|
The UK’s National Press has always been considered to be
that of a sceptical nature. The inherent conservatism - seemingly at
lengths with the industry’s own progressive pliability – delivered
on a daily basis takes clear tolls on effects which aren’t inline
with that of each production’s principles. Often, these principles
can change once the scepticism has become opportunity – collimated
by the mid-‘90s overnight reversal of stance on New Labour by the
arms of News International; the media conglomerate in which both
The Sun and The Times (and their sister productions,
News Of The World and The Sunday Times) operate – and,
even more often, this scepticism is aimed at that which the media
outlets not only have no acknowledgement of, but simply intend not
to do so in effect, attitude or principle.
An unethical approach to news broadcasting you may well
believe, however, it is one that has been established with time, and
has now become ingrained into the tabloid-hysteria that the UK
audience now seems so fond to gobble upon. Akin to videogame
publications publishing reviews whilst not having paid any due
credence to the title which they are vocalising an opinion upon,
many media outlets choose their victims not due to their
persecution, but instead based-upon a blind-sided discomfort and
simple lack of knowledge. For decades, the videogames industry has
been blighted by the UK Press’ disinterest in it’s progress –
although, of course, isn’t the only cornerstone of electronic
entertainment to have been curtailed time-and-time again – the
arrival of Mortal Kombat in the early-‘90s saw the first true
effort on behalf of the National Press to scupper the industry and,
although it was clearly unsuccessful (not least due the long-running
reign of Mortal Kombat sequels), the bitter-sting of a
blood-soaked harpoon remains.
The Daily Mail has long been known as the bible
for the electoral-right on newsstands, and has never been
particularly quick to accept the videogames industry as anything
more than dull-witted escapism. From the infamous Mary Whitehouse
through to the paper’s preposterous attack on DOOM and
Carmageddon during the days-of-blame that followed the attack on
Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado on April 20th,
1999, it’s quite clear that little effort has been made on behalf of
the publication to assess the finer assets of videogame production –
ahead of the likes of Manhunt, Canis Canem Edit and
Grand Theft Auto (all of which the paper has immediately tried
to discredit – and have removed from sale (to no effect in any
case) - when given the opportunity) interest should, quite
clearly, be addressed more towards those titles which would appeal
to the paper’s core-demographic.
Today’s release of The Daily Mail’s sister paper
– The Mail On Sunday – featured a rather predominant
headline-attack on videogames; “Slaughter”. “Horror at Sony’s
depraved stunt to promote PlayStation with decapitated goat” reads
the article’s tagline, which is then continued on Page 8. A
double-page spread reproducing an article from the latest issue of
PlayStation Official Magazine UK (featuring a pixellated
reproduction of the only image the paper had at it’s
disposal) headed by the statement “Sony audience ate bowls of
intestines” leads into the report on SONY’s launch party for God
Of War II, labelled by the publication as an “orgy”.
Proclaiming the event – which took place in Athens last month
– as that which “undermines our civilisation for short-term
commercial gain”, the paper discredits SONY’s efforts by continually
enthusing the Japanese company’s suggested brain-washing of a
younger audience than that of which the title is clearly aimed at.
“Sony realises how repellent it is only when The Mail on Sunday
makes contact. The firm says it is shocked. But these regrets do not
change the fact that one of the world’s most potent media
organisations has sunk to such levels to promote yet another
violent, nightmarish fantasy – which it seeks to pump into as many
young minds as possible.” A rather misleading - and hypocritical -
statement to be making, especially given the timing of the
publication of the piece: a month after the event had taken place
and just two days after the launch of God Of War II.
Although the article begins with due courtesy towards the event –
which, in truth, is considered risqué even by your open-minded
correspondents at
Electronic
Articles – it soon descends into an attack on videogames as
opposed to this singular promotional activity. The main address of
the article is that of the publication of a story on the event in
SONY’s own magazine and, from the event itself, a slaughtered goat;
from which members of the Press were offered the opportunity to
reach into and remove edible portions of offal, processed to
resemble that of the goat’s intestines. The goat was acquired from a
local butcher – as stated clearly in the article – and so was far
from slaughtered specifically to promote the title, however, the
fact that the goat’s head remain attached by a single tendon could
cause some alarm.
A married-article written by the paper’s Games and Gadgets Editor,
Rob Waugh, cites the game as one which would not “ordinarily be
reviewed in The Mail on Sunday – it is simply too violent, and the
levels of bloodshed intense”, yet goes-on to proclaim the
development of the title as a clearly designed piece of ingenuity, “God
Of War II is clearly an intelligently designed game”. “The
game’s cryptic, Indiana Jones-style puzzles are among the
cleverest seen in video games and the game is balanced perfectly to
keep it’s audience playing.” Quite how a credible, national
publication could discredit a piece of work to the point of
ignorance based purely on its’ adult-orientated nature is puzzling.
To find little agreement with the on-screen action is justifiable;
God Of War II is very violent, and clearly very
adult-orientated - but to simply pass-over work which, through their
own admission, the publication sees as a viable production of
videogaming art is simply an act of malevolence.
The fact that the paper has insisted on giving this piece front-page
coverage in itself is questionable – even further given the delay
between the event taking place and the publication of the article
itself – but when coupled with the fact that no other publication
followed-suit, it’s very easy to address this as yet another
knee-jerk reaction by the National Press. And that in itself is one
which, for all its’ convictions, can only further the interest in a
title that was practically guaranteed to storm the UK All Format
Sales Charts this week, regardless of any added attention.
The Mail On Sunday have managed to obtain a withdrawal from
SONY – the issue of PlayStation Official Magazine UK
featuring the article was due to hit shop shelves on Tuesday.
Instead, the publication will be delayed and the offending article
removed. However, subscribers to the magazine have already received
their copies, and it is quite clear that it’s through this
early-arrival that The Mail On Sunday themselves discovered
this event had taken place. This brings one final, yet rather
congregative, argument to the fiord; did any representatives from
The Mail or The Mail On Sunday itself actually
attend the press event? Given the distance from the event the
article centres itself at; this journalist would hazard a guess at a
simple “no”. And with that factor in mind, would question the
viability of future hammerings which the publication would wish to
rain upon the videogames industry, without giving those working
within an ounce of the credence they deserve. |
