View Full Version : The Darker Side of Games Console Magazines
My kids have tended to buy Nintendo games consoles. This year, however, the XBox has been mentioned. Not knowing much about the console, I thought I should buy one of the magazines to research the matter. First thing I noticed was that you need to be 16 or older to buy the magazine. On reading through the magazine I became aware pretty quickly that 90% of the games involve graphic killing. The reviewers waxed on about the blood and gore, going into detail about the high resolution dismemberment of your "enemies". A bit unsavoury for some kids I thought, but the magazine is for those 16 and over. More worrying is the fact that the last half dozen or so pages of the magazine is taken up by adverts for satellite porn channels and mobile phone services containing the most unspeakable filth. A "milder" example is a "game" entitled "Porn Manager", which can be downloaded to your mobile phone. No sixteen year old should be without that eh? Many of the other ads could not be mentioned here, but the full spectrum is well represented, including a category worryingly entitled "Rough Treatment"
My wife and I were appalled. We are very broad-minded and are well aware of what the Internet contains but it is worrying to see 18+ content blatantly splashed in a magazine for 16+ readers. It is also well known that such magazines tend to fall into the hands of kids younger than they are intended for. It comes across as a stealth targeting of a younger audience than these forms of "entertainment" should be intended for. It was an education for me to read that you can subscribe to satellite porn channels and internet sites simply via a text message sent by any mobile phone. I just wonder what, if any, safeguards are in place to stop youngsters using these services?
telfordstar
16-Nov-07, 14:43
Hi scorrie
We have found that the xbox magazines are like you said full of blood and gore as well my son is only 7 but has an interest in gaming although he favours his nintendo.
we have bought him a few nintendo magazines and not really found any problems with them at all but with the xbox and playstation magazines we have found a big problem with them. with him being still a bit young he dosnt get any violent games to play so dont want him reading about them. The adverts sometimes are just as bad there was one on last night fora call of duty game thats new out for xbox 360 and was pretty graphic and that was at 7pm the should keep that kindo adverts for later.
They raelly should have a magazie for all the consoles that is just aimed at kids i know my son never tires of reading about mario or sonic.
Jeemag_USA
16-Nov-07, 16:05
I was reading this story on Yahoo today about an XBOX game banned from sale in Singapore.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071116/ap_on_hi_te/singapore_game_banned
I have an XBOX and some of the games I play are graphic in some kind of way or another but most are not because I like sports games but I do also play Ghost Recon games and so on which are combat games. I am not altogether however that video games can lead to children going bad. Most video games have a parental warning or rating on there, and its up to the parents to make sure they know what their kids are buying and decide themselves wether it is suitable. Scorrie it sounds like your doing a god job in that respect, well done.
JammyDodger69
16-Nov-07, 16:05
I used to buy alot of these magazines and I agree with the 18+ content at the back no need for it in a games magazine, I can understand what your saying too about the blood and gore seems to be in alot of the magazines and games, there are magazines aimed at all gaming platforms that arent that bad for 18+ content, ones like Edge and GamesTm are multiformat and tend to keep things like porn and gore to a minimum and alot of them are not bagged in the newsagents so you can have a sneeky peek before buying.
I own the Xbox360 and I know that this and the PS3 is aimed at more mature gamers, Nintendo always seemed to be aimed at younger gamers so there are alot of games suited to the young ones.
Cal.
When i worked in childrens residential, myself and a colleague had to take a very horrible sadistic and graphic game from one of the young people.
It consisted of picking up a prostitute and the being able to decide the fate of the prostitute.Which could be any number of ways which are far to horrendous to put into words on this forum.
Well the Xbox magazine your talking about isnt the official one. Im an Xbox gamer :P but thats the un-official one. The one that has "Xbox 360
Official Magazine"
Has no Porn advertisements on the back..Games are graphic but the official one i reckon you can buy at any age. Games are Graphic but its the way of it. You might not understand because you don't play them. A joy to play but they can be graphic. The thing is that its going to stay that way. And its the truth. I don't mind the games personally because more than 8,000,000 people play games like this. Safeguards from the porn would be the official one. Please don't think of me as a "bad" person because i like the games, its because im one of those happy 8,000,000 people....So don't think of me differently and for kids i would stick to the Wii, less graphic, more fun, more interactive...Xbox for older people...
