what about adds for army recruitment?
GTA IV ads pulled down in US
- Thread starter lunarwolf
- Start date
what about adds for army recruitment?
Permabanned
The game is an 18 for a reason.
aye ironically it was the victim that owned man hunt, and had been bought it illegally by his parents
You misunderstand, I have not said his comments were invalid.
There is a real discussion to be had here, yet these topics always turn into the same thing. I just can't stand hearing the same recycled arguments like "If X can get away with it, why can't Y", "I played violent games and I haven't killed anyone.", "It is a parental responsibility to censor such games", "If we ban this, what's next?", "the media blows these things out of proportion" etc.
I have no right to say these are incorrect, but they are almost irrelevant. People dance around the real situation with half baked, pre-recorded conclusions.
We know that parent's have the right to censor what they want, the problem is that children are targeted with these campaigns still. That is why the ban was introduced. A simple solution is to use advertising specifically targeted to an older audience.
Minizx, I very much agree with you on Americas gun policy, that should have absolutely no impact on how we deal with this though.
The real issue is that your role as a parent to censor whatever you chose is being undermined. If a child is subjected to these adverts every single day, how effective do you think the words of parents really are on a vast number of children? We live in a society that enforced basic rules, for the protection of those who live in it. Why should children not trust the people who keep them safe?
They're not irrelevant though as the people who publish these stories always sensationalise every small detail. Yes that video may have been about censoring the posters, but there were clear undertones there blaming the game for violent crime. I don't see on those posters how the children are explicitley targeted, its not as if the poster says "Grand Theft Auto: FOR KIDS!".
Children are subjected to much more than just posters. The media is full of size zero women, drug addicted role models, glorification of war and many other things. Everyone gets in one hissy fit over video games. I don't agree with anything thats been said, the posters aren't offensive and if anything its the reputation in the media that gives the kids information about this game. What better way to rebel against your parents than to mess with the latest taboo.
Maybe if the media reported on actual stories for a change parents would have an easier time.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 May 2006
- Posts
- 5,786
I think most people are angered at the hypocrisy of it all rather than the actual banning of the advert itself. You just have to watch that news report and their pathetic attempt at linking the recent violent crime with games to see how ridiculous the situation is.
I absolutely 100% agree with both of these points though. I have made that clear before. Again, this is not the issue. If you want to protest against the media for portraying video games as an unspeakable evil whilst leaving out other dangerous factors then I'm right behind you. I'll even paint a sign. We are going to have to leave that for another thread though.
The marketing was not aimed exclusively for kids, that isn't the issue either. The issue is that children are subjected to it. Again, I personally don't have a problem with the ads content, it is simply the exposure to 18 rated material. That is why it will be taken down. I can respect that, though personally I think there are bigger evils to tackle.
Again, the way the news publicised all of this I am pretty sure we both agree is pants.
Man of Honour
Bingo.
Associate
I first played a GTA when I was maybe 7 or 8 and GTA 3 when I was 9. My parents brought me up well and I have never been on the wrong side of the law. It is more up to the parents as there were still murderers and rapists 40 years ago when there weren't any video games. GTA gets blamed instead of bad parenting, GTA may contribute to it but a child will only think crime and violence is cool and right as there parent has never told them otherwise or is involved with it themselves. How is GTA any different to gangster movie's that glorify criminals and show them in a good light, just because a game is interactive.
I say parenting plays the pivotal part in a child's upbringing, and things like the media and games, the internet etc play a smaller role, and these things alone can not turn someone to crime if they have good parents. I never played GTA and felt the urge to go steal things or be violent My parents didn't really know how bad GTA 3 was when they brought it for me, but I had been taught what was right and what was wrong so I knew what I was doing in the game was wrong, without my parents being there saying 'that is bad, that is also bad, don't do that' everytime I shot someone. I agree games like GTA don't help with things like gangs, and makes more yobbos go out on the street and act up, but if they had good parents then they most probably wouldn't be in that situation.
As for this ad campaign, if a child knows what GTA is then they probably have played it and know what it is about, so these ads don't make any difference. They can't blame a video game for shootings if no one has played it yet, and if they already know what GTA is about then as I say they have probably played it and know what it is about. That guy in the video saying it was targeting kids is just stupid and scare mongering, it does nothing to attract any particular type of person to it, it doesn't have bright colours or large bright images in it. They were placed on buses and by subway stations, which I'm guessing mostly adults will be using in school weeks. Some things are just getting ridiculous these days
.
I say parenting plays the pivotal part in a child's upbringing, and things like the media and games, the internet etc play a smaller role, and these things alone can not turn someone to crime if they have good parents. I never played GTA and felt the urge to go steal things or be violent My parents didn't really know how bad GTA 3 was when they brought it for me, but I had been taught what was right and what was wrong so I knew what I was doing in the game was wrong, without my parents being there saying 'that is bad, that is also bad, don't do that' everytime I shot someone. I agree games like GTA don't help with things like gangs, and makes more yobbos go out on the street and act up, but if they had good parents then they most probably wouldn't be in that situation.
As for this ad campaign, if a child knows what GTA is then they probably have played it and know what it is about, so these ads don't make any difference. They can't blame a video game for shootings if no one has played it yet, and if they already know what GTA is about then as I say they have probably played it and know what it is about. That guy in the video saying it was targeting kids is just stupid and scare mongering, it does nothing to attract any particular type of person to it, it doesn't have bright colours or large bright images in it. They were placed on buses and by subway stations, which I'm guessing mostly adults will be using in school weeks. Some things are just getting ridiculous these days
.
Soldato
Ugh, just ugh. I hate the way that the American press there just instantaneously associated GTA4 (and to that extent, gaming as a whole) with some murders without any real kind of proof. Media hype at its worst to be honest. I just wonder how many Jack Thompson fun bucks those spinners got. Played GTA games since I was 12, still haven't killed anyone yet.
Soldato
I think advertisers should have a responsibility to make sure that ads are appropriately targeted. They certainly shouldn't advertise GTA in the Beano. But it gets tricky when an ad is placed where anyone is likely to see it. Adults use the bus, so having ads for GTA on them doesn't necessarily mean they are targeting kids with their advertising. If the conclusion is that GTA and other violent games shouldn't be advertised in such public places, then so should a whole load of other age restricted products. There's certainly no reason games should be singled out. If GTA ads on buses are banned, then so should ads for the next Saw film and Jack Daniels whiskey.
Soldato
The OCUK sarcasm detector is well and truly ******. I blame Fox. He wore it out.
If the hot coffee debacle taught us anything, it's that it's more acceptable to murder the hooker than have consential sex with her... At least if you're american...
The onus has to fall onto parents if they are buying this game for their kids, just like it does for everything else in the USA.
The onus has to fall onto parents if they are buying this game for their kids, just like it does for everything else in the USA.
Soldato
While I think Germany goes too far with censorship, at least they have it the right way round. Unlike the US.
Soldato
Word.
Far more dangerous than any video games imo, causing dellusions and other stuff.
But tell that to a strongly religious country like the US.
Correction it's more acceptable to have sex with and then kill the hooker than, to have consensual sex with a "girlfriend"
Soldato
