CONTROL FREEKS...

Addicting games posted by Madeleine Simpson makes a valid point... we should be able to choose how we spend our time... we have free will don’t we? So shouldn’t we be able to use it as we like... We should have control of our OWN pass time, NOT some random! So... I’m not saying that I condone people spending endless hours in front of the computer or anything else for that matter... of course you need a healthy balance, but ultimately it’s a game and we should be in control. So... this brings up an interesting question... WHO is in control of what we can and can’t do within video games? Well... Kevin mentioned in the tutorial today that video game companies own everything within their games... and everything means everything... your conversations, the avatar you make and develop all belongs to them... if we design something within a game it’s theirs...We don’t have control of these things at all...

BUT WHY?

Freedom of speech within games is almost nonexistent these days... Coarse language is banned in some games (Navy field is one of these games)

BUT WHY?

WHY don’t WE OWN the game we buy or the avatar we create or the conversations we produce or the language we posses?

I think the answer is this... Fear...

Video games are often seen in a negative light. They are said to “corrupt our youths minds”, cause addiction and more often violence. So those that support video games are forced into defence overdrive... The game designers and cooperates themselves aren’t an exception. They buy the rights and take complete control over the game. This is an attempt to control what is happening within the game space and beyond in order to help push video games into a more acceptable light.

Now in saying this... I cannot discount the fact that publicity be it positive or negative is still publicity... and of course not all negative publicity is bad... so in actual fact it’s only natural that there are game producers out there that are ok with exhibiting problematic content.

None the less I’m sure they think long and hard about releasing their product. It’s not like literature, video games are constantly being scrutinized... so the only choice they have is to take control!

Nakita J