Naturally it's Gordon Brown, our un-elected Prime Minister, who has now spoken out about graphically violent video games.
According to The Inquirer and MCV, Gordon Brown is planning to launch a review on the advertising and sale of games to children (ie. anyone under 18). Apparently the Prime Minister mistakenly believes that "Parents are concerned about whether children are exposed to harmful violence and sexual imagery in games and on the internet."
Really? If they're that concerned, why don't they actually be parents, and stop their kids buying and playing games they think are inappropriate?
How about they follow the mandatory legal rating of the BBFC for some games, and the voluntary PEGI rating for the rest of them? You know, actually read the big age rating label, which is exactly the same as the one on DVDs and videos - and then actually follow it.
Why is it that some parents are so hopeless that they are shocked to find a BBFC classified 18 game like Doom 3 has strong violence and horror elements? What do they think the BBFC and PEGI ratings are for?
And how out of touch is the Prime Minister? Can he really be unaware that graphically violent videogames are rated by the BBFC, which carries the same legal weight and penalties as the ratings the BBFC gives to films? ie. if you sell an 18 rated game or DVD to someone under 18, you go to jail. Why would we need any more laws - it's already a crime!
I suppose it's much easier to blame the easy scapegoat of computer games, rather than focus on the real problem - irresponsible parents who seem to think the job of raising their children properly is someone else's problem.
Given how many similar efforts in the US have always been smacked down, we can only hope that the same sorry circus will get played out over here as well.
Always good to see our tax money hard at work :-)
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