Chatterbox: Pudding's Place

Controversial stuff

I was just reading about the Grand Theft Auto games and how they're all controversial (unsurprising). Then I read more on Wikipedia about how that series got a lot of fingers pointed at it for accidents, like kids commiting crime after playing the game, and driving... one six-year-old crashed a car after driving for 10 miles (the place where this happened must have had very absent-minded and unobservant people).

Then I watched a couple of the trailers for the coming fifth game, just to appreciate the art and the design... ya know? Then I decided I gotta play those games when I turn 17. Three more years. And I know I won't go driving and crashing cars after 10-mile rides because I know way better than to let a video game take over my mind. Well, when something takes over my mind, usually I just play or watch it more, not go doing things out there influenced by that.

My answer to this controversy? First of all, fine, go and share your views about this (freedom of speech), keep your kids from playing the game (parenting), but don't try to sue the developers becuase of stuff that happened to your kid because you acted poorly in the parenting department. It's their job to make the game and publish whatever violent stuff they want in it (also becuase of freedom of speech), the ESRB's job to rate the game M, as in M FOR MATURE, and your job to take the hint that since the game has a big M FOR MATURE on the cover, you probably shouldn't let your six-year-old play it and go crashing the car after driving 10 miles.

If you're an adult, well, they didn't go tell you to go do whatever crime you did because you played GTA. And you were supposed to know about the violence in the game, so you were the one who was supposed to decide if it was an appropriate game for yourself. Go ahead and make poor decisions if you want, but don't go suing people because you failed to make the right decision. The ESRB told you what was in the game, as did the obvious title that said "Grand Theft Auto", which is instantly synonymous with the violent video game. Any other controversial stuff someone agrees or disagrees with?

Admin, if I can't talk about this here (I avoided any mention of majorly inappropriate stuff with the intention of keeping this safe for 8 and under), please remove whatever you gotta remove and add your explanation, which may or may not be obvious. But remember: like I said, freedom of speech.

Rodney says irak. Iraq, huh? I don't know much about Iraq... Or do you mean that you are a rak, Rodney? Let me see...

I figured out where I heard "rak" before. It's a fictional creature from the Oz books, as well as the name of a city in Iraq. Huh...