Is The Witch Hunt Finally Over?
With Grand Theft Auto IV being out for almost a week now the media has been surprisingly restrained. I haven’t seen any GTA IV Makes Angry Teenager Go On A Mass Murder Spree stories, or the game being blamed for baby seals being caught up in fishing nets, or how it’s one of the signs that Armageddon is on its way. Even Jack Thompson has kept his lunacy in check. Not only that, you can actually find some MSM sites providing positive commentary on the game.
About the only thing I’ve spotted is MADD complaining the game allows someone to drive drunk, but since drunk driving doesn’t provide you with super-powers and actually makes driving more difficult in the game it doesn’t exactly support MADD’s position, now does it?
When all this is taken into account does this mean we have finally turned the corner on media hysteria and gaming? Have we finally re-entered an age of personal responsibility? Or is the media simply laying in wait, ready to once again proclaim gaming as the end of Western Civilization once an appropriate story breaks?
Hi,
Yup, we may have finally reached the point where “Game makes teenager do stupid thing ” isn’t selling any additional papers anymore. It can now join movies, rock & roll and other old stuff in the “Great Evil Has Beens” Hall of Fame.
Expect the media to be scrutinizing teenager’s behavior in order to find a new scapegoat which sells a few extra copies.
Some prospective titles : “Wii induces motion sickness in kids” and “trainee pilot does Immelmann with 747 – blames MS Flightsim “ - Oops, those are game-related *again* - those damn’ homo sapiens and their constant need for entertainment and new gadgets
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Comment by Eddy Sterckx — 5/6/2008 @ 3:11 am
I blame society’s ills on hula-hoops and malted milkshakes!
Comment by Scott — 5/6/2008 @ 7:49 pm
The media is just distracted right now. Next summer, after the next president’s first 100 days are over, they’ll rediscover the evils of gaming.
Comment by John Hawkins — 5/7/2008 @ 12:09 pm
Heh, John, I didn’t think about that but yeah, I’m sure that’s one factor.
Comment by Scott — 5/7/2008 @ 7:34 pm