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August 06, 2004
Hunting for Reality
I wasn't going to bother to comment on the whole "murder by PlayStation" Manhunt story as it has been well trodden on over the past few weeks. But, the unfolding of the story demonstrates how things can build into such a moral panic... Here's a play-by-play:
- Stories hit the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3936597.stm">BCC</a> and <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=312008&in_page_id=1770">DailyMail</a> about the horrific and sad murder of Stefan Pakeerah by older friend Warren Leblanc. The victim's parents suggest that Manhunt was to blame. Media frenzy ensues. Some <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=ret&aid=3890">retailers pull the game</a> from their shelves.
- Most people don't pick on, or care, that the police said the motive was robbery and that Warren was out to repay a drug debt...
- News coverage abounds on the merits of the accusation, the corruption of youth, the evil nature of the games industry, etc (<a href="http://vgombud.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_vgombud_archive.html#109147804153181307">here's a bunch of links on it</a>). Even the game industry itself <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3916">questions the need for games like Manhunt</a>...
- Ambulance chaser <a href="http://biz.gamedaily.com/features_new/jack_thompson/">Jack Thomson mouth's off</a> and swears he will make Rock Star pay for their pact with the devil.
- New info in the case in revealed: It was the <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=ret&aid=3918">victim who had a copy of Manhunt</a>, not the murderer. Media frenzy starts to cool...
- UK trade body <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3930">ELSPA issues an open letter</a> to the UK government, asking for common sense and respect to prevail.
- With all the attention, <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives//2004/08/manhunt_trebles_its_sales_in_one_week_why.html#more">sales of Manhunt pick up</a>.
I'm overly simplifying, but that's the general gist of it. Manhunt took ~2 weeks to go through the same moral panic cycle that GTA was under for 2+ years (and to some extent is still under).
What's sad from all this is that someone's life was lost and that in the search for a scapegoat (ie, Manhunt/violent games), attention has not be given to some of the true causes of real-world violence (ie, drugs, gangs, bad parents, etc).
One of the challenges in defending our creative freedoms is that we just look bad when we're talking across a grieving mother looking for answers. The general media's slap-shod coverage and usual ignorance toward games really doesn't help any either.
Oh well. Rinse, repeat.
Posted by della at August 6, 2004 04:21 PM
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Comments
Yeah, this whole case just totally blew my mind. I watched as everything unfolded and my only statement was just... what? You're SERIOUS?
A woman's son died and all she can do is go on and on about how violent video games have destroyed our youth and the world would be so much better off with less violence.
All I can say is this: The world would be a great place with a lot less violence... but maybe we should worry a little more about the violence of the REAL WORLD before we worry about some simulated violence in a GAME.
As far as I can tell, Manhunt was only brought into this entire thing for the shock value and as an easy scapegoat. The sooner politicians start thinking and realizing that games aren't to blame, but society and parents, the better off we'll be in this country.
Posted by: Henry "Demosthenes" Westerman at August 10, 2004 12:20 AM