Channel 5's The Wright Stuff has followed up on its promise to further explore a potential connection between video games and gang violence - in spectacular style.
The broadcaster has just made yesterday's episode of the show - which continues in similar style to Wright's W.R.O.N.G-inspiring Wednesday broadcast - available to watch online. And, honestly, this one makes CVG vs. Titchmarsh look like a Rockstar board meeting.
But let's start at the start. Presenter Matthew Wright this time plays the role of a more moderate chair, occasionally pouring doubt on the idea of a direct link between games and real life violence... and occasionally, erm, not.
In a section entitled: 'Do shoot-'em-up games lead to real violence?', Wright begins:
"Whilst it's clear not every gamer is affected [by violence], it is possible that some youngsters might be. How else can you explain a 22-year-old man casually machine gunning customers in a London pizza parlour? It is as if he's playing a game, don't you think?"
He then continues: "The stats are unbelievable. 97 per cent of teenage boys play video games. 94 per cent of teenage girls. And as for the games themselves, 85 per cent have an element of violence. So we can pretty much know that pretty much every child in the land is being subjected to images of violence."
I mean, they are literally unbelievable stats. According to BBFC figures, 18 and 15-rated games account for around one-in-every-20 titles released into the UK market. Good place to kick off - but that's small beans compared to what comes next.
"One of the first times I was aware of a potential link was back in 1993," says Wright, "after the murder of James Bulger by two 11-year-olds... At the trial, it was suggested that [one of the killers'] dad may have allowed the youngsters to watch 18-rated horror flick Child's Play 3.... But despite numerous studies, no-one has found a definitive link between violent media and real life aggression. In fact, one report found violent games could even be good for children as it might help them conquer their fears of being bullied."
"And who funded that report? We don't really need reports to tell us, do we?"
Not if we're just going on here'say and anecdotal presumption Anne, no. Quite right.
She adds: "I mean common sense tells you that if you expose a child to violent imagery, and a lot of it, maybe many hours a day, for many years on end. It's going to have an effect."
Wow. That bit was almost grounded in sane thinking. It doesn't last long.
Wright points out that according to his spurious figures, most kids are playing violent games - but they don't all grow up to be killers. Indeed, some become "bankers or Prime Minister".
Take it away, Anne.
"No, and not all children play them for hours and hours and hours on end, the worst sort and not with parental supervision. It entirely depends on the way your child is exposed. I mean, my kids play these games..."
Whoa! Hold your horses me lady. Let's just take note of that little doozy. On you go.
"And when I first saw them myself, I wrote piece for the Daily Mail about it, so I spent some time looking at these games, and I was horrified and I think most parents would be. You think: 'My child's playing this! These horrific realistic images!'."
You can stop them, Anne. You do know that, right? I for one believe in you. Go get 'em.
And then: "Some kids play them for hours on end in their bedrooms all the time and they're almost addicted to them."
In swoops Wrighty. "Well, they are addicted to them."
You heard it here first. As Anne says, who needs reports?! Especially when you've got the ex-editor of those celebrity bits in The Mirror.
Diamond continues: "Never mind the reports, because some of them really are funded by the games industry themselves. Never mind what some of these psychologists say. I think we ordinary people know that it's bad for kids to be subjected to this too much."
But hang on... Hold up... What do we have here sneaking into view? Is it? Nah... Surely not so soon. Is it? It is! A new member for our W.R.O.N.G hall of shame!
Step forward, Dr. David Bull - Richard & Judy quack, Conservative Party speaker and sexual health sorcerer. And, it turns out, flaming fool.
When Wright asks if he's certain of a link between video games and gang violence, Bull replies:
"Yes. Absolutely. I have no [doubt]. And I'll tell you where the proof is."
This should be good.
"There is no doubt in my mind there is a causal link, not just an association. When you look at these games, what they're doing - and the psychologists would term this 'desensitisation' - so this seems very normal."
That was essentially just words mashed together, Doc. Try harder. Give it to us straight.
"You look at the graphics of these games. They're incredibly real. It's very hard to detach reality from these games.... It's the lack of consequences. You never have to put yourself in danger. If you're in the forces, yes you kill people, but you put your life in danger. There are consequences to what you do."
Now there's a novel idea. Fatal first-person shooters. Who said no-one was innovating in the military FPS category?
