Six hundred million gamers could be war criminals, Red Cross says

[The Straight Story]

Six hundred million gamers could be war criminals, Red Cross says
Save this story to read later

Are 600m gamers violating Hague convention?
Red Cross to see if violent games break laws

THE Red Cross is investigating whether 600 million gamers are violating the Hague and Geneva conventions when they kill and blow stuff up for fun.

...

A spokesperson for ICRC Australia told news.com.au the workshop looked at how games “represented International Humanitarian Law”, which regulates the legal conduct of warfare.

"The aim for the ICRC is that they send the right signals to their hundreds of millions of players by rewarding respect for IHL and penalising violations," the spokesperson said.

The Red Cross said if it finds the conventions have been violated, they may ask game developers to conform to international laws or encourage governments to create laws that regulate the gaming industry, Kotaku reported.


http://www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/six-hundred-million-gamers-could-be-war-criminals-red-cross-says/story-e6frfrt9-1226216184190

[Quartermass]

1. The hell? It sounds like they can't understand fantasy.

But they are over stepping their boundaries. They ahve no real teeth to force countries to do this.

[Speck Tater]

2. OMFG! Those people really need to get a life. nt

[HuckleB]

31. "Those people."

:rofl:

I love true irony.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Yes, that will see the finding.

[ZombieHorde]

4. I wonder if books and movies will be next. nt

[Earth_First]

5. This is almost as ridiculous as PETA attacking Nintendo for Mario wearing fur! n/t

[Odin2005]

6. Who put Tipper Gore in charge of the Red Cross?

[Xicano]

42. Ahh yes I remember. "The filthy fifteen" LOL

Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) before Congress arguing Al Gore's fascist censorship plan, explaining how his wife Tipper Gore, founder of Parents Music Resource Center is into Bondage and that's why she interpret metal songs that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veoYcsH7Wrs

[On the Road]

7. Wow -- I Thought This Was Satire

apparently not.

[chrisa]

8. RIP 3D model. He and his wonderful textures and smooth lighting will be dearly missed.

[ProSense]

9. The

Internet is being turned into cesspool of distortion by the RW.

Red Cross: Gamers safe from war crimes prosecution

Gamers worried their actions on the virtual battlefield could land them at the Hague war crimes tribunal can relax.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says media reports that it is investigating whether the Geneva Conventions apply to video games are false.

The Swiss-based humanitarian group assured gamers Thursday that "serious violations of the laws of war can only be committed in real-life situations."

<...>

Seems a lot of the news from these .com.au sites are nothing but RW conspiracies and distortions of the facts.

[canetoad]

10. Thanks for putting the record straight

But I must object to all .com.au sites being accused of pushing RW untruths.

The relevant (and untrustworthy) part of the url is: NEWS

News.com.au is a Murdoch site.

[JoeyT]

15. Or parodies.

This reads way too much like a parody that got out of hand. A good alternate title would be "Red Cross decides they don't have enough crap to deal with".

I was looking hard for an onion link.

[G_j]

25. what is the au for? nt

[FLAprogressive]

28. Australia

[Jim Lane]

35. Thanks, valuable correction to the OP. Two lessons to be learned...

1. No matter how often we're reminded of Murdoch's character, it's easy to forget. I bought the story in the OP without noticing that it was from a Murdoch site.

2. Many DUers don't read others' comments, or perhaps just skim the thread titles. Even after you busted this myth, there were subsequent comments taking it at face value. I suggest that, next time you have a good find like this one, you use a more descriptive subject line. Perhaps more people will see it.

[The Doctor.]

11. I just LOVE The Onion! Whatta riot!

Wait.... wut?

[snooper2]

12. ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL

Is it okay that I just started watching the new Conan movie right now?

:rofl:

[Ohio Joe]

13. heh, for some reason I'm just not agonizing over this

Now pardon me.... I have to go spread some electronic death }(

[Dragonbreathp9d]

14. Wow- they really need to fuck off on this one

What about Hollywood? And novelists? Seriously waste of time and resources- who knows of a good alternate charity?

