03 Ban These Evil Games

Recommended Viewing

four DVDs available in the library useful to module (but not required)

Ban These Evil Games

digital games get a bad press focus: games’ reputation and representation the values they are believed to demonstrate won’t be looking at the ‘media violence’ debate

three examples…

Mr Spock Dr Spock

Dr Spock on Digital Games

“The best that can be said of them is that they may help promote eye-hand co-ordination in children. The worst that can be said is that they sanction, and even promote aggression and violent responses to conflict. But what can be said with much greater certainty is this: most computer games are a colossal waste of time.” (1998, p. 625)

Daily Mail on Digital Games

“…such ‘entertainment’ undermines any moral precepts parents or educators may try to establish in the young … The computer game works directly against any domestic rules or discipline which may have taken years to construct.” (30 July 2004, p. 8)

Moral Kombat

forthcoming documentary trailer: Moral Kombat

Moral Kombat on Digital Games

ominous music, serious experts games promote violence games to blame for 911 (!)

Wasteful, Immoral, Violent

Dr Spock: games are a waste of time Daily Mail: games undermine morals and discipline Moral Kombat: games promote violent behaviour

Any Questions?

Why Ban These Games?

so what prompted that Daily Mail headline?

Manhunt

2003 Rockstar Games (GTA)

third-person action James Earl Cash death row > snuff movie very violent: banned in Germany, Australia, NZ 18 certificate in UK

Manhunt clip (watch carefully)

Why Manhunt?

The Manhunt Controversy

what prompted the two Daily Mail front pages?

February 2004: Warren Leblanc (17) kills his friend Stefan Pakeerah (14) in a park in Leicester July 2004: Pakeerah’s parents and Jack Thompson blame Manhunt Daily Mail and others report this claim Dixons and Game stores withdraw Manhunt

The Manhunt Controversy

August 2004: Manhunt up to £100 on Ebay #14 in game charts police reveal that Manhunt was owned by Pakeerah (deceased) not Leblanc (murderer) Leblanc killed Pakeerah for drug money September 2004: Leblanc sentenced to life

The Manhunt Controversy

September 2004: Keith Vaz (MP for Leicester) asks Tony Blair to investigate any connection between Manhunt-style games and violence Tony Blair replies that Manhunt is “wholly unsuitable for children”

Moral Panics

the Manhunt controversy is a classic ‘moral panic’ what is a moral panic?

Stanley Cohen, Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972) media fixates on some group or behaviour usually a minority or subculture seen as a menace to society and dangerously deviant widespread and exaggerated reporting leads to… a mass movement of ‘moral panic’: campaign groups, concerned parents, letters to MPs, statements in parliament, etc.

Deviancy Amplification Spiral

widespread reporting helps define the group/behaviour actually attracts additional ‘deviant’ individuals enhances a sense of identity reporting thus fuels further ‘deviant’ behaviour a spiral of deviance and moral indignation: Deviancy Amplification Spiral

Manhunt: A Moral Panic

just what happened with Manhunt:

exaggerated media reporting: Leblanc generates outrage and opposition: banned fuels the behaviour: gamers desperate to obtain a copy

playing of Manhunt massively increased even bought by Media Studies lecturers, and publicised in classrooms (£5 or less on Amazon or £5 Ebay) more potential deviants

Any Questions?

Exercise: Panic!

In your groups make a list of as many moral panics as you can think of. (They don’t have to concern games.)

Rhetoric

so how are moral panics generated? by means of rhetoric

what is rhetoric?

Rhetoric: Persuasive Language

Brian Sutton-Smith: rhetoric is:

“a persuasive discourse, or an implicit narrative, wittingly or unwittingly adopted by members of a particular affiliation to persuade others of the veracity and worthwhileness of their beliefs.” (S&Z, 2004, p. 9)

rhetoric is persuasive language rhetoric attempts to convince audience/reader

rhetoric can be crude or very subtle…

Rhetoric: An Example

crude rhetoric: “Studying the media is useful.”

subtle rhetoric: “Of course, no-one seriously doubts the huge importance of studying the media in today’s technologically advanced, global society.”

both statements are trying to persuade and convince us

Rhetoric: Cultural Values

speakers/writers hold certain values and beliefs rhetoric attempts to persuade the audience of the truth or importance of these values and beliefs rhetoric thus expresses the speaker’s values and beliefs

e.g. the belief that studying the media is important

Rhetoric: More Than Language

expression of values and beliefs can take other forms:

clothing: e.g. goth clothing expresses that the wearer belongs to this subculture and holds goth values behaviour: e.g. protesting against animal experiments, or donating to certain charities, expresses particular values and beliefs

rhetoric can be verbal, written, visual, & behavioural

Rhetoric: Summary

rhetoric is persuasive language (or other forms of communication) rhetoric attempts to persuade an audience of the truth or importance of your values and beliefs rhetoric thus expresses or reveals those values and beliefs

Any Questions?

Rhetoric and Games

two uses of rhetoric in the study of digital games:

(1) we can examine rhetoric of representations of games(2) we can examine rhetoric within games themselves

1. Representations of Games

Dr Spock, Daily Mail, Moral Kombat represent games rhetoric: consider both what is said and how it is said

e.g. Moral Kombat trailer: ominous music, serious experts, violent footage (no cheesy jingles, smiles, Samorost)

trailer is rhetorical: tries to persuade us

2. Rhetoric within Games

like language, clothing and behaviour, games reflect or express values and beliefs, e.g.

(1) DOOM 2 (2) Civilization II (3) Samorost 2

DOOM II

objective: shoot everything emphasises combat, aggression, killing value: if something attacks you, fight back value: the solution to all obstacles is a weapon

rhetoric: shooting stuff is okay (not forgiveness!)

(doesn’t mean playing DOOM II will make you violent)

Civilization II

objective: conquer the world emphasises empire-building, colonization, building huge cities and armies value: important to develop new technology value: amassing a fortune is good value: conquering others is good

rhetoric: expansion and acquisition are okay (not environmentalism or self-sacrifice)

(doesn’t mean playing Civilization II turns you into a tyrant)

Samorost 2

objective: rescue your dog emphasises puzzle-solving value: thinking about problems is good

rhetoric: use your brain to help others (not blasting aliens with guns)

(doesn’t mean playing Samorost 2 will make you a cleverer)

Rhetoric and Violence

games are often associated with violence e.g. Dr Spock, Daily Mail, Mortal Kombat some games certainly express violent values

might this persuade players to condone violence? might this persuade players to become violent?

it is important to be aware of the rhetoric within the games we play

Any Questions?

Exercise: Don’t Panic!

In your groups:

(1) Analyse the rhetoric of the Daily Mail article. Read through the article and highlight examples of persuasive language which demonstrates the values and beliefs of the authors of the article.

(2) Analyse the rhetoric of the game Manhunt. What are the beliefs and values reflected in the game, which it seeks to persuade players are true?

Gaming Journal

Module Handbook, p. 10 four entries (not five) 1500 words

This Week’s Gaming Journal

play: one or more games read: background reading on rhetoric describe: rhetoric apply: rhetoric to one of the games you have played: how has the game been marketed/represented? what are the game’s own values and rhetoric

Further Reading

Dr Spock: Spock (1998, p. 625); Johnson (2005a, pp. 17-25) Moral Panics: Cohen (1980); Thompson (1998); Poole (2000, pp. 205-211); Critcher (2003); Critcher (2006) Games and Violence: Jenkins (1999); Provenzo (1991, Ch6) Rhetoric: Salen and Zimmerman (2004, Ch30); Sutton-Smith (2001); Williams (2003b)