"When you then look at these people, when you then study kids, what they show is that when you show them horrific images of people being mutilated or harmed or killed, they have a lower response than children who do not play those games. So it proves, to me, that therefore these games do desensitise you. And I know from my own experience of playing Grand Theft Auto and other games... I'm really surprised at the way you become so detached to it. I think something really serious has to be done with these games."
Back to you then, Anne. Let's take the inanity to the next level.
"Yeah, but look at the crimes that we're beginning to witness now. The drive-by shootings - common in America, almost and beginning here."
Erm, what? Or at Wrighty puts it: "Weren't they common before games?"
"I'm not sure about that. We seem to be seeing more of it. We're seeing kids with an arsenal of weapons under their bed when then something snaps and they go into their old school and shoot it up. We do tend to be seeing crimes that ape the things that are happening in video games."
Anne Diamond, then. Just to recap for those at the back: A woman who believes video games may have inspired the concept of drive-by shootings; but who sensibly dismisses all research on the subject and who encourages us not to listen to psychologists, but rather take her advice. Which includes allowing your children to play violent - nay, "horrific" - video games. Gotcha Anne. Crystal.
We've just got time for one more pearler from good Dr. Bull. Go on son. Cement your place as a W.R.O.N.G'un.
"Look at the gratification in these games as well. When you shoot them they bleed, they fall, they die. And when you look at what [the murderers of 16-year-old Agnes Sina-Inakoju] said when they were convicted, they said: 'Wasn't it funny the way she fell.'"
People fall in games. People fall in real life. You see what he did there.
Thank goodness, some semblance of normality is grappled back by comic John Moloney, who does three rather bright things. (i) Points to other possible factors of gang violence, such as lenient prison sentences, and - drum roll - parenting; (ii) Says that he lets his little girl play The Sims, but not games for adults; (iii) The big one: ADMITS THAT HE IS NOT AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT.
There's plenty more W.R.O.N.G joy to be found through the Channel 5 link below. Oh, and one last thing...
During the broadcast, Channel 5 deemed it appropriate to show gameplay footage of civilians being gunned down in the Modern Warfare 2 airport level, complete with blood, screaming, murder... the lot. If you find yourself offended by the inclusion of this 18-rated footage on a morning TV chat show, you might like to get in touch with OFCOM.
Comments
83 comments so far...
El Mag on 15 Apr '11 said:
My unborn child that hasn't ever played a game will now grow up and become a murderer of stupid women that crave attention called Anne. Cheers Anne Diamond, you've messed little Juan right up.
master warrior on 15 Apr '11 said:
So only 1 in 20 games are rated 15 or 18 ??
85% are violent? Does Mario count as Violent?
Moorpheus on 15 Apr '11 said:
Good work CVG - I missed the episode but now I know the level of fail which went on.
a3HeadedMonkey on 15 Apr '11 said:
Just saw this over on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzHgoYh7 ... LN&list=SL skip to 13:00
What a bunch of clueless morons.
Queen Skillage on 15 Apr '11 said:
Oh God why, why are some people so stupid.
drpunk on 15 Apr '11 said:
I think you guys need to be careful with this one. You're coming across as the totally opposite end of the scale, that video games aren't bad at all.
You can't agree that it's fine for kids to play 18 rated videogames.
But we all know the issue is the parents letting their children play these games.
DAEDALUS79 on 15 Apr '11 said:
Im no expert in the field nor claim to be, but if 97% of male teenagers play video games and video games are directly linked to violence then shouldn't the number of shooting be going through the roof. Say there are 6 million people in this demographic (teenages who play videogames, not even 10% of the countrys population) and the police figures show there were around 650 homicide shootings in 2009 (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 48627.html). That is a rough rate of 0.001% of teenages being murdering psychopaths....I fail to see the link here
Nick33 on 15 Apr '11 said:
These articles all seem childish to me, I guess CVG average age of readers must be 12 or something.
