The Economist defending video games

If you have the PC version of GTA:San Andreas, you can use the hot coffee patch to unlock a sex mini-game which can be accurately described as virtual porn. That led to the game's rating being changed from "mature" to "adults only", and major retailers not stocking it any more. Politicians like examples like these to point out how video games are evil and corrupting our youth. Last month an 11 year old boy stabbed a baby, whose crying disturbed him from playing on his Playstation, and only the fact that he was playing "The Incredibles", and not GTA, prevented that from becoming major news.

Now video games are being defended by an unlikely champion: The Economist is defending video games on it's cover and lead story. This is not some games magazine, but a quite serious weekly news magazine, published first in 1843 to take part in “a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress”. Their motto might be over 160 years old, but for the defense of video games against politicians it is strangely appropriate.
- posted by Tobold @ 6:27 PM Permanent Link