Gamers and Publishers get angry at Fox News

[BigTwinky]

Apparently, Fox News had an on air game review for the game Mass Effect. One of the reviewers, a psychologist named Cooper Lawrence, never having played the game, started to bash it. Calling it sexist and violent, and on and on.

Geoff Keighley, a somewhat big name game reviewer, was also on the panel and kept "correcting". She would say that game is oppressive and against women, he mentions that you can actually play a woman and do all the things the man would do. She mentions full of nudity, he points to a 30 sec total time of half boob shot in a 30 hour game.

Anyways, the review really sucked. EA is pissed at Fox News for airing the crap.

But the best part of the story is what happened to the psychologist. After hearing of this, gamers went to amazon (and other sites) and left reviews on her book... leaving comments such as:

"I never read the book, don't know who she is, and don't really care what she's writing about."
"If she does have as much "research" as she does for her tv spots you can expect a book full of complete lies at best. Take everything she writes with a huge grain of salt or better yet save your money."
"Trying to encourage sexual acts in a book made available to young children is unacceptable."

Her book was up to 330 reviews, 279 of which were 1 star. Kinda childish, but damn funny.

Here are a fwe articles

Keighley => http://kotaku.com/347350/keighley-se...ht-or-tries-to

EA => http://kotaku.com/348355/quack-gets-...rating-spammed

Fans get pissed => http://kotaku.com/348187/ea-calls-fo...t-inaccuracies

Amazon => http://gaming.monstersandcritics.com...eview_backlash



Here is a video (can't confirm, I'm at work and haven't seen it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCPXQvdmys0

Many of the quotes have been removed from the amazon site, but someone managed to get a list of some of the better ones

I recently saw this book in a used bookstore holding up one end of a broken table. I read as much as I could before my arm got tired of holding up the above mentioned table. After a few chapters I realized the book was indeed best used for furniture support. Don't waste your time.

I'm also quite disappointed that Mrs. Lawrence would use sex appeal (the cover) to sell her book. Whether she realizes it or not there are a lot of kids in book stores today that will see this and get the wrong impression.

Image means a lot Mrs. Lawrence, and you are damaging the youth of America.

It may be true that I haven't actually read this book, but after watching her bash a really good game. I realized that people don't need to actually play, read, or watch things to review them.

If you do purchase the book, I urge you strongly not to leave it idly where little hands can find it. The latest research clearly shows young readers are incalculably and permanently scarred by oversexualized images in books and other media.

Kudos Cooper Lawrence, this book was amazing.

Her book taught me that I should stop overachieving and worrying about "the little things". When I'm working on some sort of project or doing an investigation of some sort, I need to stop worrying about things like "facts" and "correctness". When making judgements on things, it's often easier to make things up based on things we've heard or make sweeping generalizations. It's much easier this way and pretty peaceful! It's taken the stress out of my life.

I'm now to be scheduled to appear on a well-known 24-hour news network as a so called "expert"! And I didn't even need a PhD!

Thanks Cooper! You've changed my life!

[Zantheus]

Yea we have a post in the forums about it already.... :P

[BigTwinky]

Arrg. sorry about that. In my eagerness, I forgot to check for a dup thread.

At least I found some extra articles heh

[-IRC-MIKE]

I did a couple searches but couldn't find the other post.... Anyway here is another good article written by another woman!!!

http://blogs.ign.com/Jess-IGN/2008/01/24/78126/

[Variable_az]

lol, I just read several of the reviews on Amazon... Rofl... Gamers Unite!!!!!
Serves her right.

[LIMEY]

well here she is:

[-IRC-MIKE]

HILLARIOUS

Cooper Lawrence Makes Me Want To Stab My Vagina Out With An Icepick.

[Premonition]

http://dark4se.com/cainslairforums/v...ic.php?t=25644

Theres a link to my thread. It also has the utube interview from fox news.
But still i didnt have all the upto date new stuff in it.

I had to admit i laughed when i read gamers striked back on her book.
Classic....just classic karma at its best. What goes around comes around and she got hers.

