The appeal of many
computer games is the active participation of the user. Often the player is
placed at the centre of the action and their decisions and actions influence
the narrative. One could argue that this is a more immersive experience than
passively watching a film. As such it
would seem that the effects of playing a computer game on the behaviour of the
audience would be greater. However, as the industry is relatively new, the
study of the effects of computer games regarding such things as violence are
yet to fully develop. Regulation of the industry is also less advanced than in
other mediums.
The effects of
violence in computer games can lead to ‘moral panics’ where the media and the
public whip up a storm of indignation that threatens to censor the
industry. Tabloids love a story
involving a controversial video game as it allows them to scare an older
audience who have little understanding of the medium. For example,
parents often worry about the effects on their children of spending too
much time immersed in a virtual world. However, others argue that video games help
improve co-ordination, can be a source of family bonding and can be educational
or improve fitness.
In this task you will
explore the regulatory framework that governs the industry and suggest whether
this needs to be strengthened. You will refer to controversial examples of
computer games and explore how regulators have attempted to censor them.
You will explore
controversies surrounding texts using the links in the resources section to
help you. Here are some controversial but popular computer games that you could
begin with;
·
Man-Hunt
·
Call of Duty
·
Grand
Theft Auto
·
Hitman
·
Resident
Evil
The British
Board of Film Classification provides a classification for each game before
release. This is similar to the classification for film
In the
future this responsibility will be handed to the Video Standards Council (VSC),
which will rate games according to the Pan European Game Information system
(PEGI). Effectively the games industry will regulate
itself.
The main issue with
regulation is that children are playing games rated 18, which are supposedly
for adults. Therefore it would be
parents who were prosecuted if their children were playing the game. However, it seems that parents are buying
these games for their children without a full understanding of their content.
There is regulation of the industry but the debate around
effectiveness of this regulation rages.
It is the controversy around the moral panics that you will explore in
your answer.
You will answer the following examination question using the
advert as your chosen text;
Explore the
impact of regulation on the computer games industry
Use
the bullet pointed questions to help you structure a response to the following
question;
Explore the
impact of regulation on the computer games industry
- · How effective is current regulation?
- · Should parents be responsible for regulating the viewing habits of their children?
- · Should there be more regulation and if so what form should it take?
- · Which texts or genres of games should be regulated?
- · What are the effects of playing computer games?
IN this article Dr Nick Robinson argues that the regulation
is a ‘smokescreen’ allowing the government to look like it is acting but really
no-one is quite sure how to regulate this relatively new industry. Ultimately
it is parents who need to regulate the media texts that their children are
exposed to.
An article in the tabloid ‘The Daily Mirror’ argues that the
trailer for the game ‘Hitman’ shamelessly tries to provoke controversy to raise
a profile
This article explores how the publicist, Max Clifford,
courted controversy around the launch of this record breaking computer game to improve
sales. He used the tabloids to provoke a debate in political circles which only
served to raise the profile of the game amongst the public.
The ‘Daily Mail’ is a wonderful source of outraged opinion.
In this article the paper feeds into the moral panic about the effects of video
game violence focusing on ‘Call of Duty’
In this article the ‘Daily Mail’ links an axe murder to the
effects of playing computer games
Another Daily Mail article suggesting links between computer
games and violence
This article discusses moral panics in relation to computer
games
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2012/may/21/1
