It’s been fairly obvious that a number of media outlets, including our old friends FOX News and The Daily Mail, have something of a vendetta against violent videogames. For example, the Mail can’t claim impartiality when it once ran the headline, “BAN THIS SICK FILTH.” While most people view these reports as harmless stupidity, Capcom is more concerned, believing that these smear campaigns could affect business.
“Some of our popular software titles have provocative graphics and text, such as violent and grotesque scenes,” Capcom told investors while outlining business concerns for 2010. “Accordingly, in the event of violent incidents and other criminal cases involving juveniles, we may be subject to a smear campaign by some sections of the mass media which often point out the correlation between crime and games.
“Therefore, there is a risk that it may result in having an adverse effect on our business performance, corporate value and narrowed distribution channel under instructions by the relevant authorities.”
I’m actually very glad that Capcom is taking such problems seriously. Publishers have a terrible habit of simply ignoring media attacks, when some of the stuff printed about videogames borders on the libelous. It’s about time publishers bit back at the lazy journalistic scum who try and link games to violent crime because it’s easier than blaming the criminals themselves.
Violent games face media ‘smear campaign’ – Capcom [CVG]
