STOP playing games you're committing a crime...

[AGTDenton]

... virtually

Video games depicting war have come under fire for flouting laws governing armed conflicts.

Human rights groups played various games to see if any broke humanitarian laws that govern what is a war crime.

The study condemned the games for violating laws by letting players kill civilians, torture captives and wantonly destroy homes and buildings.

It said game makers should work harder to remind players about the real world limits on their actions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8373794.stm

Civilian > < War criminal

[Phage]

They can get a big brown dog up 'em. Sideways.

[shaithis]

It said game makers should work harder to remind players about the real world limits on their actions.

Yes, we want games that only depict real life.

How about a game where I have to get up in the morning, commute to work, do an 8 hour graft, commute back home again and then settle in for a evenings couch-potatoing?

The whole point of games is escapism, not realism.....

[Salazaar]

BBC quotes Rock, Paper, Shotgun in an article. Is this a sign that normal, well adjusted gamers are actually being listened to?

[mmh]

yeah, because when im on the battlefield for real, i run out into the middle of a firefight, spraying from the hip, getting shot and carrying on whilst im running for the headquarters... before the other guys get there...

seriously, some people have nothing better to do...

[Prime]

The whole point of games is escapism, not realism.....

nail on the head. as are movies and other entertainments.
its just laughable to hear anything along the line of this - its pathetic, theirs zero basis to accuse a game of causing someone to go on a brutal, killing rampage - that person clearly has issues: not the Gaming community!
ill play games with the accessibility to injure or kill innocents, i'll watch films where entire continents are destroyed in war - if i do break out in a violent warpath, it wont be because of the games i play - it would be how i was raised - perhaps that should be a focus on someone going nuts; their 14 year old, dope smoking, asbo parents . . . . not a game or film.

[AGTDenton]

Nice to know they get time to play games during office hours, money well spent as usual.

Wait for the Animal rights activitsts to get their hands on Mario with all that turtle killing.

[kalniel]

BBC quotes Rock, Paper, Shotgun in an article. Is this a sign that normal, well adjusted gamers are actually being listened to?

I noticed that, very good sign.

It's a worthwhile debate IMHO - we have laws that control certain virtual acts (mostly to do with representations of children) so why shouldn't other things that are criminal in the real world be outlawed in the virtual world as well? You can't simply say 'it's not real' or you'd have to also take back the existing restrictions - are you okay with the idea of a virtual peado game - escapism right? Where do you draw the line?

[Phage]

I noticed that, very good sign.

It's a worthwhile debate IMHO - we have laws that control certain virtual acts (mostly to do with representations of children) so why shouldn't other things that are criminal in the real world be outlawed in the virtual world as well? You can't simply say 'it's not real' or you'd have to also take back the existing restrictions - are you okay with the idea of a virtual peado game - escapism right? Where do you draw the line?

Strawman. There is no reason to bring out the shock/horror/nazi/won't someone think of the children argument. We're not discussing sex.

[kalniel]

We're not discussing sex.

Why not? The same 'it's not real' arguement can be used for both.

[Phage]

So can you for a number of things. The particular issue is violence.

[kalniel]

So can you for a number of things. The particular issue is violence.

The particular issue is criminal activities and violation of human rights. Why limit it to violence? You can't always pigeon hole these things anyway. What about sexual violence?

[Phage]

Simples. Sex is not violence. Other than for the sicker fringes.
Why conflate the two when there is no obvious link ?

[Prime]

i find (for example) the Airport scene in MW2 exiting, movie-like and something visually appealing: considering the game is quite hollywood action like and i expect to see thing of this content in the game . . . .i'd find a game of a man who abuses children or a Rapist non of these things.

[kalniel]

Simples. Sex is not violence. Other than for the sicker fringes.
Why conflate the two when there is no obvious link ?

So basically you're saying that we should apply real world rules to games when it comes to things sexual, but not things violent? So my question is why?

[amdavies]

1. Show me a victim in a computer game.

2. How about you go after the real war criminals; Bush, Blair et al. Oh, right - the only thing deemed criminal about war is being on the losing side.