Play video games, rape people...

[rec]

The quite incredible claim that video games are somehow to blame for an increase in rape has been proffered by a prominent US TV psychologist and author.

Carol[e] Lieberman told Fox News that interactive entertainment was "in large part" directly responsible for a recent surge in sexual violence.

"The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games," she is quoted as saying, without offering a droplet of evidence whatsoever.

Her shock claim arrives in a Fox News piece examining the mature themes of People Can Fly's upcoming FPS Bulletstorm. Its title? "Is Bulletstorm the Worst Video Game in the World?"

In it, Fox News claims that the 'worst part' of Bulletstorm (also possibly the 'worst game', remember) is its in-game reward system, Skillshots.

It reports that the mechanic "ties the ugly, graphic violence into explicit sex acts, [where] 'topless' means cutting a player in half, while a 'gang bang' means killing multiple enemies".

It continues: "And with kids as young as 9 playing such games, the experts FoxNews.com spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch."

Dr. Jerry Weichman, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, told Fox: "If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm's explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant... Violent video games like Bulletstorm have the potential to send the message that violence and insults with sexual innuendos are the way to handle disputes and problems."

But such claims will not come close to the shocking assumptions of Carol[e] Lieberman.

Who is Ms Lieberman? She appears to be the same doctor who wrote self-help books called 'Bad Boys: Why We Love Them, How to Live with Them and When to Leave Them' and 'Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them & How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets'.

Her website claims that "everyone from Oprah to Larry King, Katie Couric to Bill O'Reilly... think of Dr. Carole when they need a 'house call'". She has reportedly appeared on the BBC, CNN, The Today Show and Good Morning America amongst others.

And get this - she has her own extraordinary tagline: "The doctor who helps you stay sane in an insane world."

Yeah. We're not quite feeling that one right now.

News: Video games to blame for rape increase - TV psychologist makes outrageous claim - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

[morge]

I'm going to use the same research that fox news uses to prove that fox news causes a reduction in intelligence of its viewers, presenters and producers.

Fox news causes a reduction in intelligence of its viewers, presenters and producers.



Waiting to get sued by fox news because the reduction of intelligence results in a failure to understand satire.

[Wrathlon]

Carol[e] Lieberman told Fox News

Says it all right there.

And the whole thing is based n "If kids as young as 9 play it blah blah blah". I completely agree, kids as young as 9 shouldn't be playing it. It's not suitable for them at all. Which is why ITS NOT FUCKING RATED FOR THAT AGE GROUP. The ONLY way a 9 year old is playing it, is if their parents are giant balls of fail. Which if they are watching Fox News they probably are >.>

Fuck.

[rec]

[BrAiN DaNcE]

Rock Paper Shotgun has been doing some digging into this story, and contacted the people who fox has quoted in the story, and got the actual responses they provided.

Quote used by Fox:

More important, defenders argue that games with excessive violence and sexual content simply don?t sell well.

?Games without sufficient quality of gameplay ? games that include highly objectionable violent or sexual content ? often pump up the level of this kind of content to gain media attention. This tactic typically fails, as can be seen in the poor sales performance of titles such as BMX XXX and Postal,? said Billy Pidgeon, a video game analyst with M2 Research.

Whole Email Interview:

Fox News: Bulletstorm glorifies violence for fun and extra points. You can shoot the bad guys in the private parts for points, get drunk and shoot for more points, throw a chain with spikes and hook enemies. But some of the worst parts are actually related to the names for the skill shots and the in-game dialogue, which is definitely profane. What should be done about these games?

Billy Pidgeon: The ESRB ratings and the market have all the control necessary to limit the availability of games with objectionable content for sale to minors. The current rating system determines who can buy a game based on content, and retailers typically strongly support these ratings. Games with violent or objectionable content will be rated T for Teen (13+), M (17+) or AO (18+). Bulletstorm is rated M and retailers will not be likely to sell the game to purchasers without ID certifying age.

The market will favor games with quality gameplay and content, so if Bulletstorm is a good game, gamers seventeen and older will likely buy it. Games without sufficient quality of gameplay that include highly objectionable violent or sexual content often pump up the level of this kind of content to gain media attention. This tactic typically fails, as can be seen in the poor sales performance of titles such as BMX XXX and Postal.

Fox: Those who are against violent games say there should be more restrictions on games like Bulletstorm. How is that argument valid or not valid?

Pidgeon: I believe games should have the same protections and legislation due other forms of media, including films and books. The courts have historically struck down legislative attempts to control the sales of games in a more restrictive manner than other media, and the current Supreme Court hearing of Schwarzenegger vs. EMA is likely to conclude that games are due the same First Amendment protections as other media.

When younger gamers have access to games meant for older players, it is typically due to parents and adult family members purchasing the games for the minors and letting them play. The industry and organizations or individuals concerned about the issue should work to better educate consumers on the importance of following ESRB ratings and controlling children?s access to objectionable content. I?d like to see better enforcement, and possibly more restrictions on games marketing. Games rated T and M should not be advertised in channels targeting children under 17.

Fox: One issue is that it is easy to download the demo on Xbox and PS3, there are few if any warnings and no blocks. Should there be?

Pidgeon: Like most videogame consoles, Xbox 360 and PS3 have parental controls built in, and players under 18 will not be able to download M rated content. Console gamers have to certify their age before downloading content. There are ways to get around these, but if parents have enabled parental controls, it will be very difficult for underage gamers to circumvent these controls.

