A quick solution to the "vidja games made me do it" problem?

[JustChris]

You don't suppose most video games can be protected legally if they just put a "Captain Obvious" disclaimer on it? Like "This game contains scenes of fatal risk and danger. Do not try to attempt the actions portrayed in this game in real life".

Now whenever violent video games are threatened with an unfair legislation of lawsuit, the game companies can just go "No ****ing way" and point to that disclaimer. This is different from ESRB warnings because those just advise people about the content in the game. The disclaimer idea is about advising people on how to take in that content.

I'm taking this idea seriously because many other industries are practicing it to prevent product recalls or lawsuits against their products. It's why car commercials have "Professional driver, closed course" so that some idiot cannot win by saying "I was going 80mph downhill on my Jeep and thought the airbag would be enough to protect me". Or why the Clorox Bleach tells you on the label not to drink it.

[Mark of Cain]

Odds that course of action would have little or no effect. Where there's a will there's a way and last time I checked putting the message "warning this product contains lead and may be hazardous to your health" on boxes of bullets did not deter the anti-gun activists.

[XCON Faxion]

Some game companies already do this. EA tells it's players not to attempt any driving stunts done in the NFS series and reminds you to wear a seatbelt. Turn 10 warns you not to try any moves seen in Forza Motorsport in real life. Capcom has traditionally warned players that the game they are about to play contains exteme amounts of blood and gore, i.e. Resident Evil/Dino Crisis.

Disclaimers don't do anything except add warning and potentially add fuel to the fire. I can hear the pundits screaming, "The developers warned us even they believe their product does harm." Besides consumers never listen to disclaimers at all. No one bothered to read that giant disclaimer on the Ford Explorer's sun visor that warned drivers that the Explorer handles differently then a regular car and could flip over.

[kurisu7885]

Hell, you also don't see a knife wielding maniac look at the warning label and go "Oh, it's sharp. I better put this down, someone could get hurt"

[MUTANT SPUD]

Heres some product advisory labels
1. Do not play this game if you have a pre existing mental condition.
2. This is a video game, people dont really behave like this
3. Don't drink and play games
4. Does your mother know you like to abuse people on the internet?
Ah jeez..I know I'm no comedian...Just make any game with any violence in it R rated and be done with it, let the under 18's play Super Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog. All the benefits of video gaming can be found in G rated games too, kids dont need to be playing Halo or GTA to improve their hand eye co-ordination and planning skills

[Pominator]

It's like the "if god created everything then what created god?" argument

If Splinter cell teaches you how to break into highly complex government buildings, using an array of physical contortions and interrogation techniques then what did Sam Fisher train on?

If GTA makes you kill people then what did Nikolai Bellic train on?

If listening to Jack Thompson makes you an expert critic on videogame violence then what did Jack Thompson train on?

oops

[ZippyDSMlee]

It's like the "if god created everything then what created god?" argument

If Splinter cell teaches you how to break into highly complex government buildings, using an array of physical contortions and interrogation techniques then what did Sam Fisher train on?

If GTA makes you kill people then what did Nikolai Bellic train on?

If listening to Jack Thompson makes you an expert critic on videogame violence then what did Jack Thompson train on?

oops

self taught on self help books? :rolleyes:

[georox]

I just want to see the next outbreak of awful events blaming news. I can turn on the Detroit news (I live in Michigan) and see more cases of violence than some games can cover in a day, and DAMN those graphics look realistic! :O

[Icehawk]

self taught on self help books? :rolleyes:

I have oft wondered if there a secret school for the training of bigots. Think most politicians have to at least attend.

On the otherside mayhaps the evil vidja games have taken over and reprogrammed my mind.

There have been times after a long and stressful day at work I have come home, popped in a game and pictured doing painful things to my boss, annoying co-workers or just that jerk that cut me off in traffic.

Of course there is still the minor difference that I do it to release stress in-game which is somewhat better then doing it in real life. That and you don't need to worry about the law.

I wonder where common sense wandered off to, Or did it just give up the ghost a ways back?

[MUTANT SPUD]

Using games to work through stress brought on by other people is theraputic. Its when people sit in a semi dark room drinking whiskey, thinking about their enemies and obsessively opening and shutting a switchblade that we need to worry.
I have a book called "Painted Black" by Carl A Raschke (Harper Collins 1990) which blames all the ills befalling the youth of that era on satanism and heavy metal music, the gaze of bigots shifts with every new youth/ leisure phenomenon, they'll soon find a new folk demon. If you can find this book pick it up its a cracking read...its up there with the book on backward masking satanic messages in rock music..which I also have but cant lay my hands on at the minute...hmmmm:(

[Icehawk]

Using games to work through stress brought on by other people is theraputic. Its when people sit in a semi dark room drinking whiskey, thinking about their enemies and obsessively opening and shutting a switchblade that we need to worry.
I have a book called "Painted Black" by Carl A Raschke (Harper Collins 1990) which blames all the ills befalling the youth of that era on satanism and heavy metal music, the gaze of bigots shifts with every new youth/ leisure phenomenon, they'll soon find a new folk demon. If you can find this book pick it up its a cracking read...its up there with the book on backward masking satanic messages in rock music..which I also have but cant lay my hands on at the minute...hmmmm:(

Actually I remember both of those fades, and before that it was watching to much TV (to young to have gotten into the bashing on comics) and how it was turning the nation into mindless couch potatos, movies were teaching violence (In the case of the Clockwork Orange I might even agree).

Think it was The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band that I first heard about backwards messages on LPs which we all knew even that was hokey at best. Yep we have been trained by all these sources. Odd that they never mention the church, government or school all of which train behavior as well.. For me I am pretty sure my downfall was the original D&D (long before Unearthed Arcana much less AD&D and the rest).

If you want to find an evil but cannot just make something up or force something to fit.

[Pominator]

The primary issue is and always will be the parents, people who are too lazy to work on finding the true cause of their children's problems, despite the fact that they look at it in the mirror every day (if they are that obsessed with how they look, which a lot of adults seem to be nowadays...)

Until all parents wise up and take responsibility for their screwups (which they wont) then there will always be a need for a scapegoat, because if they can't find one then the truth will out and the childrens will be unsaveable!

[mopman411]

The primary issue is and always will be the parents, people who are too lazy to work on finding the true cause of their children's problems, despite the fact that they look at it in the mirror every day (if they are that obsessed with how they look, which a lot of adults seem to be nowadays...)

Until all parents wise up and take responsibility for their screwups (which they wont) then there will always be a need for a scapegoat, because if they can't find one then the truth will out and the childrens will be unsaveable!

Democratic numbers just fell... no correction, they continue to fall!!