Smatt on 15 Apr '11 said:
SUbmitted the following complaint:
Programme title:
The Wright Stuff
Date and time of broadcast
(e.g. 01 January 2009 23:00):
14 April 2011 09:15
Channel / station:
Channel 5
Subject:
The Wright Show W.R.O.N.G
Description (please use 1500 characters or less):
The Wright Show on Channel 5 aired at 09:15 on 14th April 2011 aired footage of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Now this is an 18 game and the footage shown is so distressing that in the game itself there is an option to skip out the playable chapter altogether. So I think it is highly inappropriate for it to be shown at 09:15 Thursday Morning. Moreover, the panelists discussing the topic are using factless opinion with no evidence and generally causing mindless panic and fear. Anne Diamond even admits to letting her children play a game which she descirbes as "Horrific" without thought of maybe going to the Video games console and removing the game. She obviously has no common sense like the people who allowed the footage from a 18 rated game to be shown at 09:15 in the morning.
If enough people complain we might be able to make a point and get this drivel off the air.
The Sandbag on 15 Apr '11 said:
I stopped reading after they said about the Bulger case. What Venables and Thompson did to Jamie Bulger was beyond anything you would see in a computer game, and they both said that Child's Play influenced them, NOT computer games.
Computer games do not influence violence. On the contrary, they have been proven to make people LESS angry, as they get to release their anger out on something that isn't real. They prevent people from doing anything drastic rather than causing it!
jim2wheels on 15 Apr '11 said:
Enjoyable reading, not long til the dinosaurs pass away and people who can talk with actual experience can enter the debate.
@El Mag
How long you got to go? My mini-me is due in 6 weeks.
@Nick33
If you think this article is childish, you best turn off the lights on your way out.
casperthedog on 15 Apr '11 said:
I think its insulting that she just dismisses all reports ever done on videogames, the Byron Report and many more, just like that and continues her baseless rubbish is an insult.
I personally would love to see them talk about Heavy Rain. That's a game that is meant to be played by young kids...right...?
Moorpheus on 15 Apr '11 said:
The key issue is parenting. When I was a kid, my parents used to take me out places, my Dad and I played football, cricket etc.
And yes I gamed - I've been gaming since I was 4, however it was always determined by my parents, who followed the age ratings. I believe the only time I broke it was when I got Halo at the age of 13.
Too often I hear stories about young children begging for MW2 etc etc. in the game store and the parent(s) happily buy it to keep their child quiet. These days the TV and the game console are the parents. Along with this, the number of children raised by single parents seems to be significantly higher (I don't have figures although I'm sure they exist) - a single parent environment isn't necessarily the best for a growing child.
Although I have to say, what the doctor guy said about desensitisation is probably true but then Wright mentioned the news channels which is equally true.
If there is a link or not, the root of the entire problem lies with the parents rather than the games themselves. Gamers have said for years that the age ratings are there for a reason - I don't know how many more times it needs to be said until it starts to sink in.
Parents who are concerned with what their son/daughter are playing should look at the box for the age rating and then question themselves as to why they bought the game instead of blasting the video game industry for making the game in the first place.
rockstarsean on 15 Apr '11 said:
Your chosen programme:
Channel 5, Thu 14 Apr 2011 09:15
The Wright Stuff
Matthew Wright hosts the topical debate show with panellists Anne Diamond a...
Graphic Depiction of Violence on The Wright Stuff
I am writing to complain about the use of graphic images used in Channel 5s "The Wright Stuff" of the computer game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The program chose to show images from an 18+ rated game, including numerous shots of murder and violence, almost 11 hours before the watershed. I find this deeply irresponsible particularly when the panel were insistent on criticizing the exposure of such images to children while doing the very same themselves.
The discussion itself was also in very poor taste as the panellists seemed to ignore the basis of an objective intelligent argument by completely discrediting peer reviewed research and findings in favour of what amounts to nothing more than hearsay and biased anecdotes. I would hope for more insight into the facts of the subject rather than poorly founded opinions.
For the sake of viewers of all ages, please do you utmost to address these offences.
BOYD1981 on 15 Apr '11 said:
You know, pathetic as these people and their opinions are I'm also finding the articles and sarcastic comments by CVG rather pathetic too, just let it go.
The whole anti-games thing is no different from when people who didn't like it thought rock and roll music was evil. Times change, old people die and today's young people grow up to be stupid old people who don't like something the next generation do.
I will say this though, Matthew Wright being a smug little t**t and acting like a giggling bratty naughty little kid makes me want to be violent - mostly towards him - more than any videogame ever has or will.
