Games 'permit' virtual war crimes

[stevember]

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.

Source BBC

GTA will need speed limits next...

[bob_c_b]

So now escapism needs to be politically correct?

[Grumpy Old Man]

So now escapism needs to be politically correct?

While real war crimes go unpunished. CoughGeorgeBushCough.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I've never understood these "arguments", one of our attorney generals used something similar in regards to why he's against an R18+ rating (killing people is illegal)

It's like condemning a crime novel, because the book depicts a murder, it never actually happened in real life, it's a fictional depiction of an event.

[neufuse Veteran]

oh dear gawd.... its a freaking GAME, how about you use this time to investigate real crimes?

[08993]

Blame the media for reporting the drivel, there will always be ****ers and moaners but it's giving them a stage that is just as bad.

[etempest]

Sometime, Games can be a "symptom" of something else, yet they like to attack it like it's a root cause.

[detoxa]

BREAKING NEWS :

Sonic The Hedgehog is held on speeding and vandalism charges :blink:

[CelticWhisper]

Seriously. Part of the reason stuff like GTA, Postal, Prototype, Fallout and Carmageddon are fun is because you can get away with doing things you could never get away with in real life. Stuff like carjacking, dousing priests in gasoline and chasing them around with lit matches, throwing people into walls so hard their heads explode, nuking peaceful settlements, and the "bonus for artistic impression." Respectively. It's relaxing. It's cathartic. It's an outlet for aggression that would otherwise lead to real war crimes.

How about this, reporters? Leave video games alone for one year. Start Jan. 1, 2010 and end Dec. 31, 2010. See if the world goes to hell while you're not reporting on the evil of games. (Hint: it won't.) If the fabric of society unravels, we'll all stop playing video games and let you sing your "I told you so"s all night. If it doesn't, though, maybe that means it's time to focus on something more important.

[jbrunt1990]

^you sir, have said all that has needed to be said about this topic.

[Growled Member]

So now escapism needs to be politically correct?

Most definitely.

[CelticWhisper]

BREAKING NEWS :

Sonic The Hedgehog is held on speeding and vandalism charges :blink:

Not only did he exceed the speed limit by about 230Km/h, he failed to display taillights too. That's another $100.

[Noveed]

Not only did he exceed the speed limit by about 230Km/h, he failed to display taillights too. That's another $100.

Not Seat belt, no MOT, no insurance either. Damn sonic is so ****ed!

[Fish]

Ok, the Beeb has reported this not-newsworthy story, but at least they've looked at both sides of the discussion and reported it fairly. The closing comments from Messrs Walker and Rossignol pretty much sum up how the population at large really feel, I suspect.

[acnpt]

Wait, are they going to try people in the virtual Hague then :laugh:

[ichi]

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

Fictional characters have human rights? Since when?

[theclueless]

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

guessing shooting aliens soon falls under "war crime"

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

isnt this the exact reason why we play games?

these human rights group needs a life, find some real world issues to deal with, and not sit at home and think of ways to waste money on useless craps like "video game war crime"

[stevember]

Seriously. Part of the reason stuff like GTA, Postal, Prototype, Fallout and Carmageddon are fun is because you can get away with doing things you could never get away with in real life. Stuff like carjacking, dousing priests in gasoline and chasing them around with lit matches, throwing people into walls so hard their heads explode, nuking peaceful settlements, and the "bonus for artistic impression." Respectively. It's relaxing. It's cathartic. It's an outlet for aggression that would otherwise lead to real war crimes.

How about this, reporters? Leave video games alone for one year. Start Jan. 1, 2010 and end Dec. 31, 2010. See if the world goes to hell while you're not reporting on the evil of games. (Hint: it won't.) If the fabric of society unravels, we'll all stop playing video games and let you sing your "I told you so"s all night. If it doesn't, though, maybe that means it's time to focus on something more important.

You deserve Oscar for that post Sir.

[CelticWhisper]

Thanks, guys.

[strekship]

So does that mean next time I play SWAT 4 I shouldn't handcuff the suspects and shoot them in the back of the head?

[toadeater]

Which games depicted war crimes? Maybe that sensationalist airport scene from MW2, but I can't think of anything else? Usually games don't even have any civilians in the combat zone at all, just empty houses you can run around shooting your friends in.

[Growled Member]

Seriously. Part of the reason stuff like GTA, Postal, Prototype, Fallout and Carmageddon are fun is because you can get away with doing things you could never get away with in real life. Stuff like carjacking, dousing priests in gasoline and chasing them around with lit matches, throwing people into walls so hard their heads explode, nuking peaceful settlements, and the "bonus for artistic impression." Respectively. It's relaxing. It's cathartic. It's an outlet for aggression that would otherwise lead to real war crimes.

Just for the sake of argument, let's say a 9 year old boy got GTA and did those things like dousing priests with gasoline. And let's say the boy had no one to tell him this game was just a game and he wasn't suppose to do those things in real life. After a while wouldn't the limits blur a bit for him and might he think that there wasn't anything wrong with doing those things in real life?

[Benjo85au]

Just for the sake of argument, let's say a 9 year old boy got GTA and did those things like dousing priests with gasoline. And let's say the boy had no one to tell him this game was just a game and he wasn't suppose to do those things in real life. After a while wouldn't the limits blur a bit for him and might he think that there wasn't anything wrong with doing those things in real life?

Furthermore, you will get 2 wanted stars and any police officer within range that sees you will shoot you dead on the spot.

Regardz :)

[fhpuqrgrpgvirzhpujbj]

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE! Master Chief has been charged with 41 counts of aggravated theft over a dispute about ownership of Blue Team's flag.

[Slammers]

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE! Master Chief has been charged with 41 counts of aggravated theft over a dispute about ownership of Blue Team's flag.

Lol.

How is this any different than choosing to click the play button your DVD remote and then choosing to watch people die etc. in a movie?

And since when do computer game characters have human rights? Their definitely not human (i think...)