Has common sense been thrown out the gaming window?
Oh, the horror!
(Credit: Gamespot)Now that the dust has settled with Manhunt 2 and Rockstar and its parent company Take Two Interactive are being held to the fire once again, the utter lack of knowledge and ignorance that permeates every level of retail has shown its ugly face.
Instead of understanding the nature of the latest Manhunt 2 scandal where gamers could ostensibly view adults-only content in the game through a code hack, Target and others have announced that it will not sell the game on its shelves because "players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code."
Simply put, this is one of the most ludicrous and ridiculous decisions I have seen in years by any retailer. Just because a gamer can "potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code", Target (and others) feel the need to take Manhunt 2 off store shelves?
Ridiculous.
Now, as far as I'm concerned, Target is in the business of making money. And by being in that business, I think it's safe to assume that it currently sells movies and television shows that show the kind of violence portrayed in the game -- scenes of mutilation and decapitation. After all, they sell quite well.
But what about the movies these companies currently promote in stores? Have you ever seen 300? This film depicts the kinds of mutilation and decapitation being boycotted in Manhunt 2 and yet it stays on store shelves. And let's not forget that the mutilation in that film is being done on human beings, not video game characters.
Sure, the violence portrayed in this game is certainly not something parents would want to show their children, but how many children do you know that can buy the game, bring it home, hook it up to a computer, alter the code, burn it to a disc and finally play it on the console of their choosing? I don't know about you, but I don't think little ten year-old Johnny is doing that anytime soon.
And if it is adults that are altering the code, who cares? It's their prerogative, is it not? As long as they are legal adults, they have the option to view any kind of violent films or games at their disposal. And if they're capable of viewing a movie like 300, why can't they play a game like Manhunt 2.
Unfortunately, a new phenomenon has developed where some people believe parents are incapable of making decisions and in turn, retailers are forced to do it for them. And in the process, these retailers look like the group that's "doing the right thing" by "keeping violent games out of the hands of children."
Suffice it to say that I'm a man who enjoys freedom and would do everything in my power to promote it. Along those lines, I don't believe Target or any other retailer should be allowed to take a game off store shelves to save children from themselves. Sad as it sounds, it's not Target's call to make.
Where are parents during all of this? Surely, some parenting groups are heralding this move as yet another reason why Target is a wonderful company, but why can't this same parenting group police itself? If you don't want your son or daughter to play Manhunt 2, simply tell them they can't and don't buy it for them. And if you're concerned that they will play at their friend's house, why can't you rely on the fact that you did a good enough job as a parent for them to know what's right and wrong? After all, you can't watch your kids all the time -- eventually you'll need to get some sleep.
It's a sad state of affairs when parents must rely on those people who don't even know their kids to decide what a child should see and what the child should not.
Before you call big-box retailers wonderful companies for taking violent video games off store shelves, ask yourself one question: do you really want a fortune 500 company parenting your children?
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Oh, and don't underestimate the technical proficiency of kids...Maybe not 10 year's old, but 14? I can see 14 year olds doing just what you said.
Finally, I suppose you haven't been 14 for a long time, but I remember the way it was with dirty mags (and a bit later dirty websites), and just one was enough to go around. So, all it takes is a smarter kid or an older cousin to spread a game such as manhunt 2 throughout a school. Are you comfortable with THAT?
if target is going to give their two cents and do something to warrant a little "parenting" of their own, then i say "go for it". many of those same parents are applauding for a reason, and it's because they know they need some help.
Because Target is trying to be a family store. They're using this to their marketing advantage. And it's probably a winning move. How many hardcore gamers really go to Target to buy their games? I would say very few. Most either go to Gamestop or buy online. Target probably wouldn't have sold very many of Manhunt 2 which is a crappy game anyway. So they don't really lose much in revenue from the game but garner goodwill towards their primary soccer mom customer.
"Suffice it to say that I'm a man who enjoys freedom and would do everything in my power to promote it. Along those lines, I don't believe Target or any other retailer should be allowed to take a game off store shelves to save children from themselves."
You dont make clear in your article WHO you believe should not allow Target to stock this game. I think Target should stock this game because customers DEMAND that this game be in stock, not because some government entity forces them to stock such a game. Target should have the right to stock anything they wish. Just as Nintendo should have the right to censor the games that get released on its platform (and face the consequences). Think about when Nintendo released "mortal combat" with no blood... and then people went to vote with their dollars for the the SEGA version because it had blood. We have the power with our dollars to change this.