OriginalJonty on 15 Apr '11 said:
Can we make Maloney a honorary member of this campaign for being sensible? A spokesman who knows he isn't an expert and offers more convincing alternatives to violence. Also, I'm sure violent crime has been falling steadily.
showler on 15 Apr '11 said:
Tim please, if you can access it, look for the Alan Titchmarsh show episode today. One of the guests is basically a Lady Gaga wannabe with pretty much her melons hanging out.
Surely anyone with an ounce of common sense would realise it is morally wrong to have a woman with her breasts largely exposed on daytime television? Of course not!
It's depressing to have to live in a society which is so perverse and sexualised in my opinion. Where is the debate on sexualisation? Of course there isn't one because sex makes money!
coolpro on 15 Apr '11 said:
This from the channel that gave us Keith Chegwin in the nude as a quiz show! Now that IS harmful to society!
Self righteous, ill informed, patronising, bigots! DONE!
jim2wheels on 15 Apr '11 said:
A site like CVG is catering for such a wide demographic range, it's impossible for them not to latch on to this kind of thing. Gaming as a whole is immature, so I don't think anyone has the right to have a moan about maturity. Sarcasm is generally considered funny in all forms of comedy, and not many people consider it pathetic.
Give them a break.
ianson on 15 Apr '11 said:
CVG, we should be doing a positive version of this also. We should be giving awards to people who aren't experts who say things that make sense. Not just things we agree with things that show a sterling amount of sense and an attempt to avoid sensationalism. Someone come up with an acronym.
Nosfy on 15 Apr '11 said:
Funny how there is no mention of age ratings at all.
If your kid is 11 and is playing COD or GTA, it your fault, no one elses.
Moribundman on 15 Apr '11 said:
Whilst I applaud your championing of this cause, I have to agree with BOYD1981 that you sounds a little jeuvenile when trying to take every aspect of what they say however reasoned it might be and put a "they're nutters!" spin on it. You could puncture their balloon and deal with this a lot more calmly and clinically rather than trying to trip them over with every step.
Tingham on 15 Apr '11 said:
I think this is a great idea, and is definitely something we'll consider. We could do some W.R.O.N.G awards, and some R.I.G.H.T awards for types like John Moloney. Perhaps... Reasonable, Intelligent, Gaming Hero Types. Or something.
Gaseous Snake on 15 Apr '11 said:
I fully agree, except these days TV is much more influential. People shouldn't be allowed to go on air to millions of people and spout unjustified and unproven opinions, because people are stupid. My Grandma believes everything TV says, as do hundreds of thousands of other people, so when I mention games, she starts to spout the same crap she's been fed. It's the same as saying something stupid on a forum, attributing it to Abraham Lincoln, and then people believe this and start to spout it themselves-oddly like a disease. Science has advanced to a point where it should be the studies quoted, and nothing else, unless you have a valid contradictory opinion.
Also, isn't desensitising people to violence a good way to prevent PTSD? It can't be bad, because it doesn't change people's intentions.
No need, not becoming an enemy of the state of CVG and it's members is reward enough. Although, everybody enjoys a chocolate medal.
dubplate240 on 15 Apr '11 said:
On next weeks Wright Stuff ... shocking revelations: 12 year old with a PS Move Sharpshooter actually responsible for JFK assassination.
Oh yeah, and COD started the Vietnam war. Fact.
KMakawa on 15 Apr '11 said:
What I find incredible is that they go on about putting violence and nudity(porn) infront of our eyes, and infront of kids eyes is a issue and all that jazz.
And yet within the exact same show, they put a full-screen image of a nude woman, laying down on her chest.
This show is a daytime TV show, which will have infants, kids and mums watching it. Effectively are they not contributing to the same f**king thing that they are trying to argue about?
Well done. Well done indeed.
PS; True facts - Videogames caused Hitler to create a war and mass-genocide of Jews.
gmcb007 on 15 Apr '11 said:
Since this whole thing was sparked by that shooting then maybe they should be more worried about the stupid retards who think they can be gansters like the ones from compton running around killing each other and innocent people.
widgy82 on 15 Apr '11 said:
thats it cvg whip these morons into a frenzy
YAWN!
rikkicm on 15 Apr '11 said:
I've e-mailed ofcom now, was hard limiting it to 1500 characters and not writing words like idiotic scare mongering from a bunch of clowns with their own agenda
lordirongut on 15 Apr '11 said:
Final Fantasy VI caused the French Revolution because LOGIC.
