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Parliament doesn't think games that cause seizures are awesome photo

If you're anything like me, you'll spend a few hours of each day rounding children with epilepsy up and sitting them in front of a strobe light until they start to resemble screaming, crying vibrators. The British government, however, doesn't seem to find epileptic fits quite so amusing and has put pressure on game developers to screen their games for images and effects that could cause them.

Conservative MP John Penrose submitted the motion in Parliament and has been backed by dozens of his fellow slimeballs ... um ... politicians. The motion followed the case a 10-year-old boy who suffered from seizures thanks to playing Rayman: Raving Rabbids. It wasn't just the Rabbids who were raving that day.

Penrose wants "to take action, now, to change the law so no more young lives are affected by seizures triggered by electronic video games." Thing is, while that's noble and all, these products have very clear warning labels on them. Once again, who is the person who was meant to be looking after this kid and didn't bother paying heed to such warnings? Of course, it's never anything to do with the parents, apparently.

Ubisoft has agreed to screen all its games in the future, but I honestly feel that games are being singled out yet again. It's not that game companies shouldn't be avoiding these kinds of problematic images if they can, but trying to put political pressure on them is ridiculous, and it should be a developer's right to put in gigantic strobe lighting effects if it so wishes, provided there are suitable warnings. A GamePolitics commenter pointed out that that single biggest cause of epileptic seizures isn't even videogames -- but television. Now, let's see the government try and ban that in the name of savin' the chilluns.


Continue: More United Kingdom stories





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22 comments | showing # 1 to 22

SlavedHeart's Avatar
SlavedHeart at 12/06/2007 10:42
quick, let's ban all playgrounds, schools, and televisions, those seem to be the other places on or around which said "chilluns" is being harmed... heck, anyone got a solid plastic bubble we can case these fragile things in till they hit 18? then we can ship 'em off to a real war... yippie....
Polish Hill's Avatar
Polish Hill at 12/06/2007 10:45
I hurt myself on my bike when I was a kid, all bikes are now banned unless made of foam. Foam bikes, coming to a store near you.
Barcode's Avatar
Barcode at 12/06/2007 10:49
That's so re-tawded.

king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 12/06/2007 11:02
God, fucking layme. Why is Parliament wasting time with thsi when they should spend time on issues that ACTUALLY MATTER
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 12/06/2007 11:14
Pokemon Porygon anyone?

uh seriously...what's the bitch about? If you don't have time to make sure whatever room your child is in lights up brightly, isn't swinging their WIIMOTE so close to the tv, and actually give a damn to read the box and manual, such things shouldn't happen....or at least be blamed all on games.

Seriously, about 98% of the time someone blames games first, it's usually the parent's fault rather than the game.
brosef's Avatar
brosef at 12/06/2007 11:16
Alright that does it Parliament!!!!



Dear fellow D-Toiders,

I have devised a plan to deal with this "Parliament", but I'm going to require your help. We should meet next year in London, I know a perfect place underground where nobody will ever look. We will gather sometime in say....early November, maybe the 4th if that's cool with everyone. With our help, all of England shall overcome these tyrant anti-epileptics and bring back our Cathol....er, Other People.

Sincerely,
Mann Wolfe
saxiums's Avatar
saxiums at 12/06/2007 11:31
you should need an IQ test before your allowed to give birth.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 12/06/2007 11:40
Yeah, the seizure warnings on the backs of cases and the inside front covers of the instruction manuals for games are pretty damn prominent. This is just another case of the parents abdicating any responsibility for what their kids do with their time.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 12/06/2007 11:40
I don't mind trippin out on flashy video game colors.
F Whipple's Avatar
F Whipple at 12/06/2007 11:43
DAAAAAAAAAAAH!

This is stupid. Worry about actual issues
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
CelicaCrazed at 12/06/2007 12:12
So seizures aren't part of the experience? Maybe I should go see a doctor...
Holiday's Avatar
Holiday at 12/06/2007 12:22
Mass Effect -> Reinitializing the core = Brain hemmoraging mini-game.
Extreme_Drunk's Avatar
Extreme_Drunk at 12/06/2007 12:26
Parliament is dead wrong.
Origim's Avatar
Origim at 12/06/2007 12:26
I threw up once while playing castle wolfentsein 3D. When is parlamient going to do something about that. I'm still not sure if it was the maze like hallway or the game sucking that caused my vomit.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 12/06/2007 13:56
So what, are they going to plop an epileptic kid in front of their games and wait to see if any seizures are triggered?

I knew someone who had a seizure while working in MS Word. Is that next on the table to be targeted?
SubOrbital's Avatar
SubOrbital at 12/06/2007 14:07
I don't know how it works in Britain, but here in NZ tv stations have to be aware of anything like that, so I don't think it's unfair for Gaming Companies to do the same. I don't think they'll be singled out, but it would be terrible if the political pressure there was uneven. Most people I know with epilepsy just tend to stay away from games and tv most of the time anyway. But I suppose even if one person is spared a fit that kills them, it'd be worth it.
Techno Mage's Avatar
Techno Mage at 12/06/2007 15:04
@brosef

I think the 5th would be a better date, Guy Fawkes and all.
brosef's Avatar
brosef at 12/06/2007 16:23
@Techno Mage
*facepalm*

That was the entire joke of my post. Did you not get that with the signature "Mann Wolfe", an obvious poke at Guy Fawkes.
- Guy = Man
- Wolf...is close to Fox (or the exact opposite if you're talking Starfox)

And the joke was that we would meet on the fourth and bomb on the fifth. And the "Cathol..." was a reference to the motivation behind the Gunpowder plot.

You know, my jokes are a lot funnier when I don't explain them....or maybe not. Whatever
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 12/06/2007 16:33
why do ministers & members of parliament always feel its their duty to take responsibility for the parents who totally neglect their kids...

I was in a gamestore a few weeks back and I saw this woman with an 8/9 yo kid, he wanted to buy Doom³ but the store clerk was like "You sure about this miss? I mean its not really a kidfriendly game..." and she starts almost yelling about him not having the right to comment on her way of educating her kid an all that and that those 'Ratings' are not even real... the "18+" just means that its really good according to her reasoning... wanna bet she will be complaining about the violence in games soon too???
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 12/06/2007 16:43
"Parliament doesn't think games that cause seizures are awesome"

How could they think that!? Nonsense!
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 12/06/2007 17:39
Rayman causes seizures? Only in England.
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
Jetsetlemming at 12/06/2007 19:20
Epilepsy is serious business. >:(
Also, I have yet to play a game that doesn't have an epilepsy warning in the inside of the manual. Lern2read, brits.
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