The Responsibility Enigma

By Lance Tan Ong

CENSORSHIP is, for the longest time, an all too prevalent issue in the world of gaming. Whenever there is a game that challenges the boundaries of imagination and is subjected to media exposure, it is of no surprise that criticism from certain figures can be heard loud and clear with the content of games these days.

Well-known anti-video game advocates like Jack Thompson would like nothing more than to continually pursue his goal to utterly eliminate violent games like, off the top of my head, Grand Theft Auto. Mass Effect created a hullabaloo after a certain reporter condemned the game for its lesbian encounters without even knowing the complete nature of the game or playing it for that matter, which earned her the ire of many gamers. The first trailer of the upcoming Resident Evil 5 was also mired in controversy due to the racial discrimination implied, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some people. And let us not get started with Mortal Kombat, which easily personifies extreme violence before violence in gaming was even a norm. It is hard to avoid the Midas touch of marketing and media in gaming with the different forms of advertising involved and the issues that pop up.

And then there is the case of one Eliot Spitzer, Democrat and a former New York governor. To cut the long story short, he was busted for being involved in a prostitution scandal with other politicians calling for his removal from office. The former governor opted to resign from his post instead. Is it not ironic that one who has said that he is against violence and smut in video games is involved in getting some “hot coffee” himself? (Note: Hot Coffee is in reference to the controversial mod in GTA: San Andreas that almost earned the game a rare adult rating, and stirred activists to call for the game to be banned.)

And that leads to us, the public. If it is true that games like Grand Theft Auto can influence everyone negatively, then by now, we may very well see someone jack a car in the middle of the street. Calling for the banishment of these games is not going to happen anytime soon, truth be told. The fact is, these kinds of games exist because they sell, and they sell real well, I might add. The God of War and Devil May Cry franchises are some fine examples of what I am talking about. But we know better what the difference between fact and fiction is. So what is the big deal with censorship in that case? It is up to us not to cross the line between fictional violence and sensible fact. And it is up to us, and the parents, to ensure that the children know the major difference between right and wrong, especially in gaming. Responsibility is not really in the hands of a rating system like the ESRB or the CERO; neither does it come from any authoritative figure. The fact of the matter is, real responsibility comes from us, and it is we who should represent gaming in a brighter light. And if the late great George Carlin were still alive, he would agree with me 100%. I do not want to be in Jack Thompson’s shoes right now, that is for sure.

Hey, it’s either that or stick playing with a Barbie video game.