El Mag on 15 Apr '11 said:
Hopefully not for a few years yet mate. My girlfriend is raising her baby sister so all our attention is on her for the time being. She's seen our lass playing a game though so hopefully it hasn't warped her fragile little mind.
I heard they made Jack The Ripper into a right bastard too.
Shouldn't you be moaning in comments of the week about how nothing is funny and spelling like a 4 year old?.
karlos2010 on 15 Apr '11 said:
i Annes world, cowboys played red dead redemption and started shooting people
technically, weren't cowboys the first to do drive by shootings? and they were around long before games (unless my school mis-educated me, again)
newsinthefield on 15 Apr '11 said:
"How else can you explain a 22-year-old man casually machine gunning customers in a London pizza parlour? It is as if he's playing a game, don't you think?"
Well, Anne, you've proved it. Gaming is responsible for every single murder committed worldwide. After all, how else can you explain a student shooting up his school or a previously loyal husband stabbing his wife? How else? HOW ELSE?
newsinthefield on 15 Apr '11 said:
"The stats are unbelievable. 97 per cent of teenage boys play video games. 94 per cent of teenage girls. And as for the games themselves, 85 per cent have an element of violence. So we can pretty much know that pretty much every child in the land is being subjected to images of violence."
An element? An element? Most Disney films have an element of violence.
ianson on 15 Apr '11 said:
I totally disagree, when need to find a positive way to plead our case to avoid being attacked for "bullying" to make our point. When the media are trying to imply we are sociopaths getting all arse-y might cause more harm than good.
Ali_ on 15 Apr '11 said:
OFCOM complaint submitted. The more people complain, the bigger the slap on the wrists these mindless, attention craving morons will get.
I had to laugh at most of their statistics. They've obviously been hard at work on Wikipedia, or just making them up. If they are true, can we assume that air is even more dangerous than video games? After all, 100% of violent criminals have been shown to breath.
shadowsblaze on 15 Apr '11 said:
Well, he does eat dodgy mushrooms and jump on people's heads.....
hi0marc on 15 Apr '11 said:
Gaming is responsible for global warming. Fact. Coz i said so.
Oh, and AIDS. It turns straights into gays with aids and gays into mexicans, everyone moves down a notch.
rbt2 on 15 Apr '11 said:
Big deal!
I used to do that every weekend in my yoof.
wtfbbqchiken on 15 Apr '11 said:
lol submited a complaint to ofcom... also made me laugh every person that rang in was defending gaming
KippDynamite on 15 Apr '11 said:
If you were to ask a psychotherapist if they think it is a bad idea for children to play make believe with guns, swords, etc. and even pretend to kill people, you'd get mixed opinions. However, the majority of them would probably say that it is actually not a very big deal because the kids are learning how to differentiate fantasy with reality. It's the same with games. Actually, by sending a kid into the principle's office because he drew a violent picture is probably going to be more harmful because they might think that something is wrong with himself. If a normal parent is able to discuss with their kids the difference between fantasy and reality then there shouldn't be any issues.
I still believe that there are age appropriate games, however - and even I don't feel comfortable with some games.
Very_Silver_Ownz on 15 Apr '11 said:
Mother hand me the shotgun so I can kill all of these silly people.
Umuhut on 15 Apr '11 said:
Jonny_Fandango on 15 Apr '11 said:
This reminds me of Peter Sutcliffe and how he killed all those prostitutes after playing GTA for hours. Oh wait...
RetroSteveUK on 15 Apr '11 said:
Ofcom complaint has been sent, as suggested. I urge everyone to do the same .. disgraceful
ianson on 15 Apr '11 said:
Reasonable Inferences that Genuinely Highlight Truth,
game Reporting with Integrity; Genuine, Honest, Truthful.
Someone think of some lmao
mogwatch on 15 Apr '11 said:
That same Dr was on the Jeremy Kyle show a few weeks ago. There was a woman on the show who was talking about her addiction to codeine tablets. He told her that the amount of codeine she was consuming each day was equal to a bag of heroin. Now I work in the medical industry and although they are both opiates, they are not similar drugs. A Doctor would never prescribe a patient heroin for a bad back. I find it hard to believe he even passed his finals, he's just a git.