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Well, there is a reason to be concerned if you are a humanitarian worker

Don't worry, if you never don a red cross and drive into a war zone. (The ARC) really does not, you will never have to worry about it.

Having been there, done that I get it...but hey fantasy going over an airport terminal and shooting all that moves...an actual game level, is one until it's not.

Chances are most gamers will never hav to worry about it though.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

17. Ya- I played that game- and guess what- you're the bad guy and later get retribution for it

It was supposed to be shocking and angering so that you get emotionally involved in trying to stop the terrorists. It was not meant to be like "this is so cool" - it was giving a first hand account of the horrors of terrorism

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Yeah but here is the problem

Youbare an adult. You can distinguish this. I know the game is not intended for kids...but brain maturity plays a role.

As I said most gamers whatever...I'd worry not if, but when games like that are used to train child soldiers. That's where you cross that line. Regardless, the story is not all that's it meant o be, but I am sure you can understand why that coud be a problem. And if is the operating word...after all a version of such a game is used by the Marine Corp.

[fishwax]

20. I'd say the bigger problem there is child soldiers, rather than the video game

:)

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. It just adds to the problem

:-)

[Dragonbreathp9d]

26. Most places that have child soldiers don't have video games

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. You sure of that?

I would not bet on it.

You'd be shocked at what you can find in warzones

[Posteritatis]

38. Yeah, Joseph Kony is totally using Modern Warfare 2 to train his slaves...

:eyes:

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. As I said you'd be shocked.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

40. It would be an incredible waste of the computing power of those gaming systems

Ya I'm fairly sure that if you found any where there were child soldiers you might find one or two at the very most

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Let's put it this way

Some of the things found would shock most people living in the comforts of their homes.

Of course these are not the top of the top priority...that be the rainbow of pharmaceuticals...but you'd be shocked.

[Posteritatis]

43. If it was happening, which it isn't. (nt)

[themadstork]

23. Brain maturity eh?

Sounds like you're making stuff up.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. No I am not read on pre frontal cortex

Development and impulse control.

[dogknob]

32. "Not intended for kids" Hmmm....

In tobacco-industry parlance, does that not mean "Aimed squarely at kids?" Don't get me wrong: I finally pried myself away from Dragon Age: Origins, which struck me as adult-oriented in its subject matter, but accessible to kids. You can be "evil" in that world, but there is nothing like shooting up an airport full of people. Regardless of any "repurcussions" (i.e. collateral damage) the PC might suffer, this seems to me like straight-up youth conditioning. Ewww.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

18. And actual warzones have nothing to do with gaming- guilty of war crimes? Gimme a fucking break

But on another note- thank you for what you have done

[themadstork]

21. Am I also a pedophile because I read Nabokov?

But anyway this reads pretty clearly as a hit piece. Someone needs to find a hobby.

[RegieRocker]

27. Total from another world B.S.

[lumberjack_jeff]

29. Games violate laws of warfare? Pikers. My video games violate the laws of physics!

Take that!

[HuckleB]

30. Well, so do your fantasies about health care.

:rofl:

[boppers]

46. Pick up an in-game, system provided, health pack, back to full health!

Perfect model for universal health care!

[Hugabear]

33. Military themed video games are the military's best recruiting tool

The US military couldn't ask for better propaganda than what the gaming industry is putting out in the form of ultra-realistic, violent shooters. Many of these games are set in the Middle East, allowing gamers to become desensitized to killing brown-skinned folks.

[SidDithers]

36. That's OK. I only kill zombies in my games...

Surely the Red Cross is on board with zombie killing.

Sid

[Politicalboi]

37. In the mean time

Bush and Cheney walk free after years of torture, and blowing things up for fun.

[L0oniX]

44. They can shove their morallity up their arses.

[taught_me_patience]

45. Lol... Onion right?

Wait... wut?

[UndertheOcean]

47. Fascinating n/t