Comments on: Can game-design promote human rights? http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 22:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Rindan http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-475905 Rindan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-475905 Nothing makes me wretch as quickly as "OMG think of the children!" That cry can be traced to a solid 95% of all cases where human freedom of expression has been crushed. I was extremely pleased to see Hillary defeated by Obama if for no other reason than for her fascist jack booted love of wielding "OMG the children!" to crush human creativity and expression. To quote this vile proclamation of OMG THE CHILDREN!!!111!! <blockquote> In this regard, it is recalled that the exercise of freedom of expression carries with it duties and responsibilities, in particular as regards the protection of health and morals and the rights of others, which publishers of online games are encouraged to bear in mind when deciding on the content of their games.</blockquote> This is followed by some vile spew that declares implies that all video games need a PG rating and no evil immortality taught to the OMG THE CHILDREN!!!1!!! I am an adult. I like adult games. I like villains. Hell, I like <i>being the villain</i>. The OMG THE CHILDREN folks can screw off. We have parents. They have a job. They should do it. I don't need the state clamping down on my freedoms because some child psychologist can show a 5% elevation of aggression level when a kid is playing Halo. Abusive parents, bad schools, and poverty in general are REAL causes for children to turn out messed up. Lets focus on this before the OMG THE CHILDREN folk piss on my freedoms, eh? Nothing makes me wretch as quickly as “OMG think of the children!” That cry can be traced to a solid 95% of all cases where human freedom of expression has been crushed. I was extremely pleased to see Hillary defeated by Obama if for no other reason than for her fascist jack booted love of wielding “OMG the children!” to crush human creativity and expression.

To quote this vile proclamation of OMG THE CHILDREN!!!111!!

In this regard, it is recalled that the exercise of freedom of expression carries with it duties and responsibilities, in particular as regards the protection of health and morals and the rights of others, which publishers of online games are encouraged to bear in mind when deciding on the content of their games.

This is followed by some vile spew that declares implies that all video games need a PG rating and no evil immortality taught to the OMG THE CHILDREN!!!1!!!

I am an adult. I like adult games. I like villains. Hell, I like being the villain. The OMG THE CHILDREN folks can screw off. We have parents. They have a job. They should do it. I don’t need the state clamping down on my freedoms because some child psychologist can show a 5% elevation of aggression level when a kid is playing Halo. Abusive parents, bad schools, and poverty in general are REAL causes for children to turn out messed up. Lets focus on this before the OMG THE CHILDREN folk piss on my freedoms, eh?

]]> By: Trilby http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-475912 Trilby Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-475912 So, hang on... Blizzard and the rest ought to scrap their EULAs and let players run scripts and other mods to cheat because it's "Freedom of Expression"? Bad call. Or am I missing the point? So, hang on… Blizzard and the rest ought to scrap their EULAs and let players run scripts and other mods to cheat because it’s “Freedom of Expression”? Bad call. Or am I missing the point?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476426 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476426 There's also a conference on the use of computer games in education coming up on 5 May at the Council of Europe that I'm organising. Have a look at http://games.eun.org There’s also a conference on the use of computer games in education coming up on 5 May at the Council of Europe that I’m organising. Have a look at http://games.eun.org

]]> By: Cicada http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-475920 Cicada Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-475920 What, we shouldn't keep killing the Horde just because they're there and uglier than we in the Alliance are? What, we shouldn’t keep killing the Horde just because they’re there and uglier than we in the Alliance are?

]]> By: Professor Booty http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476244 Professor Booty Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476244 @5 Players are notoriously bad at knowing what they want from a game. Every gamer has a laundry list of things they want changed about a game, but the vast majority of those are bad ideas with regards to gameplay. Oddly enough, with the exception of WoW, Blizzard has been providing quite a bit of support for player customization. Starcraft's level editor was quite powerful, and Warcraft 3's is even more so. New game genres have sprung from mods based on those games (I'm thinking tower defense and hero arena type games ala DotA). And even WoW has an unprecedented level of customization for an MMO, even if it's only at the user interface level. @5

Players are notoriously bad at knowing what they want from a game. Every gamer has a laundry list of things they want changed about a game, but the vast majority of those are bad ideas with regards to gameplay.

Oddly enough, with the exception of WoW, Blizzard has been providing quite a bit of support for player customization. Starcraft’s level editor was quite powerful, and Warcraft 3′s is even more so. New game genres have sprung from mods based on those games (I’m thinking tower defense and hero arena type games ala DotA).

And even WoW has an unprecedented level of customization for an MMO, even if it’s only at the user interface level.

]]> By: Teufelaffe http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476018 Teufelaffe Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476018 The most offensive content that comes out of online games usually comes from the players, not from the game designers. If you want to preserve a player's dignity, teach them that constant cries of "FAG!" and "NOOB!" on the in-game chat are detrimental to said dignity. The most offensive content that comes out of online games usually comes from the players, not from the game designers. If you want to preserve a player’s dignity, teach them that constant cries of “FAG!” and “NOOB!” on the in-game chat are detrimental to said dignity.

]]> By: Big Daddy http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476533 Big Daddy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476533 Speaking as a game professional, I've got one thing to say: You want games that promote this stuff? Go out and make them yourself. The tools are out there. They are FREE. To quote Jello Biafra, "Don't hate the media. Become the media." And, btw, I've made "OMG THE CHILDREN" games (thanks poster #1, that will keep me giggling all day now) and they don't sell. Speaking as a game professional, I’ve got one thing to say:

You want games that promote this stuff? Go out and make them yourself. The tools are out there. They are FREE.

To quote Jello Biafra, “Don’t hate the media. Become the media.”

And, btw, I’ve made “OMG THE CHILDREN” games (thanks poster #1, that will keep me giggling all day now) and they don’t sell.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-477048 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-477048 No thanks. There's already flying penises in Second Life. We don't need that in every other game. No thanks. There’s already flying penises in Second Life. We don’t need that in every other game.

]]> By: mdh http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476084 mdh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476084 trilby, you may or not be missing the point, but Blizzards games would be better if they would let the community run rampant. (maybe even with an add-on developer kit with a pathway into a walled garden for sharing mods(to ensure that the modders who want to create and share have paid for the game and the kit). But I'm probably missing the point too. trilby, you may or not be missing the point, but Blizzards games would be better if they would let the community run rampant. (maybe even with an add-on developer kit with a pathway into a walled garden for sharing mods(to ensure that the modders who want to create and share have paid for the game and the kit).

But I’m probably missing the point too.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/26/can-game-design-prom.html#comment-476087 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-476087 David Seah (whom GTDers might remember as the creator of the "Personal CEO" series) has just finished work on a videogame installation for the Illinois Holocaust Museum which uses a videogame to teach children that their actions have repercussions: http://davidseah.com/blog/comments/behind-the-scene-at-the-illinois-holocaust-museum-education-center/ David Seah (whom GTDers might remember as the creator of the “Personal CEO” series) has just finished work on a videogame installation for the Illinois Holocaust Museum which uses a videogame to teach children that their actions have repercussions:

http://davidseah.com/blog/comments/behind-the-scene-at-the-illinois-holocaust-museum-education-center/

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