Sorry about the mildly
sensationalist title; I will explain the choice later on (of course it's partly to do with attention seeking, what am I talking about)
I live in a small "new city" called Milton Keynes in the UK. We can't call ourselves an actual city yet as The fucking
Queen has to give us permission first. Apparently we don't have a tall enough cathedral or something, not that I care, I'm way too cool for that. Anyway, I stray from my point; I live in the UK, and as I have just demonstrated, it is a fairly backwards place to live. This is why a group of people who were
employed to give age ratings to films are given the power by Mr Cockmuncher Blair and Co. to completely
ban a video game.
Yes yes, I know it's a particularly "visceral" game of sorts, but the fact of the matter is: I was looking forward to it coming out and I'm pretty sure, as a semi-emotionally-stable man it wouldn't have done me any damage. I have felt so outraged about the UK ban since I heard about it yesterday lunchtime that I haven't stopped talking about it for one second. This has meant that I've picked up quite a few interesting viewpoints along the way. I've picked up quite a few
boring one's as well, don't you worry. But as I was saying, some people have actually given me sensible logical opinions on the matter which has been really nice.
It was the conversation I had with my dad which really stuck. I basically asked him if he'd heard the news, being quite the Radio 4 listener he is (basically old people radio, sorry dad) and the fact they often have debates on current events. Yes; he had heard about it. I then explained my standpoint that the BBFC would never ban a film like this in a million years, and if people want to play a game, they should have the same rights to access this artform as any other media. Basically it's just one more signal that England and the rest of the UK is turning in to a nanny state where our government can pick what they think we can or can not do.
My dad then gave me that knowing smile. That smile which I know only materialises when he completely disagrees with my point of view on something; which was nothing I didn't expect to see, after all he didn't even condone me playing Super Mario Bros on the NES... After a nice pause to watch me squirm he responded, straight up, with asking me what I would think if someone made and released a game themed around paedophilia. Obviously I told him I would be disgusted. Even if there was a large group who
wanted to play a game simulating child abuse, it should never be justified with a release as the subject matter is so catagorically evil. Then what is the difference?
Have I been so demoralised regarding the subject of torture and violence through
films and games such as Manhunt that maybe, just maybe I have become a bit of a sicko? I mean I do genuinely look forward to eventually having the opportunity of strangling a bloke to death with my wiimote and nunchuck quite a lot (thank God I go on holiday to
Spain next month!), so is this because I am actually a violence pervert? In fact are we, gamers, as a collective, a bunch of sick mother fuckers? You know what?
NO!, we fucking aren't. Shall I tell you why?
When I first watched a horror film as a child I was shit scared and so I found a way to not be scared. What was this? This was making sure I remembered the difference between a film and real life. I then reached the point where I didn't just watch horror movies so I could lie in the hope of touching a girls boob when she got scared, I appreciated the artform and the way the director managed to conjour up emotions in the minds of the audience. Never in a million years, would I even imagine anything I was watching being done to a real person, let alone enjoy the thought. It's the difference between watching Tom & Jerry and bludgeoning your little brother in the face with a hot steam iron.
So when can we expect to be treated as adults and be allowed to play games as diverse in subject matter as you would find in any other artform? In our lifetimes thankfully. We are living in the rise of the videogame. Our childhoods were the emergance stage, but this is now the time that games become just as important and varied as films. This means that the 50 year old cunts working at the BBFC in 20 years time will probably have in the past (ie today) joined you and I in being very annoyed about this whole media disaster revolving what is all in all just a FUCKING COMPUTER FUCKING GAME.
Oh and yes, the answer is yes, it is
much, much worse than fucking a baby, just some people seem to think that the "morality markers" for doing it and for Manhunt are a lot closer together than they actually are. Bunch of bell ends :p