Nikh23 on 15 Apr '11 said:
Anne Diamond's email address, if you'd like to let her know what you think of her views (now let's not go being agressive it'd only support Anne's absurd claims, not that she needs any proof or evidence to prove her 'point'.)
annediamondshow@bbc.co.uk
LordVonPS3 on 16 Apr '11 said:
Dear CVG,
I understand you may feel a compelling need to defend video games but in my frank opinion, it didn't need defending before and doesn't need defending now. PEGI ratings, age-filters and other software mechanisms to actively prohibit underage playing of mature-rated video games are sufficient controls beyond good parenting.
Attempting to brew up a storm with this W.R.O.N.G campaign is very silly and is likely to garner the kind of attention gamers and indeed you - CVG - can do without. It is not the kind of battle you can win. Responding to the likes of Wright & Diamond can only serve to raise awareness and give value to their repeated claims. You will inadvertently drive the matter towards the kind of response that perhaps even the government may get involved in. In case you hadn't noticed, the UK is a bit of a mollycoddled, nanny state and will pander to the weak and clueless. I believe that the less the government is involved in sensible people's affairs - the better. I'd like to think maybe you will be sensible, take stock and stop what you are doing, for your own sake and selfishly - as a gamer - mine.
If you don't like what someone has to say, don't respond and take your attention elsewhere. The right to play video games is not up to you, nor the likes of Wright & Diamond, but the more noise you all make - the more people will take notice (including the producers of these programmes). Why should anyone in their right mind be concerned about what Wright & Diamond have to say? As for all the daytime TV watchers out there who saw this programming (i.e. the topic was of interest after learning it was "video games"), well... If they're not already spending an hour or two enacting virtual drive-by's then they're probably keeping fit on their Nintendo Wii. In the event that neither case is true, they're probably fat and / or stupid and / or mollycoddled anyway. I do not subscribe to any further "idiocratic" views, the parental controls are already there to support good parenting. Anyone who hasn't got the common sense to stop eating and / or stop being force-fed sh*t is most likely too lazy / stupid to take any other kind of sensible or rational action. Take this metaphorical advice... Stop feeding fat trolls life sustaining drugs at the public's expense. Please...
Be cool, stay thin CVG.
Lord Von PS3.
Moribundman on 16 Apr '11 said:
Hogarth's engravings made Londoners whores and alcoholics. TW3 laid out and defined the British class structure. Chris Morris invented paedophilia. We live in a scary world where apparently satire retroactively creates the very problems it exists to mock. Like a s**t Twilight Zone episode... On daytime Channel 5...
likes2spooge69 on 16 Apr '11 said:
Guns don't kill people, video games do
sonic_uk on 16 Apr '11 said:
Just one idea, change "opinion" to "propoganda" in the badge logo because that's exactly what these morons spout. I've just finished Crysis 2 for the second time, so I guess I'll have to grab a gun, put on a military suit I stole and walk around my town kicking cars, shooting off a few rounds and smashing windows with my bare hands. Oh, and I do martial arts and own a Samurai Sword and a few other martial arts weapons - Mortal Kombat is out next week...
Ali_ on 16 Apr '11 said:
Re: LordVonPS3
I would suggest pointing out the hypocrisy of a programme about vioent images affecting children showing violent images to children (the No Russian level was shown at 9.30am on a weekday morning and likely viewed by hundreds of thousand of pre-school children up and down the land) is no bad thing. I certainly wouldn't use the Anne Diamond e-mail address as I suspect her solitary braincell (which probably has "won't someone think of the children" branded on it) would be incapable of a measured, non reactionary debate anyway. But reporting a blatant watershed offence to OFCOM is very much above the belt and the ethical and moral thing to do to protect all those "innocent children" the programme claims to be trying to "help".
Byakuya on 16 Apr '11 said:
They've done studies you know. 60% of the time, games cause worldwide natural disasters, all the timeee.
Dajmin on 16 Apr '11 said:
My complaint is in:
ricflair on 16 Apr '11 said:
I agree with Lord. If anyone wants to portray gaming/gamers as immature, they only have to look at the threads on this site and even the article and comments where they first mentioned this WRONG malarkey was chock full of name calling and the like.
