British Prime Minister worried over knives in video games
by Scott Jon Siegel 
{ Jan 15th 2008 at 8:28AM }
Brown is advocating a new zero-tolerance policy for individuals found carrying blades with an intent to do harm. This action comes in response to knife-related fatalities in the UK, specifically three tragedies that occurred over the last weeks in December. Along with this zero-tolerance message, Brown expressed concern over the number of video game characters who wield knives, and asks the industry to address its "responsibility to society."
It's worth noting that though Brown wishes for the industry to reconsider the level of violence in games, he does not wish to introduce censorship or interfere on a State level.
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
JakubK666 @ Jan 15th 2008 10:46AM
No knife problems...yeah just cos people don't usually have balls to walk right next to a gang of teens/other chavs.
Nigeria @ Jan 15th 2008 10:57AM
I'm not superman, but I genuinely have no feeling of unease when walking past groups of "chavs".
There is no hostility on the streets on London, it really is a myth. I know of nobody personally who has been attacked in the last couple of years.
London is one of the safest cities in the world. Why are we always complaining?
Nigeria @ Jan 15th 2008 10:57AM
I'm not superman, but I genuinely have no feeling of unease when walking past groups of "chavs".
There is no hostility on the streets on London, it really is a myth. I know of nobody personally who has been attacked in the last couple of years.
London is one of the safest cities in the world. Why are we always complaining?
ThornedVenom @ Jan 16th 2008 2:03AM
You are always complaining because France is across the Channel.
And because your weather sucks.
Sidepocket @ Jan 16th 2008 6:41AM
Nope. They just use a crow bar, break your legs at 4pm and steal all your shit while they kick and spit on your. Fellow friend of mine, 2 years ago, London.
Nigeria @ Jan 16th 2008 11:51AM
Yeah that's really sad.
But for every horror story like that another couple million people live in peace.
I don't mean to diminish your friends pain but that really is just an anomaly in what is a rather safe city (considering the amount of people living here).
timnc @ Jan 15th 2008 11:06AM
Just goes to show you that no matter if you take away peoples guns or knives, people will still find ways to kill other people.
After this let's see how many death by vehicle or being pushed out of a tall building goes up.
Oh yeah, and ban all forms of martial arts from video games also.
James @ Jan 15th 2008 11:12AM
Something does need to be done about this obsession with knife culture in the UK. Sure it beats gun culture and the murders per 1000 ratio here is extremely low (compared to other countries).
I just don't get what London kids are doing with knives. Never liked that city though.
Mr.ESC @ Jan 15th 2008 11:48AM
No guns, no knives well back to the Aluminum baseball bats and brass knuckles.
Too bad, I liked knives they make me feel all tingly.
Chris @ Jan 15th 2008 12:01PM
But if we ban knives in games, how will I get my Cooking Mama fix!?
Psaakyrn @ Jan 15th 2008 12:07PM
99% of all human-commited human fatalities are done by humans. We should just ban humans from games and call it a day.
Contingency Plan @ Jan 15th 2008 12:11PM
You'd think he'd have more important things to worry about.
Nithron @ Jan 15th 2008 1:49PM
You know what, don't try and talk about things you don't understand.
Rocketboy, what the hell are you on about? The Royal Family has absolutely no power whatsoever. They're just there for sentimental reasons. They don't even really cost us any money.
Darkbuddha: Banning guns has not caused an "explosion" in violent crime because they have pretty much always been banned. You wanna try and find some statistics for violent crime before guns were banned? No, you can't, because there basically aren't any.
And.. Law of averages? Don't you think that just *maybe* we don't have school shootings because our kids can't *get* guns? How exactly would having a larger country cause them to occur when there's no guns to shoot people with?
Not that i'm defending Gordon Brown. He's an idiot. But honestly, every time a country other than America is mentioned, the trolls come out and start insulting the place and it's residents with half-baked opinions disguised as facts.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 15th 2008 2:12PM
You mean there aren't any guns at all in your country? Not even on the black market, or in gang hands?
You've literally eliminated every gun in the country?
Chase @ Jan 15th 2008 2:35PM
Well, other than Big Berthas. ( . )( . ) woo
upz @ Jan 15th 2008 3:24PM
"You mean there aren't any guns at all in your country? Not even on the black market, or in gang hands?"
Valid point, but make them more difficult to obtain, perhaps to the point of impossible to legally obtain, and there will undeniably be less use and misuse. Is marijuana use more prevalent in Amsterdam or Singapore?
Geist @ Jan 15th 2008 4:49PM
Question is, is marijuana-related crime more prevalent in Singapore or Amsterdam.
I forget where I was going with this.
Nithron @ Jan 15th 2008 4:31PM
Nah, I didn't mean there aren't any, i'm not that naive, I was saying that the kids in schools can't get them. There will be exceptions, so I suppose if the country was *huge* eventually a school shooting would happen, statistically, but it's not like in the USA where teenagers can just steal their parents' guns, walk out the door and kill someone.
hvnlysoldr @ Jan 15th 2008 4:37PM
But my knife is an absolutely essential weapon against zombies in RE4. Sometimes I've run out of ammo so I rely on my knife to save me.
Geist @ Jan 15th 2008 4:52PM
Whaat? How do you run out of ammo in RE4? I'm all like pow pow there go your knees stabby stabby while you're lying down. Or suplex. Because that's just badass.
hvnlysoldr @ Jan 15th 2008 7:02PM
That's exactly what happens to me since I keep forgetting to do that.
ThornedVenom @ Jan 16th 2008 2:04AM
Fight like a man: use your fists!
drun @ Jan 15th 2008 8:03PM
From now on, violent games will have no real weapons but icy fish and freezing hams.
Dio @ Jan 15th 2008 10:38PM
They should also put bubble wrap on every sharp corner and make unbreakable bottles.
Wait a minute...
ThornedVenom @ Jan 16th 2008 1:59AM
"British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is uncomfortable with the number of knives in violent video games"
And I'm uncomfortable with the number of forks in video games, what's his point? =P
He should learn discomfort with wrenches and crowbars.
Sidepocket @ Jan 16th 2008 6:41AM
*sigh*
When will the world learn:
http://www.ranting-gryphon.com/Rants/2rant-guns.mp3
DDP @ Jan 19th 2008 6:19PM
Knives are banned in every prison around the world, strange how a lot of prisoners still get stabbed.
Banning things does not stop the problem, it merely creates another where there wasn't a problem before. I could just as easly kill someone with a sharpened pencil as a knife. What next, children taught to write using wax crayons in school?
I understand (to an extent) to what the PM is alluding to, when killing people with knives is an achievement in some games it clouds the situation. But this is another typical BS statement and inevitable kneejerk reaction by the government that will inevitably see their poor judgement further aggravate the issue as always. Once again it will be the tool that gets addressed and not the societal problem or the causes of it.