MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Authorities in Turkey have turned their attention to family favourite Minecraft following allegations of violent content. The BBC reports that Turkey’s family and social policies minister Aysenur Islam has ordered an investigation to assess its suitability for children. Should it be deemed too violent the government could seek to ban …
Read More »"Playing violent video games may have an effect – but it can’t be the scapegoat"
Last month, The Mirror ran a report blaming Call of Duty for a massacre at a Washington Navy base. Professor Mark Griffiths, the director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University explains why the media needs to stop blaming games… The issue of video game violence has …
Read More »Scottish Police chief blames violent games for teenage stabbing
A knife attack in Clydebank has been blamed on the offender’s access to violent video games. The games-loving Daily Mail reports that an unnamed 13-year-old (who is apparently already a father) slashed the throat of a 14-year-old friend whom he met via Gears of War 3 online. The victim reportedly …
Read More »US authorities look to ban violent games that don’t exist
Massachusetts assemblywoman Linda Stender wants to introduce legislation to ban mature-rated arcade games. There’s a problem, though – The Entertainment Software Rating Board does not rate coin-operated arcade games. Stender will introduce legislation that prohibits any kind of public accommodation – movie theaters, rest stops, bowling alleys, arcades – from …
Read More »Russia ponders violent games clampdown after Moscow shooting
Violent games could be facing a potential clampdown in Russia after authorities linked them to a recent shooting. Last week Russian office worker Dmitry Vinogradov shot dead five former colleagues with two more admitted to hospital, one of whom was a former girlfriend of Vinogradov. However, as is sadly too …
Read More »We’ve done our job – now it’s time for parents to do theirs
PEGI age ratings have been law in the UK for a whole week now. But the battle is only just beginning. The successful introduction of a single, legally enforceable age ratings system for video games software is a tremendous victory for a games industry that is still fighting those who …
Read More »Police commissioner blames games for knife crime
Violent video games are directly to blame for an increasing acceptance of violence in everyday society, an Australian police commissioner has claimed. The comments come in the wake of an apparent wave of stabbings amongst the younger communities of Sydney. There is nothing more potentially damaging than the sort of …
Read More »Vaz tables FIFTH violent games EDM
Labour MP and long-term opponent of the games industry Keith Vaz has tabled his FIFTH early day motion about violent video games. This time the parliamentarian is using Andres Breivik’s admission that he played Call of Duty as the ammunition for his attack. That this House is reminded of the …
Read More »OPINION: Teachers blame games for child violence
UK teachers have lashed out at the easy access to violent video games, blaming the phenomenon for a rise of violent and inappropriate behaviour in schools. Infants are being allowed to stay up until the early hours playing 18-rated games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto because …
Read More »If at first Keith Vaz doesn’t succeed he tries, tries and tries again
Active anti-games campaigner and Labour MP Keith Vaz has raised his fourth early day motion aimed at quelling the effect of violent games, this time targeting Activision’s Modern Warfare 3. And just like those that have gone before, it’s totally without substance. This House is deeply concerned about the recently …
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