carocat.co.uk

After my other post looking into the debate to ban or restrict access to video games in Germany I’ve come across some more links that delve more into the topic, as well as some studies. Some are in German, so please use a translator.

• Der Markt verlangt nach Sensation [Zeit.de] – It appears that I’m not the only person outraged at the media presence in Winnenden. This is a great article summing up things like paying students to hug tearfully to get better pictures.
• “Active” gaming is healthy, says study [CVG.com] – Obvious article pointing out that Wii and Eyetoy games are healthy. Who would have thought?
• Galeria Kaufhof: Ab April 2009 keine USK 18-Spiele mehr im Sortiment [PCgames.de] – Kaufhof, a large German retailer is taking all 18+ games off the shelves and will not be selling them any more citing:

“Mit diesem Schritt möchte das Unternehmen ein weiteres Zeichen für eine soziale und gesellschaftspolitische Verantwortung setzen”
“With this move the company wishes to set another sign for a social and socialpolitical responsibility.

• Only 3% of Games are Adult, says MP [EDGE] – Gavin Brown, Conservative MP for Lothians said yesterday in a tax break discussion:

we “must ensure that a positive perception of games is promoted, instead of the negative perception that some games might have attracted.”

• Study Shows No Link Between Violent Games and Crimes [IGN] – Other linke here and here and here. Whilst claiming more research into videogames needs to be done, researcher Patrick Kierkegaard says:

Despite violent games becoming more mainstream within recent years, statistics show that violent crimes committed from juvenile delinquents have declined since the early 1990s. “With millions of sales of violent games, the world should be seeing an epidemic of violence… Instead, violence has declined.”

• So schützen Sie Jugendliche und Kinder vor Killerspielen [Bild.de] – They’re trying to provide a public service to people by showing several ways to restrict a teen’s access on the family’s PC which is all fine and dandy, but there really wasn’t a need to continuously use terms such as Killerspiel, Ballerspiel, Brutalo Games, Gewaltspiel, Amoklauf-Modus..
• Interview with Christian Pfeiffer from January 2009 [Computerbild Spiele] – He mentions among other things that he never plays video games himself.
• Was ist ein Killerspiel [Bild.de] – A more or less sensationalist view about the phrase and the games considered ‘Killerspiel’.

I did like this comment left by someone on an article about how violence isn’t in correlation to violent games:

When I visited Miami for the first time, I saw lots of people rollerblading in thongs, dudes with loud shirts and cigars, and high-end sports cars parked randomly on sidewalks.

I thought, “Wow! Just like GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY!”

Did it make me want to smash the window of the nearest banana-yellow Ferrari and drive it across the beach? Kinda. But I didn’t, because I know the difference between right and wrong; my folks taught me this.

I have a hard time believing that kids think games are real, and parents and guardians have a responsibility to their children in this respect: teach them. Lead by example.