Target Won't Carry "Manhunt 2" - Ashley Phillips, ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3828417
Target stores won't sell 'Manhunt 2,' ABC reports - Daniel Terdiman, C/Net News.com
http://www.news.com/geek-gestalt/8301-13772_3-9812246-52.html
Site to give parents a play-by-play of the action their children see - Alex Pham, Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-play12nov12,1,3134212.story?coll=la-headlines-technology
As a game retailer, implement a policy that requires any person, ANY person, who purchases an M-rated game to sign a waiver accepting any and all responsibility for people exposed to that content. When parents buy the game for their five-year-old, who then accidently kills another kid, the game store can dig out the waiver: "Sorry, they knew what they were doing when they bought the game."
Also, this neatly wraps up the fears of parents afraid their children might play it at their friends' houses; in that case, those parents (or persons) are responsible for ANY exposure of the material to any other person, and are thus held liable.
This kind of thing has been basically in place with pornography for years. If you're a parent, and you show neighborhood kids pornography, you're going to get arrested; this is meant to be a form of built-in protection all parents have that their child is not exposed to offensive material. Granted, we don't make adults sign waivers to purchase porn, but I feel like it would be a fantastic wake-up-call to parents who believe that the fact that the word "game" is used to describe the product doesn't mean it's kid-friendly.
tl;dr: People pay attention when they're asked to sign. Make them sign when they buy M+ rated games. Everyone wins. Why are we not doing this already?
"Along those lines, I don't believe Target or any other retailer should be allowed to take a game off store shelves to save children from themselves. Sad as it sounds, it's not Target's call to make."
Maybe you should get your mind out of virtual reality and read what you wrote.
OF COURSE it's Target's call to make of what they stock or don't stock. OF COURSE they should be allowed to take ANYTHING off their shelves for ANY reason they want.
Are you accusing them of censorship? Did you skip your civics class trying to pursue your high score? They're not ran by the government.
The games you like are violent and stupid, and the difference between games and films is that you're doing the killing.
Your indignation is entirely unfounded. Get real.
Putting his ad hominem comment of "the games you like are violent and stupid" aside, he has a point in stating that Target can do as they please.
Bottom line: Target can do whatever they want, it's a free market and they made this move to garner brand loyalty for those who disapprove of violent games. Go buy the game elsewhere if you want it. This game is rated MA and by that guideline only adults are able to purchase it and only adults should play it. Responsibility of what kids play, watch, etc belongs solely with the parents. Blaming society or wanting to censor everything is an abdication of that responsibility. Although hotmeteor really had a point in his/her post about most parents needing help.
everything I want them to carry! Not only that, they are giving me a legitimate
reason why they aren't going to carry it!
How can anyone possibly say that a retailer doesn't have the right to NOT
carry something that they feel goes against their company image? Yeah, I
hear the whole "but movies are violent too" argument, but games are
marketed to KIDS! By the author's argument, they should sell porn because I
want them too, and they have no right not to. For that matter, I want a flame
thrower as well.
Target has a corporate image to maintain, and potential lawsuits to avoid,
and they have every right to carry, or not carry whatever they feel like.
Target has no morals or ethics, they don't want to be sued and thus lose MONEY. C.R.E.A.M. never forget that.
- You're kidding, right
- by likeabite November 17, 2007 12:51 PM PST
- Target has the right to do as they please because they are a privately owned company. That has to be the most ludicrous counterargument I've ever heard. We as humans have privacy rights as well but that doesn't give us the right to do everything we want, like steal, kill or even make certain comments. If a rated R movie can be sold why can't a rated 17 video game? Last time I checked rated R was higher than NC-17 and neither is meant to be sold to kids so if target cannot control their clerks and have these items sold to the right age group then none of them should be sold, period. People always make this asisine argument about you doing the killing. It's called a game for a reason...that's like saying because you flew in the game you will relay that to real life and go jump out the window and see what happens. It is fictional and visual is visual. You see death in a game the same as you would in a movie. However, in a movie it is even worse because it is not animated...the blood is realistic and so are the people. So for Target to pull such a bone-headed move and receive support in this blog is well beyond me. Grow up people and take care of your own damn kids. They are called your kids for a reason and it is no one's responsibility but yours. If you can't do it then don't have kids or give them to somebody who can. This is a prime example why America is in shambles and getting worse...smh
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