British and Australian child groups call for Detroit: Become Human ban

[GennGreymane]

British and Australian child groups call for Detroit: Become Human ban
http://metro.co.uk/2017/12/04/britis...3/?ito=cbshare

A UK MP has joined various child agencies in criticising PS4 exclusive Detroit: Become Human for ‘trivialising’ child abuse. A number of child support groups have called for retailers not to stock the upcoming Detroit: Become Human, because of a sequence featuring child abuse. The game is set in a future world where intelligent androids are commonplace, with a preview at the Paris Games Week in October showing a part of the story where a robot housekeeper is forced to watch as a young girl is killer by her abusive father. The preview continued by showing several different ways that the scenes could’ve played out, some of which involve the girl being saved – including one where the girl shoots her father. The story was picked up by a number of newspapers at the weekend, including The Mail on Sunday, The Sun, and Australian website 9 News – which quotes NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) deputy chief executive Leesa Waters as saying that, ‘Violence against women and children is not entertainment’. ‘The content of this game is so horrific that it is likely to cause trauma for anyone watching, let alone anyone who has experienced family violence’.

In the UK, both the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and NAPAC (National Association of People Abused in Childhood) have made similar comments, with Andy Burrows of the NSPCC quoted as saying, ‘Any video game that trivialises or normalises child abuse, neglect or domestic violence for entertainment is unacceptable.’ Tory MP, and chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Damian Collins has said that is, ‘completely wrong for domestic violence to be part of a video game regardless of what the motivation is’ – essentially advocating blanket censorship. Childline founder Esther Rantzen has called for the scene to be removed or the game itself to be withdrawn from sale.

It’s obvious nobody making the complaints has played the game, or has any clear idea what it is or how it works. And of course, there’d be no question about a movie or TV show being allowed to show similar content, as video games are, as usual, held to complete different standards. And yet the situation is complicated by the fact that the game’s director is David Cage, whose work on previous games such as Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls is not exactly famed for its plausibility or nuanced storytelling. His intentions are no doubt honest, but even just the idea of promoting the game with such a sequence – which seems to be only a small part of the overall story – seems to show poor judgement.

[arandomuser]

"Tory MP, and chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Damian Collins has said that is, ‘completely wrong for domestic violence to be part of a video game regardless of what the motivation is’ – essentially advocating blanket censorship." not a liberal, but ofc everyone here will say its SJJJJJWWWWWWSSSSSSsssssssss

[Calfredd]

Not really sure what to say since that last paragraph in the snippet OP linked sums up my feelings pretty well on the matter.

[dope_danny]

While outrage culture is often to blame for modern cencorship the UK has been very iffy about certain subjects in videogames. Parasite Eve 1 for example is banned because a character chases a monster through a sperm bank, yet Parasite Eve 2 was fine. Rule of Rose shows children in extreme peril and adult situations and thats soft banned while Haunting Ground which is very similar but involves an adult woman is fine.

[Orby]

This whole issue is stupid if you ask me, It's like we went back to the 90's with the whole video games are dangerous" discussion. I totally give up on this snobby upper class attitude of "Video games are a childs play thing BS"

[Jtbrig7390]

There argument is dumb as hell because its just another way to say 'Video Games Cause Violence"

This game isn't going to cause a child who is being abused to be violent. You know what will? The person who is abusing them. I really hope they do not censor the game over this shit because not every game needs to be rainbows and lollipops.

Also Wolfenstein 2 had child and domestic abuse in it as well.

I think its dumb that people are ok with it being on Tv and in movies/books but get upset when its in games.

Hell Game of Thrones had a child get raped and another get burned alive in it, But there was no outrage there.. Not all video games are for all people (or kids) and these people need to realize that.

Edit: 100% agree with boogies video.

[Medusa Cascade]

Better ban numerous books and movies too

[OnlineSamantha]

So their argument is basically, "if nobody talks about it then it doesn't exist". Isn't that how you get rampant child abuse in the first place? The only way for a conversation to happen and for wrong things to come to light is if somebody talks about it. I think a video game is perfect because it can, depending on how it's done of course, hopefully remove some of the bystander effect. Essentially, if you get used to acting when you see something wrong in a game, you'll hopefully act if it happens in real life too.

