Desicritics Comments on Government To Regulate Video Games in India

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Comment by Beefweida

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:23:22 EDT

Sounds like a very interesting concept! Are you paying attention to my advanced aids I have a nice joke. What do you call a bunch of dancing pebbles? The Rockettes. I wanna to have a good time, Lets talk about something interesting people!

Comment by temporal

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:36:52 EST

and a ps: (to dee's comment) how come you are suddenly so silent on the who's hindu boards sanjay the rational/irrational atheist? ;)

Comment by Deepti Lamba

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:14:54 EST

Good morning to you too Sanjay

Comment by Sanjay

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:07:28 EST

Deepti should be in love with censorship, since she loves to practice it against political views differing from her own.

Comment by Deepti Lamba

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:19:05 EST

In many ways its like the tv only its more interactive and like movies or shows certain games are not meant for children which is why they have the MA ratings. Which part of it don't these people get? Also parents should be more proactive in their kids lives and not treat tvs and video games as handy babysitters. They neglect their kids and when the tots turn into Little Mr Hydes they throw up their hands and blame everyone but themselves.

Comment by commonsenseforall

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:06:41 EST

Kulkarni, "Some people tend to think that somehow they are good for intellectual development of a child. I think total opposite is true. Along with television, internet and IPOD, video games are systematically destroying the minds of the next generation." Maybe so, but the jury is still out in this one. There is a lot of research done at MIT media lab and other places. We still don't know for sure. But, remember people thought the same about computers when they were not common ie. kids will get addicted to them etc. For better or for worse, the next generation will be a digital generation. It already is! For a good well-researched book on this topic, please read: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (Palgrave-Mcmillan, 2006) by James Paul Gee No, I'm not the author (I wish!) nor do I get a cut! But this study is based on actual research rather than opinion. And it shows some positive effects of certain kinds of video games vis-a-vis learning abilities.

Comment by commonsenseforall

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:01:42 EST

Jawahra, Right on! There is no established link between video games, porn and violence. Only the so-called self-appointed moral police think in terms of censorship. In any case, in the days of the internet, censorship is at best useless. Does it mean there are no limits: of course not. The limits include child porn, cruelty etc. But to argue that nudity should be censored is hypocritical and will lead to unintended negative results. J true: in Japan porn, sex-parlours etc. etc. are in your face so to speak, in every major city. Does it lead to street crime. No, the opposite. You can also buy beer and alcohol from vending machines. And you can drink on the streets, in the subway, anywhere you like. Unlike in North America where the moral police and evangelists have tried to impose their own views on driking on others (remember Bush was an alcoholic!) Does it lead to alcoholism? The rates of alcholism are much higher in the US and very low in Japan. Right on J "the ban should be against idiotic (overprotective) parents and grandparents" who refuse to recognize change when they see it!

Comment by Jawahara

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:29:05 EST

Sorry for the weird typos in the last post guys. Blame it on sustained Tylenol cold usage. Damn!

Comment by Jawahara

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:27:30 EST

I wouldn't have a problem if those problems were being addressed at all. There are a few NGOs and others helping, for instance, street kids. But no real government intervention. The message is that only *some* kids are worth saving, and it's rich kids whose parents can afford the very instruments that are supposedly destroying them. Come on, we had toys like Ram's bow and arrows when Ramayana was playing and other actually, physically unsafe toys. Toys (whether crude bows and arrow or hi-tech video games) need to be supervised by adults. If you, as an adult buy a game marked MA or if you do no research on the games you buy, what is the government's role? The Japanese play some of the most disturbing and violent video games and yet juvenile crimes there are rare. There is no established causal link between violent games and crime. This does not mean I want my kid to play them but I don't want to government banning it either. Children who live in violent homes, absorb violence from society, and observe violence are more likely to be violent than merely playing video games. Juvenile crimes might be low in India but crimes against juveniles are not. Perhaps there should be some laws giving Indian children actual human rights before worrying about video games. But that takes actual hard and sustained work. Whereas banning games and censorship is easy, knee-jerk and makes the right people happy. Perhaps the ban should be against idiotic parents and grandparents who have more money than sense. *That* is the point.

