Reuters: Video games are for adults, too

So. . .Reuters just found out about video-games. Does anyone want to break the news to them about Japanese animation? Or would that be too much?

The idiocy of television news is what is keeping print alive. Although, this is Reuters...

Maybe the writer actually loves video games, but his idiot editor made him dumb it down, as if readers need to be talked down to. That doesn't excuse the errors, though.

I hate them for realizing it now of all times, but if THEY don't tell the world, who will?

OH COME ON joystiq!
Quit it with the tabloid-esqe misrepresentation of stories just to get hits.

After complaining endlessly about the way the mainstream media presents games, finally an article that puts it all in context for people who don't know about games, and explains a few important facts in simple language..... so let's rip into that.

This is exactly the kind of story we need more of, and then we might have less of the negative stories.

Videogames are made with adults in mind?

No shit!

The inaccuracies don't surprise me at all. I did an internship last summer at a national technology paper. Their editor had recently come from hotel and caterer magazine, and their leading tech guy wanted me to talk to him about databases because he knew nothing about them and needed to write an article. The state of journalism today I'm afraid.

This is the most I have face-palmed since face-palm came to face-palm town and opened up a face-palm shop at the corner of face-palm street and face-palm avenue so it could run for a face-palm seat on the face-palm city council.

Eerily familiar anecdote there Shadow.

I encountered the same scenario while playing MW2 on live. Again, a five year old. This kid's the same age as my daughter who, to my knowledge, has not even *seen* an fps running much less played one.

Incensed, I told the kid I was the xbox man and needed to speak to his mommy. I heard him ask and then heard his mother reply "mommy's busy right now".

Good thing for her too; I was about to launch into a tirade of such biblical proportions, it's possible she would have dropped dead on the spot. From mass ear cancer.

No bigs. In another few decades, the people who are now in their 20s and 30s who have been playing video games since they could walk will be running the country, and the people who write these sorts of idiotic stories will be in the old folks' home or dead.

I love that while the gaming media is beginning to get bored with military shooters, the caption on the Reuters article calls it a "coming onslaught".

Also the print to web transition is kind of awkward. The sudden interjection of AVERAGE AGE OF GAMERS IS 35 makes it look like a Joystiq comment

@skipjimroo

I laughed to such an epic degree from your anecdote I nearly wet myself. I can see a different way that could played out.

Mom: Hello?
You: Hello Ma'am, may I have your name?
Mom: Um...no. Who is this?
You: Ma'am this is the police, how old is your son?
Mom: I don't think so... good bye...
You: Well think harder ma'am! HOW OLD IS YOUR SON!?!
Mom: *gasp* He's five...what is this about?
You: This is about YOU letting your small child play a game that could ruin his fragile little brain FOR LIFE! DON'T YOU WATCH THE NEWS!?!
Mom: I thought that was all B.S... It's a game. They're for kids right?
You: Well it's not bullshit ma'am, is that what you were abbreviating?
Mom: Yes... it's a toy. Harmless right?
You: No ma'am it's not. This game is rated M for Mature, meaning you have put your precious little boy into the danger of losing his immortal soul, because as the media and Hugo Chavez have told us: Video games are the path to HELL!!! Do you want that?
Mom: No...
You: DO YOU WANT THAT!?!
Mom: NOOOOO!!!!!!! *sobs*
You: GOOD! Think about that next time you think about letting him play a game made by the devil himself (the little M on the box says so)! And if we catch him playing it again we are going to throw you in jail and let little Billy get raised by an alcoholic foster family.
Mom: *sobs* Stop it...
You: He'll miss you but always foster an unrealized hatred toward you for abandoning him, and when you finally get out of prison after having several failed romances with fellow inmates you'll want to be a family again but the damage will already have been done! He'll be smoking pot, have tattoos, and harbor controversial beliefs! DO YOU WANT THAT!?!
Mom: *sniff* No... I'll take the game away...
You: Well now you can't do that either...
Mom: Why?
You: Because video games are also addictive, and their removal from a child's daily routine could result in violent behavior or him running away. The result of which could either be you never seeing little Billy again, or him murdering you in your sleep...the game taught him how afterall.
Mom: So what do I do?
You: Well ma'am that's really your decision. I'm not a parent so I can't make it for you. Que sera sera, right?
Mom: You've got to be kidding me, what do I do?
You: Sorry ma'am. That's not my department. Kid's soul goes to hell or he runs away, possibly murdering you in your sleep beforehand... or after. Kids are tricky little buggers. Anyhow, have a nice day!
Mom: Wait... *sniff* Don't hang up! What do I do?
You: *click*
Mom: Wait! COME BACK!!!.....Hello???
--end--

PSA: This scene brought to you by the shameless uninformed fear tactics of the mainstream media.