Well the Xbox magazine your talking about isnt the official one. Im an Xbox gamer :P but thats the un-official one. The one that has "Xbox 360
Official Magazine"
Has no Porn advertisements on the back..Games are graphic but the official one i reckon you can buy at any age. Games are Graphic but its the way of it. You might not understand because you don't play them. A joy to play but they can be graphic. The thing is that its going to stay that way. And its the truth. I don't mind the games personally because more than 8,000,000 people play games like this. Safeguards from the porn would be the official one. Please don't think of me as a "bad" person because i like the games, its because im one of those happy 8,000,000 people....So don't think of me differently and for kids i would stick to the Wii, less graphic, more fun, more interactive...Xbox for older people...
I have no problem with adult people enjoying the games. What I worry about is that many of the games are rated 18 and that younger kids might end up playing them. I recently overheard someone asking another person to get some PS2 games for his son (aged 12) and when the other guy asked what type to get, he was told "anything rated 18, those are the ones he seems to go for"
It is somewhat reassuring if the Official magazine has less offensive content. I know that I would not buy the unofficial one again. Surely, official or not, they should have some responsibility about the content of their publication?
I have no problem with adult people enjoying the games. What I worry about is that many of the games are rated 18 and that younger kids might end up playing them. I recently overheard someone asking another person to get some PS2 games for his son (aged 12) and when the other guy asked what type to get, he was told "anything rated 18, those are the ones he seems to go for"
It is somewhat reassuring if the Official magazine has less offensive content. I know that I would not buy the unofficial one again. Surely, official or not, they should have some responsibility about the content of their publication?
The thing is that the games and magazines in the Official Magazine seem to have ALL of the games in it but most gore games they have in the magazine for the Official isn't often graphic UNLESS the cover looks a bit dodgy:eek:
I will get murdered for this (try and do it in a way that is ok for young children though (they come on the boards sometimes)) but I dont think games have that much effect on kids. I am lucky enoguh to have very open minded parents and they gave me the games that I wanted (because they looked fun to play (not because I thought "Ooooh! Killing!")). And beacuse I got these games that were orientated towards the adult market it helped me mature quicker. I knew that the killing wasn't right etc. but the ways the characters acted etc. gave me an insight to how adults worked.
Not once have I ever though "God I would love to kill X person with a chainsaw" etc.
I got enjoyment from the games and I also got maturity.
Games are not all bad.
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I will agree thoughthat the adverts in the magazines are a bit over the top.
i understand why some parents dont want there kids playing these games or reading the magazine, what i hate is when they blame a computer game for someone murdering someone else, the person who does this has obviously got a screw lose, you cant blame a game for somone murdering another person[disgust]
Thank you Ash. Thats exactly how I feel. I saw on the news not long ago that killers are starting to leave notes telling the police that computer games had nothing to do with it so that the rest of the world is free to enjoy them.
All they are is a scapegoat. They don't know the real reason why these murders happen so they just blame it on the games so that they don't look too bad.
Long before games machines came about, Video got the blame, I remember in the case of toddler James Bulger, the video 'Childs Play' got taken off shelves all over the country. If you remember the child killer Mary bell, she said at the time of all this hype that when she killed, 20 years earlier, before video, what was the excuse then. None. We, as a society seem to need to blame it on something, anything that fits.:roll:
luskentyre
17-Nov-07, 15:10
There may not be a connection between playing these games and actually killing people, but that's not the whole story is it? I mean, it's not exactly a healthy subject matter. Is it ok to let kids watch virtual pornography then - since it's not real?
As the games improve, the line between fantasy and reality just gets thinner.
There's also an arguement that games like these desensitise people towards violence, which can't be a good thing surely?
Yes, i agree fully with what you say Luskentyre, kids should not be subjected to anything like that, God Forbid, but this comes back to the parents because they allow their kids to get these games just as i used to get parents in the video shop hiring an 18 certificate horror film because thats the one they want to see. I used to point out the violence and blood and gore in them, i was always told, Oh thats okay they love them, the gorier the better. So what chance do kids really have until parents take control once more and say no. Some parents are very responsible and only get them what they themselves pick out.
It seems that most people are avoiding the issue of young people accessing pornography via their mobile phone. This is not virtual pornography, it is the real McCoy, XXX Hardcore straight to the mobile of anyone interested.
People tend to think that, if they watch a violent film or game and are unaffected, then nobody else will be affected either. I remember Noel Edmonds giving it large on that score after he had watched Natural Born Killers and not carved anyone up in the aftermath. Trouble is, that not everyone leads the Golden Dream of life that Lord Noel does. Some people are already disturbed and are very easily influenced.
My point was about people aged 16, and potentially under, being offered easy access to filth, including rough treatment of women, in the name of entertainment.