Ignorant people and tabloid newspapers exist and life is easier if you ignore them. They're entitled to their opinion, I see dozens of stupid opinions posted on here pretty much everyday.
It's not like we're in Germany or Australia where we can't get games due to over bearing conservatism regarding gaming and violence. If this was 1991, we might have some reason to fear that Anne Diamond's comments might have some wider influence, but it's Anne Diamond!!!! And the other show was Alan Titchmarsh for god's sake.
If this was a massive article on Newsnight or something similar, that people really take seriously, then that might be another thing. But then I'd expect that they'd actually make some sound arguments for their point (gaming is not always harmless, innocent fun and cartoon violence) and the negative impacts of exposure to violence etc don't have to be that you go out and kill someone, they can be much more subtle than that.
Oh and if they changed 'opinions' to 'propaganda', it would ruin the acronym!
KippDynamite on 16 Apr '11 said:
Lord Von PS3 - you and I think alike. Very well put.
Sp0nGeToM on 16 Apr '11 said:
Well, Im 14 and I have been playing the Call Of Duty series for 2 years, also my friend who is 13 play's with me. Now, my friend wnats to join the British Military once he leaves school. I dont know if this is connected to playing Call Of Duty/ GTA etc, or if he wants to serve the country. I dont know...
On the other hand, I believe that there is not a connection. The player can decide what they want to do in life, not just playing a game and decide to walk out the door and shoot the nearest person you see. Games are for the fun side, not for the realism side of it. Although, if someone who plays these sort of games 24/7 and watches films about gangsters etc. they will certainly by dragged into that sort of lifestyle.
jtthegame on 16 Apr '11 said:
what is with people and trying to create excuses for voilent people. saying the did it because of a game or a movie or some other form of media is redicoulious. they do things like that because thats how they are and they should have to take responiability for it. a game or a movie can't.
KMakawa on 16 Apr '11 said:
You shouldn't even be playing such games, so go slap the individual who is buying you such games with a wet fish.
Dom Bom on 16 Apr '11 said:
He should change his name to Matthew Wrong. Ha, i'm so funny.
*Leaves*
El Mag on 16 Apr '11 said:
Do it while wearing this mask.
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/images/product_images/mka020_celebrity_masks_justin_bieber_648.jpg
*Shhh, hopefully everybody will think it's him and chase him off so he never bothers the world again.
Jimmers_Dundee on 16 Apr '11 said:
I dont know why they blame grand theft auto on drive bys and people going in schools and shooting people, For all the millions of people who play the games the number of peopel who actually do this is a verrrry small percent maybe the people who do it are just f**ked up and its not the game
gmcb007 on 17 Apr '11 said:
I forgot how Hitler got the idea of the mass genocide from GTA IV and Charles Manson was influenced by Call of Duty's 'No Russian' . They keep blabbering on about games being some type of brainwashing propaganda that turns the youth into killers and rapists but you never see other forms of media being targeted.
Hell religion is the biggest thing around that can turn people into biased hate mongers and sometimes extremists which have actually lead to thousands of deaths. When was the last time you heard 'GTA told me to bomb an airport' or 'GTA tells me that all homosexuals are going to hell!'
widgy82 on 17 Apr '11 said:
el mag u truly are a massive t**t!
rbt2 on 17 Apr '11 said:
You're a Bieber fan then.
widgy82 on 17 Apr '11 said:
hell no just think el mag is a massive t**t!
rbt2 on 17 Apr '11 said:
Why's that then? He's a bloody good forumite. Always makes funny/amusing posts. Never insults anyone.
Or are you just messin' about?
El Mag on 17 Apr '11 said:
dam bruv u haz rely hurt me felings init
i thought we woz tight even dough u frm da east and i iz frm west side of staines.
I was only trying to help you when i said shouldn't you be moaning in comments of the week instead, i was shocked to see you in a story you probably don't understand calling everybody morons is all. And the spelling thing was just constructive criticism, some 4 year olds are really very smart.
And look, whatever you choose to do with your Bieber merchandise in the privacy of your own home is your business, don't let anybody judge you.
paul on 17 Apr '11 said:
Queen Skillage on 17 Apr '11 said:
There, there El Mag, we'll all chip in to get him some nice crayons. It's alright to be jealous widgy82.
