“I was upset to the point of cursing,’ said the retired museum administrator. ‘You can at least choose whether to see a violent movie. But there’s no choice when you walk into the lobby and there’s the most violent arcade game you’ve seen right there.'” Somehow I don’t think Richard Reitnauer has seen a lot of violent videogames. Nevertheless usatoday.com reports that Dick’s irate phone call to the National Amusements cinema chain has triggered a change in their pre-show games. “Steve Horton, an assistant vice president of operations for National Amusements, told The Journal News [them again!] that in addition to removing the offending [First Person Shooter] game at Ridge Hill, his company is considering pulling violent arcades ‘on a case by case basis’ from other locations.” Horton may not have heard a Who but he defended his company’s decision with Dr. Seuss-style sanctimoniousness . . .
“In the video game business, shooting games and driving games generate the most revenue,” he said. “But it isn’t always revenue that drives your determination of what’s right for your business. We try to listen to our customers because they’re our lifeblood.”
I thought revenue was customers’ way of telling companies what they want. Hey, what do I know?
Reitnauer — whose information, he said, was listed in error on a controversial Journal News interactive map containing information on gun-permit holders that has since been removed from the paper’s website — believes violence in entertainment is one of many issues that should be part of a national debate on firearms.
“If people take little tiny steps at the local level,” he said, “we are going to start solving the bigger problems.”
And if people restrict or demonize Constitutional freedoms with little tiny steps at the local level they’ll get rid of them, eventually.
Wow guns really are the new cigarette machine arnt they?
That’s possibly the most worthless gesture I’ve seen actually get noticed.
I work in the video game industry so I’m pretty pissed about both the 2nd amendment being under attack as well as the video games. It’s neither. It’s socioeconomics and if I hear one more person blame inanimate objects or entertainment for societal problems I’m going to tear my god damn hair out!
The politicians can either blame themselves for the stupid laws they pass that end up adversely affecting our lives or they can point the finger at guns, games, movies etc. Gee, I wonder what’s it gonna be…
THIS! +1000000
exactly. i was furious at lapierre for passing the blame on the video game industry. that was BS.
gun owners and video gamers need to unite. both of us are getting the heat for another psychopaths actions and its interesting enough that countries with high gun restrictions also have video game censorship and restrictions.
Um, yeah, I’m all over that. 200,000 Gamerscore on XBox, and I own a Bushmaster AR. There seem to be a lot of targets on my back these days, lol.
I’ve seen no need to speak up about games here since nobody seems to have any trouble recognizing the difference between entertainment that takes place in consequence-free fantasy worlds and life’s very real consequences and the need to exercise responsibility, respect and safety.
I am, however, keeping my gaming buddies informed and educated on firearms and current events since not all of them follow politics or know much about actual firearms. One friend just got his first handgun and completed a CCW course. Word is getting out.
i thought i would never say this, but it is a good thing that new blood is getting interested in firearms because of video games. It is a good thing to get young people curious so that they ask questions instead of playing by the “guns are bad, just say no” mantra.
in fact, my first response here was after i emailed TTAG about “the dangers of brand identity” article on gamespot when editor laura parker freaked out over gun and accessory companies marketing with EA during the development of the new Medal of Honor.
Hey brother! Nice to see a fellow craftsman on the site!
I’d love to see video gamers give them the Reed Exhibitions treatment.
“…believes violence in entertainment is one of many issues that should be part of a national debate on firearms.”
I disagree. Watch much television lately? Hour after hour of murder and mayhem and week after week an endless stream of serial killers racking up body counts. What is the common denominator? In alomst every case the victim is unarmed and unprepared to defend themselves, a perfect victim voluntarily disarmed, even in those shows when the neighborhood has been informed that a serial killer is on the loose, and they usually try to withhold that information from the public so as not to alarm them! It’s like no one ever even considers taking steps to protect themselves in that universe. They just wait for the FBI or somebody to figure out what’s up and hope they don’t add to the “unsub’s” stats first. And in the rare case where Hollywood (TV) allows a victim to arm themselves it almost always either doesn’t work, or he shoots the wrong person. THe problem with Hollywood is not too much violence, it’s that they leave the idea that effective violence only comes from bad guys or the LEO hero and that individual citizens cannot be expected or trusted to take part in their own self-defense.
Why does no one realize this simple truth; As violence in our society becomes increasingly rare (which it is), violence will increasingly fascinate us as a culture. Crime in general will follow this trend. It is the reason people become increasingly shocked by acts that would not merit so much as a glance hundreds of years ago. Our sensibilities and our tolerance for overt violence (REAL violence, not fictional) evolves.
Most shows or movies that feature guns would be over within five minutes (thirty if you count scenes with paperwork of the incident) if victims were armed and had a successful DGU. Hollywood relies on an infinite stream of helpless victims, as do news outlets to create a product. Unfortunately, it seems, masses of people refuse to do anything for themselves, whether that be research or defense.
This^
few horror movies would be more than about a half hour if the protagonist were carrying.
You do not have a right to not being offended – If you did, why would offense taken by you supersede the offense I endure at your expense? The choice he claims not to have is in fact the choice not to go to the theater in the first place. Stay home!
WHOA! So ONE twit makes ONE phone call and pthft! INSTANT gratification?
And MILLIONS of gun owners are kept on a sizzling griddle – forever – and all the emails, letters and phone calls in the world are IGNORED?
Something is REALLY messed up about that.
Any guesses if the game where you set turtles on fire and eat magic mushrooms is still on display?
The Dick’s at Ridge Hill in Yonkers apparently sells no firearms or ammunition, which I find interesting considering how many “dots” on the LoHud map were in that city. The Dick’s in nearby White Plains, however, does sell firearms and ammo.
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