03 Ban These Evil Games

1. 03 Ban These Evil Games

2. Recommended Viewing four DVDs available in the library useful to module (but not required)

4. 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…

5. Mr Spock Dr Spock

7. 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)

9. 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)

10. Moral Kombat forthcoming documentary trailer: Moral Kombat

11. Moral Kombat on Digital Games ominous music, serious experts games promote violence games to blame for 911 (!)

12. 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?

13. Why Ban These Games? so what prompted thatDaily Mail headline?

14. 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)

15. Why Manhunt?

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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?

22. 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.)

23. Rhetoric so how are moral panics generated? by means of rhetoric  what is rhetoric?

24. 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…

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Rhetoric: Summary rhetoric is persuasive language (or other forms of communication) rhetoric attempts to persuade an audience of thetruth or importance of your values and beliefs rhetoric thus expresses or reveals those values and beliefs  Any Questions?

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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)

33. 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)

34. 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)

35. 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?

36. 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?

37. Gaming Journal  Module Handbook, p. 10 four entries (not five) 1500 words

38. 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

39. 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)