God Is Great. Videogames are not...

*ThumbBot* · 05-24-2005, 04:07 AM

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcast News is not a source we quote frequently (or indeed ever) over here on Thumb, aggressively secular as we are...

Today however saw a tidbit too juicy to pass up; a poorly researched and barely literate tirade against "America's newest social scourge ... video game addiction."!

Referring to the PS3 and X360 as "new generation weapons", the article also touts some truly terrifying statistics about Halo 2. Really. You'll be shocked. And awed.

Article over here.

Allahu akhbar!

Posted by Bob Watson

Associated Games
- Halo 2

Kingzjester · 05-24-2005, 06:17 AM

You've got to love clean statistics.

hermes · 05-24-2005, 08:44 AM

Quote:

ThumbBot:

Allahu akhbar!

What has this got to do with anything?

is it:

#1 Iran is a country with islam as state-religion.

#2 The 'article' is from Iran.

#3 The 'article' is stupid.

#4 Thus islam is stupid.

... ?

Kingzjester · 05-24-2005, 08:58 AM

Quite clearly Bob is flirting with crass political incorrectness.

lailoken · 05-24-2005, 10:23 AM

it certainly does occur to me from time to time that some parts of the islamic world view technical progress as "just another devilry deviously devised by the western devils" or somesuch... not that this has any bearing on the islamic world at large. the article itself is clearly motivated in this direction... i think. obviously this is just my opinion so shoot me...

hermes · 05-24-2005, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Kingzjester:

Quite clearly Bob is flirting with crass political incorrectness.

Ya, I know. I was just a bit bothered - all to often this is not even viewed as political incorrectness.... so therefore my comment....

It's just this tendency that middle-eastern politics/propoganda in the western world is understood to equal islam. When it is consequences of a quazillion of factors involving international politics, nationalism and such.

anyways - I don't really hold anything against anyone - I was just a bit provoked (and so - you may say - bob's flirting had an effect).

lailoken · 05-24-2005, 01:32 PM

wheheeew! Bob and hermes are flirting! yay!
Maybe they should get their own thread like trep and wormsie did... a long time ago...
which reminds me, what happens to the old stuff? is there an archive with the old threads?

*Ben* · 05-24-2005, 01:37 PM

I thought Bob was talking about this dude:

n0wak · 05-24-2005, 02:21 PM

This article is a coded message to agents. Staggeringly.

I think it's detailing Iran's plan to use Playstation 3s as CPUs in Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Maybe of the nuclear kind. Or, at the least, it is trying to spur the arms race against its rival's (Iraq) PS2 powered missiles.

lailoken · 05-24-2005, 03:29 PM

sorry, but you are definitely wrong on that account. there were no weapons of massdistraction found in iraq and if any had been found they would have already been sold on ebay

*Yufster* · 05-24-2005, 05:10 PM

I wish I could think of something funny to say about Weapons of Mass Distraction, but I can't.

Snubs · 05-24-2005, 07:04 PM

You know there's a joke about Boobies in there.

*Spaff* · 05-24-2005, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Ben:

I thought Bob was talking about this dude:

IT'S A TRAP!!!!!

*Duncan* · 05-24-2005, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Spaff:

IT'S A TRAP!!!!!

That has to be one of the most often said things on the internet...

Erkki · 05-24-2005, 10:10 PM

That was the first time ever I've noticed someone on the internet saying "it's a trap".

*Duncan* · 05-24-2005, 10:17 PM

Maybe I'm wrong. I see it more frequently than I ever thought I would...

EDIT: I have no idea why I'm concerned about this as I am, but the phrase seems to be pretty popular at least. Who knows.

AGA · 05-24-2005, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Erkki:

That was the first time ever I've noticed someone on the internet saying "it's a trap".

Not a reader of Photoshop Phriday then.

*b0b* · 05-25-2005, 12:37 AM

Quote:

What has this got to do with anything?

is it:

#1 Iran is a country with islam as state-religion.

#2 The 'article' is from Iran.

#3 The 'article' is stupid.

#4 Thus islam is stupid.

... ?

Your first three points are correct.

But no, I am not trying to denounce an entire religion based on a single poorly-researched article on videgames. Any more than I would denounce Christianity in its entirety for something like this:

http://www.mcc.org/canada/peace/article-games.html

The "God is Great" at the bottom was to tie in with the title of the newspost. I guess it probably was just me being politically incorrect. I think it scans quite well though - plus it's a very moving phrase.

I have clearly managed to cause a fuss though, so I claim my prize

Savage Cabbage · 05-25-2005, 05:33 AM

Are videogames violent? Or is it the content within? What if you have played the game but are yet to encounter anything violent. Is the game still violent? Is it only violent when you begin shooting/cutting/licking?

If so then are we not all violent? Even if we are yet to display violence are we not able to? If so, should we all be avoided because we COULD display images of violence? Should we have a rating on us?

Gran Tourismo 4 isn't violent but if i ram another car has it become a violent game or have i made it so?

I have an xbox 360 in my spine, don't you know...

lailoken · 05-25-2005, 06:58 AM

this whole thing about violence... when did we start denouncing the existence of violence in human beings? There are these forces within all of us and by accepting and using them instead of denying their existence we could all be better people...

amen

now be quiet and go to bed, no desert for you today...

*b0b* · 05-25-2005, 07:45 AM

True true!

By suppressing and denying the urge to violence that lurks within us all, we are screwing down the lid on a pressure-cooker of repressed rage that's bound to explode...

Much safer to smat some whores with a baseball bat and let off a little steam occasionally...

Everyone seems to forget that before we had videogames, humanity (including children...) had long proven itself capable of the most hideous acts of mindless barbarism.

The idea that games are somehow responsible for violent behaviour in children is ludicrous. CHILDREN are responsible for violent behaviour in chlildren. Them and their myopic absentee parents - lashing out at something they don't understand (and are hence fearful of) in an attempt to deny responsibility for the messed up kiddies they've spawned through their neglect and ignorance....

hermes · 05-25-2005, 11:25 AM

Quote:

b0b:

Your first three points are correct.

But no, I am not trying to denounce an entire religion based on a single poorly-researched article on videgames. Any more than I would denounce Christianity in its entirety for something like this:

http://www.mcc.org/canada/peace/article-games.html

The "God is Great" at the bottom was to tie in with the title of the newspost. I guess it probably was just me being politically incorrect. I think it scans quite well though - plus it's a very moving phrase.

I have clearly managed to cause a fuss though, so I claim my prize

Well I didn't really think you were a bastard ...