naaapektuhan ay ang mga developed countries. Ever seen a gun toting goth retard in your colleges lately?(tell me if you've seen one)

This is mostly a western phenomenon. For now at least.

Lol none as of yet. Goth retards, yes. Goth retards with guns, no.

Let's hope it stays that way.

[NiX]

JE, totoo yun. Sa developed countries kasi, para bang yung mga tao dun can't take as much stressors as yung mga tao sa countries like, let's say the Philippines na laging exposed sa mabibigat na stressors, kaya madami sa kanilang kumakailangan ng psychiatrist o bumibigay nalang. You heard this from the psych major.

This is like that Mortal Combat conundrum all over again.

[Serene]

Kumbaga, they are in a few ways, less resistant to mental stress?
Ganun ba yun?