Videogames: histrionics follow govt. health ad

[unimatrix7]

I've watched with astonishment at the hysterics that have followed the latest iteration of the UK government's Change4Life campaign, which features a boy with a PlayStation controller beneath the heading "risk an early death, just do nothing." Check it out, along with the sensational headline that Joystiq (and, in fairness, every other gaming news outlet) saw fit to attach in the finest traditions of the worst tabloids.

Now we've got ourselves a show. Sony threatened to sue, whilst Capcom, Sega, Ubisoft, and Atari all weighed in and expressed their unanimous displeasure.

So far, I've only found one voice of reason amongst the tidal wave of hysteria that washes across the interwebs whenever gamers get their panties in a bunch.

And they nailed it:

"But why," the industry cries, "why are we being singled out, and not television or books?" This, I remind you, is the same industry which has spent the last decade boasting to anyone who'll listen about how incredibly popular its products are, about how the popularity of videogames is hammering the audience figures for television, how revenues from games are outstripping those of music and movies. This is the industry that very publicly chuckles with schadenfreude when television weeps over the "lost generation" who never tune in because they're too busy on their PlayStations and Xboxes. As for books? With desperate campaigns underway in Britain to try to prevent the rise of illiteracy, it seems unlikely that it's books that are making kids obese.

...

You can't have it both ways. If videogames are the most popular form of entertainment for kids (or damned near to being so), then it stands to reason that videogames should be used as an example of the kind of sedentary entertainment which children need to do less of, in favour of more active pastimes. If, on the other hand, videogames are actually deeply unpopular and hardly any children spend a significant amount of time on them, then yes - the industry has been wronged. But in that instance, the industry has also been lying to itself (and everyone else) for the last decade.

What say you all?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

It's pathetic, as are nearly all these things. Completely overblown on both sides. The government need to try and figure out what they're actually saying, before they say it, and the games industry should just shrug it off as the government being ignorant, as always, about current popular culture.

 

[Rii]

For anyone else looking for a (barely) legible version of the ad, see here.

It's much ado about nothing, obviously the ad needs to depict a sedentary activity to get the point across, why not gaming? The text doesn't single gaming out as the only problematic (lack of) activity, it's merely an example.

That said, I can see why Sony is pissed. Then again, given the PS3's lacklustre sales performance perhaps they should be grateful for the implication that children play Playstations.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

You'd think he'd go outside on his own he looks miserable playing the video game.

I'm not sure about the message to lower fats in the kid's diet, either. I think it would be better to promote fruits and vegetables or whatever than to switch the kid to baked potato chips and fat free pudding cups.

 

[Hermiod]

What say you all?

Eurogamer's argument is bullshit. It's about damned time the video games industry stood up for itself and stopped passively taking the blame for every single thing that's wrong in the world.

Aside from everything else, the video games industry provides well paid, skilled jobs in the UK.

 

[unimatrix7]

What say you all?

Eurogamer's argument is bullshit. It's about damned time the video games industry stood up for itself and stopped passively taking the blame for every single thing that's wrong in the world.

Aside from everything else, the video games industry provides well paid, skilled jobs in the UK.

Stood up for itself? It has stood up for itself...and this time it needs to sit back down. The advertisement is warning of the dangers of being sedentary and eating lots of rubbish. It is not warning against the dangers of playing videogames. It's only doing that if you're a gamer looking for something to get your tits in a twist over.

I for one am happy to see a large gaming media outlet look at the latest brouhaha from a dispassionate viewpoint. As opposed to, say, declaring something 'bullshit' without even an attempt at explanation

 

[Hermiod]

Stood up for itself? It has stood up for itself...and this time it needs to sit back down. The advertisement is warning of the dangers of being sedentary and eating lots of rubbish. It is not warning against the dangers of playing videogames. It's only doing that if you're a gamer looking for something to get your tits in a twist over.

I for one am happy to see a large gaming media outlet look at the latest brouhaha from a dispassionate viewpoint. As opposed to, say, declaring something 'bullshit' without even an attempt at explanation

It's the straw that broke the camel's back. Video games are responsible for everything. Right now, I bet you, more than one journalist in Germany will be looking to see if Tim Kretschmer played video games.

The games industry sits there and takes it while Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is ripped apart in the media for the whole Hot Coffee thing (because apparently sex is bad and shouldn't be represented in an adult video game - they even thought it was a bad idea and disabled it before release but that's not enough). Mass Effect got this treatment too.

It takes it when some teenage girl gets upset because Wii Fit said she might be overweight.

It takes it when the news media decides the entire industry is responsible for for a third party Amazon seller selling Rapelay.

This isn't about one advert, it's about video games being a massive industry that gets a ridiculously disproportionate amount of flak just because a few ignorant people in the media don't understand them. And guess what, a lot of people weren't getting any exercise long before video games became popular. People have been sitting at their desks in offices eight hours a day and then going home to sit in front of their TVs for hours more for decades.

 

[unimatrix7]

And guess what, a lot of people weren't getting any exercise long before video games became popular.

Guess what? I think people know that. But they had to show a picture, so it might as well be of a kid playing a game. Would it have appeased you if they showed tiny little pictures of kids carrying out every possible sedentary activity instead of just one relevant image? C'mon.

People have been sitting at their desks in offices eight hours a day and then going home to sit in front of their TVs for hours more for decades.

I don't see anybody suggesting otherwise.

 

[Rii]

Right now, I bet you, more than one journalist in Germany will be looking to see if Tim Kretschmer played video games.

He played Counter-Strike.

 

[Mistral]

I live in the US. I'd like to say this doesn't affect me but its an argument that is not going away. Kids need to be active and parents do to-active in their kids activities, that is. In the end, that's where the responsibility lies.

 

[darthraidr]

I live in the US. I'd like to say this doesn't affect me but its an argument that is not going away. Kids need to be active and parents do to-active in their kids activities, that is. In the end, that's where the responsibility lies.

yup. parents need to take a more active role in parenting. it seems way too frequent that parents will blame something else before taking responsibility.

as i was growing up, i was severely limited in how much tv i could watch (none during the week, unless it was with the parents, and only after homework was done). and i was limited to how long i could play video games on the weekend (i had to go and play outside (and i enjoyed it)).

i think i turned out okay. when my co-workers or friends start talking about all the games they used to play, i cant always relate... but that is probably because i had a Master System, not a NES. and really, if i didnt work on videogames now, those conversations would probably be extremely rare.

 

[Rii]

Guess what? I think people know that. But they had to show a picture, so it might as well be of a kid playing a game.

The ad doesn't show the kid playing a game, it shows him holding a SIXAXIS controller. It appears the effects of shitty ergonomics are more serious than previously believed.

 

[Rii]

Game over, man! Game over! What the fuck are we gonna do now?