UK PM calls for violent media review

by Kyle Orland { Sep 5th 2007 at 1:55PM }

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a wide-ranging review of media violence, including video games, at his monthly press conference Tuesday. Brown said he hoped the review would lead not to state censorship of violent and pornographic content, but instead to a voluntary agreement between content providers and parents to protect children.

"This is not the government telling people what they should do ... this is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries," Brown said. "I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties."

The review comes after a similar call to curb media violence by Conservative leader David Cameron. "We are never going to deal with crime unless we look at the broader context ... and that includes, I think, video games and things like that where we do need to think of the context in which people are growing up," Cameron said last week. With new parliamentary elections possibly coming as early as this fall, media violence is shaping up to be a serious point of contention, with both sides trying to prove they're more serious about the problem.

[Via Gamasutra]

Tags: britain, british, brown, politics, UK, violence

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Delta @ Sep 5th 2007 2:01PM

This is just politicians trying to look good. Laws will eventually be passed, games will be banned, and crime will stay the same. The laws will never be repealed, and they'll move onto other things. Parties. Drinking. Cars. Bikes. Language. Books. What you write. Eventually what you think. The ball will keep rolling because politicians always need to look like they're doing something. When one avenue is exhausted, they will move on to another.

It is the way of things. I would hate to be around in two hundred years from now.

kyle @ Sep 5th 2007 2:02PM

I think this is a good step towards some sort of resolution if it truly addresses all forms of media and reaches a consensus for media as a whole instead of scapegoating movies or videogames.

Bear Egg @ Sep 5th 2007 2:02PM

It better not end up like Germany here!

Shagittarius @ Sep 5th 2007 2:03PM

Picture Caption:

"These are the two fingers I most like sticking up my bum".

or

"While i may have these opposable thumbs I still believe in superstition over science and reactionism over reasearch".

J-Guy @ Sep 5th 2007 2:12PM

Caption: "I'm a Douchbag!!!"

Politicians have the same old story no matter what country they're from. Throwing video games into pornographic content is pissing me off more than ever.

RP @ Sep 5th 2007 2:15PM

Bloody hell, i didn't pay much notice when Cameron was harping on about it (because he'll say just about anything to get some press), but with Brown already in power things could get a little nervous in the lead up to the next election (whenever that may be).

With regards to his comment on state censorship, it sounds very much like a "We don't want to, but if you don't do it yourselves, we will" kinda deal.

rinks @ Sep 5th 2007 2:25PM

Wait, will the review itself be violent?

Shagittarius @ Sep 5th 2007 2:27PM

Isn't Parliment know for its drunken orgies of violence?

XP_Version1 @ Sep 5th 2007 2:32PM

We all know this is crap.
Bad parenting is the problem but society continually tries to find something else to blame for why the kids are breaking into cars and mugging old people inbetween playing GTA.

Heaven forbid we should address the issue of what the parents are doing whilst thier child is playing an '18' game they're not even meant to have access to. Given the state of this county it's probably the parents who bought it for them in the first place.

But we'll all be alright so long as we can find another scape-goat.

Lino Guerreiro @ Sep 5th 2007 2:29PM

Oiy?!

mr mobius @ Sep 5th 2007 2:49PM

Firstly Brown never seemed the type of guy to have 1st hand experience of games and therefore he is just talking from the hype he hears about violence in games.

Furthermore, Cameron doesn't know which way to go. First he wants to 'hug a hoodie', then he wants to stop hoodies doing what they do, and now he wants to stop them playing games because everyone knows, games are the root of all evil.

Damn you Mario and your evil minions!

hvnlysoldr @ Sep 5th 2007 2:49PM

Get in mah belly!
PK Fire away

Mattt Dargis @ Sep 5th 2007 3:51PM

Is that John Malkovich?

Vegnagun @ Sep 5th 2007 3:59PM

I love how judgment is being passed on video games by people who until just recently thought that video games were some sort of heart medicine.

Poisoned Al @ Sep 5th 2007 5:01PM

I wouldn't worry too much. Putting too many restrictions would scare off the likes off Rockstar, and they like tax money.

Also they talk a lot, but never do anything.

ssuk @ Sep 5th 2007 6:07PM

However, unlike in America, games which are 'violent' and by the PEGI (ISFE non-compulsary rating system) rating guide; if there is violence of ANY SORT against realisitc characters; animal or human, sex or other explicit content, the game containting this content will not be rated for the UK under the PEGI system and will be automatically passed on to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) who have a LEGALLY BINDING rating system which if people are caught selling 18 rated games to people under 18 it's an offense.

Of course, parents can just buy games for their kids. But they know what these BBFC rating symbols mean (these symbols are present on all DVD/VHS/Film in cinema releases that has been present for absoulte ages, so there is NO reason to be ignorant of them in the UK, plus all GAME stores, Blockbusters have run-downs of the ratings, as if they need explination...) there's content which shouldn't be viewed by people under the age of 18. It then becomes that adult's responsibility and they should be held accountable for anything which minors do. Anyone over 18 is then responsible for themselves.
We have seemed to have lost this magical thing called; responsibility. We all look to someone else to take the fall for something, and it's bullshit. "I got this game/movie/TV Show for my kid and he knifed someone, blame the video game makers".

There's a deep, deep discussion to be had over this. And I think this conversation needs to be had before the government goes leaping into the abyiss and making new laws which will ultimatly undermind what we can publish, which once you do that... It's a slippery slope downwards...