There seems to always be some form of negative press being thrown towards the gaming industry whether it relates to small acts of crime or school shootings, you can be guaranteed a videogame was the cause of it. This is why it is always welcoming to read something positive about the world of gaming and what it truly has done for the society we currently live in. A UK-based newspaper by the name of The Guardian has recently released an article that displays the thought of non-gamers being deprived in today’s world.
The article is written by an author named Naomi Alderman. She goes into the lengths of defending Rockstar and their highly criticized franchise, Grand Theft Auto. This may be a shock to everyone, as it isn’t every day that you see this type of piece being released to the general public.
"Dr Tanya Byron’s eminently sensible report last month on children and new technology emphasized the many opportunities for fun and learning that games provide," says Alderman. "But the media coverage focused on the usual fears and worries.
"Byron said that we need to move away from talking about computer games ‘causing harm’; in response, TV and newspapers showed stills from games with titles like Manhunt and God of War. Byron said children need to be ’empowered to keep themselves safe’; newspapers said computers and televisions should be kept in communal spaces in the home."
Alderman then goes on to reflect something that most gamers have been trying to get across to the world for a very long time and that is that games do not reflect violence of its own, but the reality of the world we live in.
"The world of Grand Theft Auto does contain violence and misogyny; but then, so does The Godfather, or Goodfellas," the article continues. "GTA3 is set in a tough, dangerous world. Johnson is trying to clean up his neighbourhood. But as a dispossessed, orphaned young black man, he has no option but to re-form his neighbourhood gang to do so. The makers of this game, like the makers of any movie about gangland, can stand squarely behind the art they have created and say: this represents reality. If it offends you, don’t criticise the art, but take action to improve the world around you."
She even takes aim at parents and the lack of responsibility they take for the decisions of their children and their ability to play these games.
"Clearly, these themes [in GTA] are not suitable for young children. But just as a responsible parent wouldn’t hand their child a copy of American Psycho or sit them down in front of Marathon Man without any further discussion or comment, games can and should be part of the ongoing conversation between parents and children about the world."
"The gaming world isn’t filled only with violence and depravity. In fact, it’s mostly enchanting," the article continues. "Computer games can be works of art and literature – they’re still developing. The stories they can tell, and the experiences they provide, are increasingly sophisticated and glorious. And that, of course, is the point."
"The world that today’s 10-year-olds grow into will offer so many rich experiences via video games: the real neglect would be to deny our children the opportunity to understand and enjoy them."
We understand that this article contains a lot of quotation from The Guardian’s article; however, all of these quotes are a move in the right direction for the world of gaming and the gamers that reside in that world. Naomi Alderman has shown a solid opinion towards gaming and we commend her for speaking up about the way she feels and how the world should see this growing phenomenon.
If anything else like this makes it way to the public, we’ll be sure to keep you updated. Hopefully, we’ll be updating you a lot on great articles like this.