Felly117 on 17 Apr '11 said:
I started playing grand theft auto at 5 years old when I was 6 I had already performed 72 drive bys and was the leader of a gang. By the age of 7 I had killed over a 1,000,000,000 people and was the leader of the entire criminal underworld. I owe all of the skills i needed to get me where i am today to GTA.
widgy82 on 17 Apr '11 said:
dam bruv u haz rely hurt me felings init i thought we woz tight even dough u frm da east and i iz frm west side of staines.
I was only trying to help you when i said shouldn't you be moaning in comments of the week instead, i was shocked to see you in a story you probably don't understand calling everybody morons is all. And the spelling thing was just constructive criticism, some 4 year olds are really very smart.
And look, whatever you choose to do with your Bieber merchandise in the privacy of your own home is your business, don't let anybody judge you.
need i say anymore? oh go on then ur a massive t**t!
El Mag on 17 Apr '11 said:
Well done you can spell t**t
YAWN.
Queen Skillage on 17 Apr '11 said:
Just a few of your classics widgy. You should really stop sniffing paint.
I think widgy probably fancies you El Mag, he can't seem to get you out of his head...his Bieber doll must have a puncture.
widgy82 on 17 Apr '11 said:
queen skillage can i ask are you el mags faggot or something? and why has this got anything to do with you exactly?
also have you nothing better to do than go through all my old posts you wierdo! i mean seriously the sun is shining outside get off your pc
Report dealt with.
r0zm4n on 18 Apr '11 said:
I've submitted a complaint to OFCOM (now they'll have 3!
) and not because of the (laudable) W.R.O.N.G. campaign but because I genuinely believe that showing simulated violence designed for adults (opt-in only simulated violence I might add), between 9 and 10 am is criminal. If they'd shown a fully graphic scene from a SAW movie I'm sure the Daily Mail would be all over it. Ho hum.
digifreak277 on 18 Apr '11 said:
This is pathetic, seriously, the only people i feel like shooting here are all those people who are W.R.O.N.G. I play a lot of video games, and i never feel like comitting random acts of violence, these people are stupid, its making me angry! Grrrr....
adgr19 on 18 Apr '11 said:
i'm absolutely speachless at this. how can people be allowed to spout this nonsense as fact. they're getting 2 complaint letters to ofcom, one for calling me a nerd and one for showing 18 rated content in the daytime during the school holidays.
slosskovic on 18 Apr '11 said:
I've sent a complaint to OFCOM, here it is
"This programme showed violent, gory images of an 18 rated game, namely, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 during a mid morning broadcast. I play this game and realise it contains adult subject matter, that is why I don't allow my 5 year old son to play or view this game or those similar. Channel 5 took that decision out of my hands when they played this footage in a daytime slot during school holidays and my son was understandably upset by it. This, I feel, was sensationalist hand-wringing, and has undone my work as a parent to monitor what my son is exposed too. I would have thought programmes broadcast after childrens programming on an am schedule would not be allowed to show content that would come with a parental advisory and warning on its retail packaging."
Cheers Channel 5 for being so incensed about us not being able to raise our kids properly and letting them play games that aren't aimed at them, you've done the job for us and showed them it without our permission.
Imaduck on 22 Apr '11 said:
My history's a little bit rusty, but I'm pretty sure it was GTA. You're welcome
The_Jaster on 22 Apr '11 said:
What came first? the chicken or the egg, I ate the chicken then I ate its leg.
almanac2015 on 22 Apr '11 said:
Games are a scapegoat because less people game than watch TV. They are played mostly by young males, making it a target.
The internet and all its violence and porn are not going to have a positive effect on kids. Violent movies aren't going to have the best effect on kids. Neither are games. Blame them all or blame none because the reality is, gaming is no worse than anything else. It's largely harmless fun and anyone who commits violence because of a game is a psychopath who would have went bat s**t crazy at some point anyway. Give a normal kid a game, a film or the internet and they will enjoy it for what it is and not feel the need to go urban hunting in an American school.
Blame the parents. And when those kids grown up to spawn their own chavs, blame the new parents. Having bad parents will just lead to a cycle of stupidity where idiots breed idiots, and people are too stupid to blame the ones responsible for the upbringing of the child. Blaming games (or TV or Internet etc.) is just shifting the blame .