UK paper paying for anti-game anecdotes

  • By Polybren, GameSpot
  • Posted Mar 31, 2008 11:00 pm GMT

Watching news being made is a lot like a trip to the sausage factory, and it can turn you off to the end product just as easily. British trade site MCV spotted one such example of preprocessed news in the form of a "casting call" on the UK talent community site StarNow. "Did computer games make you...

Watching news being made is a lot like a trip to the sausage factory, and it can turn you off to the end product just as easily.

British trade site MCV spotted one such example of preprocessed news in the form of a "casting call" on the UK talent community site StarNow.

"Did computer games make you turn to a life of crime," the listing asks. "A national newspaper wants your story and will pay hundreds of pounds to the right person. Write a few lines about how computer games turned you to crime and if it's something we like, we'll call you straight back."

The site does not specify which newspaper is involved and prompts visitors to register and subscribe to its service when they "apply" for the position. Other listings on the site include solicitations for stories on a variety of sensational topics, from children under 10 overdosing on ecstasy to women who have dated a father and son pair.

72 Comments

  • XXMadManVII

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 6:46 am GMT

    This just pi$$es me off.... Like the game industry doesn't have enough on its plate already trying to legitimizing itself as a respectable art form.....

  • DubYew

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 5:50 am GMT

    It sounds like a casting call for Jerry Springer

  • android_M

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 7:07 pm GMT

    Playing "Resistance: Fall of Man" led me to a shoot out in my catholic church. After I was caught and convicted I was so angry at the judicial system that I resorted to learn the art of war from the Advanced Wars franchises on the GBA and DS so that I could overthrow the government; I was subsequently caught and convicted for treason and sedition. Videogames ruined my life.

    There, thats two ridiculous stories I've given you to propagate your horsecrap: now give me my money. And it better be in euros!

  • bashmentkid

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 6:38 pm GMT

    playing battlefield 2 online while off my face on ketamine actually improved my performance. whinny.

  • stormtrooper989

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 4:31 pm GMT

    Yeah... ok I stated playing grand theft auto when i was twelve and now im a gangster.... I'll take my 100 "pounds" now

  • CaptCheeseGuy

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 3:41 pm GMT

    This is just an excuse to find some fake proof that "video games are bad"
    Whoever they are theyre not going to succeed. You cant take down a mult-million dollar industry with a single news article.

  • hannify

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 3:33 pm GMT

    Ah well. Atleast when american army tries to cover up FRIENDLY FIRE on our troops. We manage to get the scoop on the actual recording - like it should be.

    and instead the US' MOD wanted to know more about how this security leak happened more than the loss of life - typical really

  • AnthraxAngel

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 1:32 pm GMT

    I have a good idea on what newspaper is behind all of this... but incase they get pissy about it... I wont refer to any names lol. Its just British instinct to point the finger at a potential source of influence, instead of considering the fact that these people who have gone to a life of crime because of video games are either one of two things (maybe either both): 1) Too bloody young to play the games, so you can blame the parents for that matter... or 2) Is in such a bad mental state that they need to be locked away.

    People need to understand that these video-games that "influence" crime have been legitimately given certificates not only as a guide-line for RESPONSIBLE customers/parents, but its also the law!!! The influence that a video-game brings is nothing more different to the cartoons that are shown on tea-time T.V, or world wrestling and outrageous talk shows that can be shown on day-time T.V. So you can kind of guess what I think of the whole idea of blaming video games for crime.

    People just need to understand that there must be something wrong in the first place.

  • oli54321

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 10:45 am GMT

    Obliterati 'I'm not surprised. In fact I'm anti-surprised. British papers make even our crappy American cable newschannels look like bastions of journalistic integrity.

    But on the plus side, British newspapers often have pictures of hot naked women...so it all works out.'

    You are kidding right? America probably has the worst news programs and papers in the world. Maybe stop reading The Sun, which is a newspaper for idiots, and try the Times.

  • neodav

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 10:25 am GMT

    I'm calling BS. Maybe this story itself is for real, but the lack of details in the original posting make the ad implausible. Even if it is for real, though, such blatant yellow journalism shows the paper in question to be a tabloid, not a legitimate paper, and I think its a stretch to call tabloids 'news sources'.

