MP blasts 'ineffective' games regulation
Vaz plays the Brievik card
Violent videogames opponent and Labour MP Keith Vaz has once again asked Parliament to tighten videogames regulation, this time following Anders Breivik's admission that he used a popular first-person shooter to prepare for his murderous rampage in Norway.
This is the fifth time 'Vendetta Vaz' has tabled an early day motion against videogames.
While the Norwegian court continues to probe whether Breivik is insane, Vaz is trying to stir parliament into toughening the rules governing the sale of violent games sales because the Norwegian killer admitted using Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to help plan his attacks.
But it seemed so real, your Honour...
“This House is reminded of the consequences of the ineffectual Pan European Game Information (Pegi) classification system for video games following the testimony of Anders Breivik about the tragic events in Norway in July 2011,” Vaz' motion reads.
Vaz says we should be disturbed that Breivik admitted that used the game to "help hone his 'target acquisition' and... prepare him for the attacks". The EDM goes on to put the knife into the Pegi rating system, which was recently chosen as the sole method to inform gamers and parents about a title's content and age suitability.
Vaz "is concerned that Pegi as a classification system can only provide an age rating and not restrict ultra-violent content" and he wants Parliament to recognise "that in an era of ever-more sophisticated and realistic game-play, more robust precautions must be taken before video games are published".
He "calls on the Government to provide for closer scrutiny of aggressive first-person shooter videogames".
If you're a fan of hardcore shooters and blood-filled gore fests, have no fear: the EDM, tabled on 25 April, has only eight signatures so far out of a total of 650 MPs. We'll stick with the belief that Parliamentary members in general have more sense than to even partly blame a videogame, or a rating system, for one adult's murderous tendencies.
Right, where's this Vaz geezer?
Yes, Breivik, who was 32 last July, was and is an adult and so was able to buy any game classified by Pegi, by its predecessor, the BBFC, or by any other body Vaz has in mind - though we suspect it's a ban he's really after.
Vaz last raised his anti-gaming views in November 2011, when pushing for a Modern Warfare 3 censorship due to its graphic content. Luckily, fellow Labour MP Tom Watson rewrote the motion and went as far as to praise Activision's big-seller. ®
COMMENTS
Homeopathy...
"He is a supporter of homeopathy, having signed several early day motions in support of its continued funding on the NHS..."
Explains a lot, IMHO...
Re: Homeopathy...
Ah, so he has a penchant for supporting the unsupported and seeing n effect where there is no cause. Explains much.
If you forget to take your homeopathy meds - do you die from an overdose?
Vaz - What a media-whore
Vaz always seems to be trying to splatter his face all over the media every opportunity that the ambulance-chasing politician can get.
If he wants to get on (yet another) bandwagon, here's one:
Do you realise that Breivik was complaining about politicians not representing his views? And most terrrrrrrrist atrocities I can think of in recent years (from Oklahoma bombing, the IRA campaign, Osama Bin Liner etc.), ALL were caused by politicans not representing people in the way they wanted. So it's obvious - ban politicians as they are obviously the cause of all the problems!
Didn't this Norweigan nutcase also say that World of Warcraft helped train him also, and that he's a member of the Knights Templar? I think Vaz might need one of those sanity tests too...
Re: Mr Vaz
What kind of society lets MPs to operate without consideration for Violent Video Games?
The type of society that can easily forget about him making a false allegation against a former policewoman in 2002 for which he was suspended from his job.
Some would say he is still making up false allegations given the known moral oversights he has been documented in partaking in. But thats lawyer education for you perhaps.
Personaly I treat this person as a hostile untrustworthy witness without anything to add to the subject of a factual basis. I'm sure in many area's he has done good work, but on this matter is is basing his entire stance on a knee jerk reaction from parents who's 14 year old son died and blamed a videogame called manhunt. A claim that the police investigating the case dismissed as only the victim had played the game. Do videogames make you a victim more than not is the question perhaps!
In summary for those using Windows 8 metro - Oi Vaz No