Comment by kerty

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:47:09 EST

Jawahara #1 "...when millions of Indian children are hungry, physically and sexually abused, homeless, etc. etc. A little attention in that direction might help, huh?" That sounds like ransom logic because one can justify not addressing any problem with such arguments. Existence of one set of problems do not take away imperatives for addressing other problems. On the issue of Toys, it is possible that some games may teach violent behavior to kids. Like movies, they have to be looked at on a case by case basis. Just because piracy and internet access exist does not mean government should not play its role. On the contrary, it is government objections against questionable toys that may raise the awareness among parents that not all toys could be suitable for their kids. Juvenile crimes are low in India and it should stay that way.

Comment by Ledzius

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:03:32 EST

I think the govt needs to impose some kind of censorship on India's family newspapers, notably the Times of India. In today's Bangalore's issue, on the SPORTS page, there is an article captioned "I'm finished with boob jobs: Gemma". On the page facing the editorial there is a pic of a girl from a video game who is pulling down on her panty to reveal her butt crack. Mind you, these are not in the Bangalore Times supplement, but in the main paper that is supposed to be read by all. I am wondering how Indian newspapers can get away with it. Even in the US, the FCC can step in and impose stiff penalties for any kind of nudity during prime time on the regular channels (remember the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction fiasco?) Plus even local communtites there are super sensitive to children getting exposed to this kind of sleaze. We on the other hand are indifferent, yet we keep harping on the superiority of our culture over theirs! The govt should issue a strict warning to TOI to clean up its act. If it doesn't comply, it should impose stiff penalties and even ban it outright, something it richly deserves, including the "Lead India" vampaign which belongs to the dustbin anyway.

Comment by Deepti Lamba

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 20:38:49 EST

A pirated dvd costs anywhere between 60Rs and 100Rs Guns in the hands of rich kids is causing more damage than video games. My son gets to play the PSP only on weekends that too only for an hour. We don't have cable and his internet games are generally on sites such as Starfall.com or Nickalodeon. Token censorship disrupts viewership when the pirated shops are shut down for a while. Money changes hands and life resumes;) Mrs Patudi woke up a bit too late;) Thanks for commenting guys.

Comment by Atlantean

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:27:39 EST

Impossible! Sometimes, I get the feeling our governments (central and state) overestimate their own powers and reach.

Comment by temporal

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:11:55 EST

dee: how much did aaman say a pirated dvd costs? ;) (there is the reply to Does censorship really work in India or is it just a paper tiger? ...) with scant respect for copyright laws...these games....like movies....would reach a willing buyer...censorship or no....

Comment by Amrita

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:04:57 EST

I was going to say something but J said it better: Precisely.

Comment by Ravi Kulkarni

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:50:54 EST

Dear Deepti, Any kind of censorship from government is bad and I agree with that. Most of the time it is ill advised. The issue I have with video games is that they are deceptive. Some people tend to think that somehow they are good for intellectual development of a child. I think total opposite is true. Along with television, internet and IPOD, video games are systematically destroying the minds of the next generation. Serious debate is needed in this regard. Don't wait for the ESTABLISHMENT to do the research in this field, as there are no dollars available to do so. Regards, Ravi

Comment by Jawahara

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 10:05:10 EST

"Does censorship really work in India or is it just a paper tiger?" I'm sorry Dee, I found myself chuckling at this question. Censorship and work in the same sentence is rather oxymoronic to me. How exactly is censorship supposed to work? In any case if it doesn't work I am glad. It means that India's soul has not drained out yet. On the whole though I totally agree with your article. First look after your own house before policing the world, Mrs. Pataudi. Interesting article. I like the fact that government is so concerned about traumatizing rich kids and want to protect them against imaginary worlds, when millions of Indian children are hungry, physically and sexually abused, homeless, etc. etc. A little attention in that direction might help, huh?