Wow, it's so refreshing to know that killers have a conscience and leave little notes to clear the magazines. How about a little note to explain what the hell DID make them kill a fellow human?
Camel Spider
17-Nov-07, 22:49
All the outrage over Computer Games and yet most people will let their kids watch the news with the reporting of Murder, Rape, War etc etc and call it educational .. Hmmm. I wonder what will affect them more ??, something they know is escapism or what they see going on in the world around them.
Lets face it .. they .. are .. just .. games. The most dangerous thing that a young teenager can do is learn to drive these days. Why is it that we dont hear calls for young lads and lasses to be banned from learning to drive after a fatal accident involving some of this age group ??
I used to love watching Tony Hart when I was kid. Morph used to walk around naked in that ... but it didnt make me a Streaker did it ??
Lets face it .. they .. are .. just .. games.
I used to love watching Tony Hart when I was kid. Morph used to walk around naked in that ... but it didnt make me a Streaker did it ??
If they are JUST games, then why do they carry different age ratings?
I shall try this one last time:- The magazine is for 16 or over, yet carries 18 and over material. I think that a plasticine "man" without clothes is not to be compared with hardcore pornography, including violence against women. If you think that such material is suitable for kids aged 16 and, potentially, younger then so be it.
If they are JUST games, then why do they carry different age ratings?
I shall try this one last time:- The magazine is for 16 or over, yet carries 18 and over material. I think that a plasticine "man" without clothes is not to be compared with hardcore pornography, including violence against women. If you think that such material is suitable for kids aged 16 and, potentially, younger then so be it.Phew, I was beginning to think I would disagree with everything you've posted tonight. I am with you 100% on this one.
Moi x
luskentyre
18-Nov-07, 02:40
All the outrage over Computer Games and yet most people will let their kids watch the news with the reporting of Murder, Rape, War etc etc and call it educational .. Hmmm. I wonder what will affect them more ??, something they know is escapism or what they see going on in the world around them.
I think the point is that the news will never show murder etc., but the games do, and actually encourage you to do these things. I'm not suggesting that this encourages you to do so in real life, but where do you draw the line? Why is killing people appealing?
Camel Spider
18-Nov-07, 09:28
I think the point is that the news will never show murder etc., but the games do, and actually encourage you to do these things. I'm not suggesting that this encourages you to do so in real life, but where do you draw the line? Why is killing people appealing?
My point is that real life is a lot more horrific than any game which is an imaginary world where the only things that die are electrons. You are assuming that people who play these games find killing people appealing. Thats a big assumption on your part, personally I use games to lower my stress levels as a form of relaxation. You make the point that you wouldnt suggest that these games encourage people to do so in real life so what is the problem ??
They are just games. Paintballing is a popular pastime in the UK but I dont see outraged cries to have that banned and that actually involves aiming a gun at a live person !!, I dont see outraged cries to have driving games banned despite the amount of fatal accidents involving teenage drivers. I watched Pretty Woman with my 14 year old daughter the other week .. should I worry about her now wanting to become a Prostitute ??
If people dont want to play these games or let their children play them then fine. It just seems to me that the argument is flawed and being focused on one particular genre on which wild assumptions are being made.
Phew, I was beginning to think I would disagree with everything you've posted tonight. I am with you 100% on this one.
Moi x
Like everyone, there will be areas where we agree and areas where we disagree. It is good to keep an open mind and remember that only a tiny part of a person is represented on this forum. So many people seem to approach a post with their mind already made up, based solely on WHO has made the post, rather than WHAT they are saying. Glad to see that you can look beyond the poster .
One small thing worth remembering. These magazines about games are so bad, and games cause all these murders etc.
You get magazines about films too. They could be rated 16 but show 18 films. They are only rated 16 though because its just pictures. Videos tend to be more violent. No one is complaining about these magazines though? And as has been said, the news could be rated even worse but it has been given the tag 'educational'. How often do you see on games about killers going into schools and murdering all the children?
I haven't seen one game where there are children in it to be killed?
I am closing this thread. The thread was about the magazine, not the games themselves. The point I was making was that adverts for sex services available via mobile phones were all over the back pages. These services were for 18 and over, the magazine could be purchased by 16 year olds. I don't like the idea of my kids accessing such services and hoped that I could warn parents who might not be aware that such services exist and that they are blatantly available in a games magazine.
It seems that not many are concerned, or perhaps don't wish to talk about it. I don't want the thread to end up as an argument over the games, which are a seperate matter to the point I was addressing.
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