I can see how there was a strong protest against these games, and I would never want to play one. But I am wondering if banning them is the right thing to do. We draw lines for freedom of speech, such as making illegal child pornography, but I don't believe these games should be targeted for censorship. Amazon, as a business, had its own interest in mind when removing the games, but the effort by customers to ban the game is troubling. Games that allow users to violently maim and murder are allowed to be sold, and yet games involving sexual violence are banned. It seems there is a double standard for what we consider acceptable in the way of video games. I'm sure that we all agree that violence in all forms is unacceptable, so having one type banned does not make sense. Also, the item was being sold on Amazon through a third party. They were not being sold at a local family store in plain view of everyone. The nature of the game is sickening, but having them allowed to be sold online only through a small vendor seems like a good compromise. There are people who are against pornography and wouldn't want them to be sold in stores, so they are sold in their own venues, away from the view of the general public. The same could be offered for these types of games.
It seems like there have been supposed links made between video games affecting the behavior of its users; however, until there is hard evidence of that, than I don't think we should just ban thing we just don't agree with. Luckily, this is just one vendor caving into the will of its customers and has not become legislation.
Given the popularity of games like Grand Theft Auto, I'm really not sure this is something that should be banned. I'm not sure that playing such a game will turn a person into a rapist--some might even argue that these "virtual rapists" might be less inclined to do the real thing, since they can virtually live out any fantasies they might have. Perhaps this is the reasoning used by the Japanese government, seeing that books, movies, and games featuring rape seem to be so prevalent there (Wikipedia has articles on another Japanese videogame called "Battle Raper" and a Japanese comic character called "The Rapeman").
ReplyDeleteI am Switzerland on this issue. Professionally I don't think the game should be banned, but personally I think the subject is despicable, and support the people who are protesting. I hate to say it, but I've just found out where my line is drawn.
ReplyDeletePersonal, a video game that allows you to rape women and children makes my stomach turn, but I have the option to not play the game or not allow it in my home, so I do not see how this individual seller or Amazon should be in trouble. They are not forcing us to watch what the video game looks like or play it, so I do not see why it should be banned, but it is upsetting that people would want to play this game. As you said Lisa, there are other games that are just as bad with violence, so I don't see how we can allow one and not the other.
ReplyDeleteI really had to spend time thinking about this one. This is where I stand, at least it is where I stand right now. There has to come a time when a private buisness can say whether or not they want to sell an item. (I say that while in the back of my mind I think there might be some exceptions like: Can a pharmacy refuse to sell a certain drug?) I also think that it is ok for consumers to say: "If you sell ... then I will not patron your business anymore." Is there not potential to take away the rights of the business and others in the community by saying they have to sell an item? If a business cares more about losing customer "A" over customer "B" then customer "A's" opinion may influence the choices the business makes. Now, if the seller was working under their own business name, not using Amazon, and others were able to get the item banned against the sellers will or legislation passed, then I would worry.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very difficult issue, if we say some have the right to buy/play this "game"--and I have serious doubts about the stability and/or
ReplyDeletemorality of anyone who does--then we must support the right of others to protest the availability of the game. Intellectual freedom means that those supporting any side of an issue are not silenced. And I am not sure this is a case of a business "caving in"; most businesses are not in the business of supporting intellectual freedom; they are in the businesss of making money, and Amazon apparently thought it was in its best financial interests to ban the game. Still, I think their decision lets me off the hook too easily, and it worries me that the marketplace can play so key a role in freedom of expression.
Tammy