The Vatican issue plea to videogames industry

[Steven W]

On World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI has made a plea to the videogames industry.

Check out the Headline

[dangel]

Ah the walking PR disaster that is the catholic church. I really wish they'd picked a progressive pope this time round.

[nichomach]

Well, it's not directed exclusively at the games industry for a start, but at all media companies. It affirms that the primary responsibility for guiding children should lie with parents, and that they should be guiding children in their care toward media (music, games, drama etc.) which doesn't exalt violence or trivialise human sexuality. Is that really such a terrible thing to state? As far as the media industries go, the statement recognizes that the industries have pressures on them to boost ratings/get sales, but calls on them to have regard to the ethical content of what they're producing and specifically not to target nasty stuff at kids. Again, is that so terrible?

[Steven W]

I think he makes a decent point.

[dangel]

...but most gamers are adults and/or most games are bought by adults aren't they?

How about appealing to the things called 'parents' to be 'responsible' in what they let their children do? I know, I know it's a far fetched concept..

[Funkstar]

Yup. seems fairly sensible to me

[GeorgeTuk]

Its a fairly decent point yes I will give him that and I think with Nintendos return to the market in strength we will see a toning down of the violence. And besides its pretty much all been done now.

Look at games like Viva Pinata and Super Monkey Ball, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Warioware Smooth Moves.

Its a good point but then the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS is also a good point.

[Rack]

^ "amen" to that... didn't he retract that at some point tho? Tho even if he did, the damage was done.

With that one statement about aids he really helped define general opinion of him (afaik).

[yamangman]

That depends whether or not you think stating the blinding obvious with a Jesus-twist is a good point I suppose.

[dangel]

That depends whether or not you think stating the blinding obvious with a Jesus-twist is a good point I suppose.

Chuckle

[kalniel]

*chuckles* It is a good point. It should also be blindingly obvious but it's still being ignored.

It's not just the violence, it's the aim of that violence - where it used to be violence towards overtly evil things it's now quite trendy to play out the role of the bag guy and conduct the violence towards innocents etc.