UK Parliamentary Leader Says Games Industry Needs Regulation
By Ron on Saturday, June 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 AM PST In Game Companies, Game Related Laws, Rockstar, Take-Two
Jack Straw, Leader of the UK’s House of Commons, is being quoted as saying that game developers and publishers are not taking responsibility for content they produce.
Straw’s comments were in response to a tirade by outspoken games critic and Labour MP Keith Vaz. Vaz began his rant with the banning of Manhunt 2, and touched on the withdrawal of Law and Order: Double or Nothing, which was found to have a photo of murdered toddler James Bulger. Vaz concluded by saying, “There is a clear need for better regulation of the videogames industry. Will the Leader of the House please tell us when he expects a statement to be made… or when we may have a debate on the social responsibilities of those who make a huge amount of money out of these videogames?”
Straw, who is responsible for the British Board of Film Classification, said that the British Government would most likely be looking into violence in games further. “We do not see sufficient social responsibility and understanding by the creators and purveyors of such games. I will of course ensure that the [Prime] Minister is made fully aware of my right honourable Friend’s concerns.”
So, it sounds like Parliament is taking aim at game developers now. Sure, nothing’s been said yet, but this sort of thing is exactly what I would expect in the wake of the Manhunt 2 banning. This is the bad publicity that we can expect. Oh, joy.
Ohh Jack Straw. He’s a moron. I wouldn’t hang on his words.
Games might just be the last place in which we are able to publish whatever content we want, FREEly. Freely, for example, as in “fredom of speech” – what was that, again?
This isn’t a good sign, we oughta make our case and make it big. We can’t let them take over, because games aren’t just “games.” The content in them the developers put in whatever they choose, with no censorship, and that’s how it SHOULD be.
-Anonymous
no they dont because at the end of the day these games are made for adults only. I agree with the photo of james bulger in that game that is sick and cruel and it shouldnt have been relesed enyway. But manhunt 2 was made for adult players only and i believe why did that law and order game get relesed and they just didnt relese manhunt 2 is stupid. As i said at the end of the day the game is for adult people only and its up to the perants to stop there kids playing these games. I think its a load of rubbish saying its up to rockstar games to make sure it dont get into kids hands. Thats get this straight rockstar games make horror games for adults its there job to make these games for people to play in there own time. its not there responsibility to make sure the games dont go into kids hands because at the end of the day its us who is buying these games and its them who are selling them. And i believe all these murders kids have done is there fault how can a game magicly make a child kill someone come on like. Its like saying i robbed something out of the shop because my friend told me to.