Fox: Many parents are also gamers ? if they see no problem with these types of games, what should they do to voice an opinion?

Pidgeon: Parents who play games are more knowledgeable about game content and ESRB ratings and often impose more restrictions on their children?s gaming. Any adult gamers, including parents, who would like to support the industry?s right to self-regulate should join the Entertainment Consumers Association (theeca.com) and the Video Game Voters Network (videogamevoters.org).

Fox also got in touch with Scott Steinberg, CEO of Techsavvy Global (Technology Consulting | Video Game Consulting | Strategic and Business Analysis - TechSavvy Global) and asked him about the game. They didn't use any of his quotes as none of them were able to be taken out of context and couldn't be used on the crazy train.

Fox News: Is there a line on what is inappropriate in a video game? Should there be?

Scott Steinberg: Appropriateness is in the eye of the beholder, but anything that violates the tenets of basic social mores or common decency is doubtless to come under intense scrutiny. Should there be limits on appropriateness in video games? Undoubtedly, but as to what extent, that?s for greater minds to say, given that the true challenge is how to define the boundaries, let alone who?s qualified to delineate them. Many would suggest that anything which promotes an agenda of hate, discrimination, injustice, moral corruption or intolerance would meet the criteria for inappropriate content. But however you slice it, it?s a slippery slope, given what passes for acceptable today at the box office, record store, bookstore and on television ? a problem compounded by games? unique trait of interactivity, which serves to further blur the barriers which keep observers in other mediums one step removed from the action portrayed.

Fox: In Bulletstorm, you can shoot people in the privates, wrap them with a spiked chain and pull them in and kill them, and shoot people when drunk ? all for extra points. There are also a lot of F-words. Do you think the game goes too far, why or why not?

Steinberg: No ? because it?s an unapologetically and straightforwardly satirical game meant for discerning adults that?s written in the vernacular of the times and speaks in a cultural context that?s the same as that its target audience has long been indoctrinated in by mainstream media and pop culture. From Saw to South Park, look at what passes for modern entertainment at the movies or on basic cable, let alone on the Internet ? this isn?t the first blockbuster (or big-budget game, for that matter) to aim below the belt or slather on the salty language. Yes, it?s shameless, but also knowingly so, because it actively aims to parody much of both the gaming field and larger cultural zeitgeist?s more asinine elements. The designers make no secret of their intentions, or to whom the title caters ? The Oregon Trail, this isn?t. The giant M for Mature rating on the
front of the box says it all: Only discerning adults need apply.

Fox: Is the only answer found in better parenting (telling your own kids they can?t play the game) and ratings boards? Or is there something else that should be done?

Steinberg: The answer, as ever, lies in education: Being acutely aware of what and how your children play, and the manner in which they do so, which requires maintaining an open-minded perspective and taking the time to spend time with your kids, their games and the systems which play these titles. A multitude of resources exist from the ESRB to WhatTheyPlay, FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com and Common Sense Media, as well as leading review websites such as IGN, GameSpot and 1up, which can help provide more info on today?s top titles, trends and topics. Not only can all help provide insight into children?s interests, motivations and the manner in which they consume game content, but the context needed to help steer them towards other, more appropriate titles which might better fit their age range or pique their interest. As with movies, albums and books featuring explicit content, you can help steer kids towards more viable substitutes that are equally compelling for healthier or more constructive reasons.

Fox: Is Bulletstorm one of the more egregious examples are are there a lot of other more violent games?

Steinberg: Like comic books, rock-and-roll and film, video games have long been subject to vilification for their subject matter due to popular misconceptions that they?re meant for children, when in fact the average player is actually a mature, discerning adult in their mid-30s. Accordingly, there?s been a long and storied range of titles featuring graphic and violent content (among other, more mundane subjects and fanciful topics) that speaks to this audience, just as there have been a long and storied range of films and TV shows (see: The Godfather, The Sopranos, every horror movie stocking movie store rental shelves since the ?70s, etc.) that speak to moviegoers with more adult tastes. From Postal to Grand Theft Auto III to Scarface: The World is Yours, you could cite a grand history of supposedly ?egregious? games dating back to the halcyon days of early arcade and computing hits such as Death Race and Leisure Suit Larry. But the reality is that the vast majority of all games produced are perfectly suitable for children and adolescents. BulletStorm just happens to be one of many examples that fall into the category of games for mature audiences, but it?s hardly among the more head-turning ones, as those who?ve played previous outings such as human prey simulator Manhunt 2 can attest.

Fox news is fucked.

The end.

[Aegis]

BWahahaha suffer bitch: Carol Lieberman Bookstormed Over "Games Lead to Rape" Comment | GamePolitics

Yes, her sex in games leads to real-life rape comment in yesterday?s FoxNews story seems to have rubbed a few folks the wrong way. As such, she?s joined Jack Thompson and Cooper Lawrence as someone whose, shall we say, ill-advised comments have prompted the less mature of us to mosey on over to Amazon and give her book a negative review.

[chad]

See the American spirit of playing the blame game is still alive. Though the fox news editors should of known better. Though feel sorry for her, this will probably kill her career.

[Aegis]

wow, you're dumber than ever today. it took years for jack thompson's idiocy to bite his arse off.

Fox News' general audience will, right this minute, be at the local Walmart assessing her book for its capacity to kill catfish when thrown.

[chad]

Settle down Aegis, its not like the world is going to end