  • thk123

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 9:35 am GMT

    @Evanrocknuma
    We might be able to just ignore it, however, there are plenty of parents who will see that and over react (Probably the same parents who by their 6yr old son GTA) And lol to all the other comments, particularly the one about kidnapping girlfriend and chucking balls of fire at a plumber

  • necronaux

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 9:20 am GMT

    Great news. They all should pay. Too bad journalists here in the US and politicians (and whiney parents not doing their jobs as parents) all don't have to pay as well for stories like this (darn that freedom of speech thingy).

  • NorthernRT

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 8:56 am GMT

    It looks like this is not directed just at games. But still, this is shocking!

    Although, I've known for quite a while that one or two of my local (or other) newspapers are anti-gaming anyway.

    It's like the people on XBL who are just weird and abuse to the extent that they don't want you to play. We just have to get by it somehow.

  • Tebbit

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 8:00 am GMT

    After playing Shadow of the Colossus for about 15 minutes, I have actually turned into a 97ft high peaceful giant, with convenient patches of fur for small mammals or rodents to clamber upon.

    I plan to kill several hundred people, but unfortunately due to my framerate issues, I am not yet out the gate. ONE DAY...

  • spirit_obscura

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 7:28 am GMT

    wtf. this is nonsense. games made me love mythologies like ancient egypt and roman. games made my brain sharper by solving puzzles. Games made me smile when I was down. Games made me take out anger on virtual people so I won't harm the real ones. I'd do all my illegal racin in game so I'd drive carefully [if I knew drivin] in real life.

  • Sidbob

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 5:05 am GMT

    This has "Daily Mail" written all over it.

  • sebFlyte GameSpot staff member

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 3:18 am GMT

    You get points for the Von Bismark reference.

  • Irve

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 2:20 am GMT

    Ah .. the joy of such a story .. i look forward to reading it ! LocoRoco made me a crack whore

  • Pyro77

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 1:18 am GMT

    That story drove me to a life of crime.

  • jakerscythe

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 1:14 am GMT

    Oh, it's THAT time of the year again...

  • Sci-FiBoy

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 12:21 am GMT

    Anyone else think its the daily mail?
    Someone had to ask!

  • phantomkj

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 11:36 pm GMT

    Once again, finding an excuse for poor parenting. Oh, it's not your fault your child is a bank robber. We'll just blame it on video games. or movies. or music. or anything else we can think of. but the fact that you never took the time to teach your kids right and wrong doesn't mean anything. we'll find something or somebody to blame this on.

  • ishcabible6000

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:54 pm GMT

    You guys don't even realize the genius in this move. After all is said and done, what likely will happen is that they'll say that they didn't get a single credible story of an actual person turning to a life of crime through video games and not pay anybody.

    I see this as a move for the good guys, and really ironic how you fanboys don't even see it.

  • BurningWreck

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:34 pm GMT

    I confess! I confess! Here's my story...

    I covered myself in glue and went to an office supply store and rolled around so all the pens, staplers and inkjet cartridges would stick to me. Unfortunately, I picked up so much stuff that I was too big a ball to roll out the door.

  • ps3thabest

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:31 pm GMT

    dummiest thing ive ever heard games make u do crimes now WTF if u dat stupid 2 listen 2 a video game u are an idiot

  • BraindeadRacr

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:00 pm GMT

    All of the sudden... FOX News looks intelligent.

  • gamerboy100

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:31 pm GMT

    (sarcastically) Oh yeah, that's a really good idea. But apparently, they don't realize that someone could write a BS article for money and then go buy a video game. What a bunch of morons!

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:23 pm GMT

    dumbest news i have heard yet this month and yes its the 31st still haha

  • nate1222

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:07 pm GMT

    Normally, I wouldn't entertain this **** by responding to it. But what about HOLY BOOKS, like The Bible and Koran? Those things are supported by polititians and schools. Those same books also have tons of violent tales and often promote biggoted social views like homophobia and the idea that "women are property". Aren't they "toxic to the human psychy"?

  • lew_0911

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:05 pm GMT

    Last night, I killed a cockroach. This morning, another one. I stepped on an anthill some weeks ago.

    AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF GOD OF WAR. BOO-%$#!ING-HOO.

  • speedjunkie4

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:01 pm GMT

    just really lame.

  • jrabbit99

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 7:37 pm GMT

    Jack Thompson is loving this. Not only is the newspaper wrong in doing this, they will get dozens of made up stories by saying that they will pay one lucky winner.

  • destrozz

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 7:37 pm GMT

    If you look at history, every media has gotten blamed for some kind of thing, that older people see as a step back for our society. for example music (diffrent genres at diffrent times), television, movies, internet ,now video games. people just have to blame something instead of themselves.

  • hunter8man

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 7:25 pm GMT

    Too bad we don't have something like this in the states against jerk-off lawyers (Jack Thompson) and politicians (Hillary Clinton) who make unfounded claims about something they know nothing about.

  • nappan

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:21 pm GMT

    Well I suppose this does completely away with the foundations of journalism. Neat.

  • zombey1333

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:16 pm GMT

    How horribly, horribly sad and disturbing. Someone make sure they include the parts about how their parents abused them, too.

  • Merl57

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:11 pm GMT

    we'll this isn't unbiased reporting no...........

  • SCPsyWarrior

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:11 pm GMT

    I hate the tabloid press. There are many things I like about my native country, and the tabloids certainly aren't one of them.

  • geist9049

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:06 pm GMT

    ALL media use these tactics. are completely biased, and are looking to make money no matter what kind of stories they tell and or make up. so im not suprised that they are asking for crime stories for yet another british monty python news story

  • nickelarcade

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:05 pm GMT

    hi i killed millions of virtual pedestrians, now that this game is old i am going to act it out in reality

  • ihma

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 6:03 pm GMT

    how do i prove games dont make you violent....
    "Your still alive after saying that aren't you?"

  • glitchgeeman

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:48 pm GMT

    I would consider making up a fake story just for the few hundred pounds. That's quite a hefty sum for about 10 minutes worth of BS'ing. Still, it's kinda f***ed up that they would resort to that to sell more papers. Almost makes American newspapers look like paragons of integrity.

  • Exu_Idara

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:40 pm GMT

    It's The Daily Mail, and they're going to pin the blame on Polish muslims in hoodies.

  • greenpyro33

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:32 pm GMT

    Ive been robbing Gamestop to get all the newest games.

  • Electrokah

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:18 pm GMT

    They would NOT stop at Video-Games, TV, Movies, Books, and Art they would move on to sandblasting Cavemen drawings depicting brutally killing animals with sharp pointy sticks. *sigh*
    It is human nature they can't change it no matter how much they wanna be a god, still people would just snap from the pressure or for no reason and stuff, that is, after all forms of violent media are erased. I think TV-Shows like "Barney And Friends" can drive you crazy just as much as any Video-Game or book, etc could. After listening to "i love you, you love me" a million times. Also RELIGIONS are full of violence and crazy **** lets burn those while we at it. It is a war they cannot win, it has been tried before and failed.

  • Wikipedian

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:14 pm GMT

    I thought yellow journalism was dead.

  • tclvis

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:06 pm GMT

    Yes, video games made them do it. They had no choice. I'm sure they were just following orders...from the voices in their heads.

  • Electrokah

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:04 pm GMT

    We must ass rape them hard with a huge plasma assault rifle, fire a few shots, then break it off and beat em with it, KIDDING LOL, but seriously i thought it should be common sense that bad parents and generally stupid people that can't handle other people messing with them are the reason for violent rampages. What about the guy that made his bull-dozer armor plated and went on a killing spree? He did not play video games did he? Books, Movies, TV, Art? BURN THE BOOKS!!!(kidding)

  • Evanrocknuma

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 4:57 pm GMT

    Who cares. This ain't a threat since theres no scientific data and nobody is going to listen since anyone could just come in and say some bogus story making it sound real to get the money. We need to focus on othe people who have power like hilary and arnold. They must be stopped!

  • destrozz

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 4:56 pm GMT

    After playing SSBB for hrs ive had this strange urge to hit people with pokeballs, bats, and hammers.

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