[Coldkil]

Better ban numerous books and movies too

Lol, basically this. When it's in a movie, all fine. But videogames!!! They are played by children! We cannot show them this kind of stuff. WTF.

[Verdugo]

Is that the next David Cage "game"? If yes then it should not be banned, everyone needs to see how shitty its going to be.

[Jtbrig7390]

Is that the next David Cage "game"? If yes then it should not be banned, everyone needs to see how shitty its going to be.

Yes it is.

[Varitok]

You can watch peoples heads explode brutally but this isn't okay? I don't like how games tip toe around children. In skyrim you can't even kill them. Its not like they are real or like you cant mod it in. You can do it in the original Deus Ex though.

[LedZeppelin]

Take him to detroit

[dope_danny]

You can watch peoples heads explode brutally but this isn't okay? I don't like how games tip toe around children. In skyrim you can't even kill them. Its not like they are real or like you cant mod it in. You can do it in the original Deus Ex though.

Each region has its different hangups. England does not like children in danger in any capacity where things like gunfire are included and gets bad ratings, America cannot separate a naked human body from sexual content and rate all art including it as softcore, Germany of course removes all swatsikas from WW2 games and Japanese political groups got VERY upset a while back when a game mention the inhuman experiments of "Unit 731". This happens in every country. Iran doesnt want homosexuality in games, australia does deal well with games where you play a criminal. Games are now so mainstream they deal with the same cultural wallwatchers and gatekeepers as movies did back in the Thatcher era with the 'video nasty' moral panic.

People still seem surprised and act like its new but there is not a single country on earth that hasn't banned a game for 'moral reasons'. Not one. It just so happens every culture on earth has gotten so used to violence that blood is as offensive as rain at this point.

[vipers]

I think scenes like this is there to give shock value and not really entertain anyone

[Varitok]

Each region has its different hangups. England does not like children in danger in any capacity where things like gunfire are included and gets bad ratings, America cannot separate a naked human body from sexual content and rate all art including it as softcore, Germany of course removes all swatsikas from WW2 games and Japanese political groups got VERY upset a while back when a game mention the inhuman experiments of "Unit 731". This happens in every country. Iran doesnt want homosexuality in games, australia does deal well with games where you play a criminal. Games are now so mainstream they deal with the same cultural wallwatchers and gatekeepers as movies did back in the Thatcher era with the 'video nasty' moral panic.

People still seem surprised and act like its new but there is not a single country on earth that hasn't banned a game for 'moral reasons'. Not one. It just so happens every culture on earth has gotten so used to violence that blood is as offensive as rain at this point.

I get that, I know about it and I'm not surprised. It doesn't mean I can't talk about the absurdity of it all.

[Blade Wolf]

Lol, basically this. When it's in a movie, all fine. But videogames!!! They are played by children! We cannot show them this kind of stuff. WTF.

Also don't forget that games have an actual rating. If kids come across games like this. It sure as fuck ain't the developers problems but most parents refuse to take any responsibility regarding what their kids play these days

[Coldkil]

Also don't forget that games have an actual rating. If kids come across games like this. It sure as fuck ain't the developers problems but most parents refuse to take any responsibility regarding what their kids play these days

Yeah, also this. honestly - as far as i can get it the story is about an android seeing an abusive father acting bad on his daughter and thus the conflict between the "harm no human" rule and the "protect the humans" one. You get to be the "hero" of the little children, saving her or at least trying to from the abusive father.

Where in the hell this is a negative message.

[Verdugo]

Yeah, also this. honestly - as far as i can get it the story is about an android seeing an abusive father acting bad on his daughter and thus the conflict between the "harm no human" rule and the "protect the humans" one. You get to be the "hero" of the little children, saving her or at least trying to from the abusive father.

Where in the hell this is a negative message.

Its David Cage, you can trust him that he will fuck it up.

[PickleballAce]

Australians get offended by any little thing in video games, nothing new there. Nobody takes that Backwater seriously when it comes to censorship in games.