Ive played the game and beet it. I compare mass effect to watching a tv series like 24. its longer than a movie, but the story starts simple then evolves and grabs you. Just like 24 did. 30 hours of gameplay and your glued to it the whole time and loving it.
No doubt one of the best games last year! Its hard to find a gamer who doesnt even like that game more less argue that its causes mental issues.

Its great if parents dont want their kids playing violent games. Thats cool. each parent has that right. But because she doesn't like it, doesn't mean she should try and enforce her views on the world based on no facts at all.

The guy in the video kept his cool and composer and really stuck up for the game. The game is rated M for mature (17 and older). Now thats only 1 year shy of being able to join the military and go off to war. Not to mention there is far worse on reg tv.

But in any case i bet she thinks twice before she uses someone else to promote her self. I hope her book flops.

[Trooper110]

It's morons like her who make things bad for everyone....

She oughta make a public apology of some sort, although I don't see that coming.

[Tails_Kitsune]

Too many people in America today (especially Psychologists and Politicians) are very quick to judge video games, especially Mature-rated games.

Here's the problem I think they widely overlook: By any means, it's arguable that games are rated much more strictly than movies. A "PG-13" movie could easily get a Mature rating on a video game. Strong language, any amount of violence above minimal blood, and any "mature" scenes almost automatically result in a Mature rating.

With that in mind, the rating basically says, "Without parental permission, you can't play this game unless you're 18+." (or is it 17+?) Now, an audience of this age should be able to handle these topics maturely. Rarely have I ever seen someone bash a movie for being "too violent" (except for one, and that is a completely different rant on my part).

So, maybe the game isn't good for 12-year-olds, but, then again, it isn't supposed to be played by 12-year-olds! Games are evolving into an expressive media, and they are rated appropriately. Don't flip out because of the content...there are ratings in place for a reason.

In my opinion (obviously a long one ) this lady pretty much deserved this negative attention she has received for bashing a game she has, for one, never played, and two, completely disregarded any statements made by Keighley.

[Zantheus]

Its not only Video games though.... Last night CNN attacked Cloverfield telling people to beware that it can cause sickness and seizures due to the use of 1st person camera angles. The media thrives on everything and anything that they feel will get the public ranting on. Its all about ratings to them and parents will tune in for warnings about games/movies to filter out what they dont want their kids seeing/participating in

[Kenshin Himura]

With that in mind, the rating basically says, "Without parental permission, you can't play this game unless you're 18+." (or is it 17+?) Now, an audience of this age should be able to handle these topics maturely. Rarely have I ever seen someone bash a movie for being "too violent" (except for one, and that is a completely different rant on my part).

So, maybe the game isn't good for 12-year-olds, but, then again, it isn't supposed to be played by 12-year-olds! Games are evolving into an expressive media, and they are rated appropriately. Don't flip out because of the content...there are ratings in place for a reason.

That is my biggest gripe when it comes to the ratings.

The ratings process is done for a reason, yet no one seems to really care that they are there. The ESRB rating clearly states the age rating, as well as the reasons for the rating (violence, drug use, nudity). Unfortunately, people don't seem to pay much attention to these ratings and then later harass the industry or the ESRB and complain about what was clearly marked for them on the box. And, unfortunately, a great deal of these under-age purchases could be stopped if parents and guardians would take some time to see what their children are playing. I suppose I can not speak from experience, but I'm 99% sure that I would like to know what my child is watching or playing when I'm buying or renting something for them.

The one thing I can not stand is when they act like the video game industry is the most vile and corrupted industry in the US, when you can see much, much worse in your average day-time television program. I'm miffed when they complain about "30 seconds of partial-nudity" in a Mature rated game, when you'll see a lot more than 30 seconds of nudity on television. It's hypocritical, in my opinion, to slander a game that is clearly marked for those over the age of 18, when public television is available to any and all, is a lot more accessible, and shows far worse. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't exactly see titles like "Sex and the City" floating around in the video game industry... except for GTA.

I understand that video games can generally have a more compelling nature to them since you're controlling the characters rather than merely watching them, but that's what the ESRB is for. Grow up, take some responsibility for yourself, and stop blaming an industry who is providing you with every tool you need to make sure your children aren't getting an inappropriate game.

Rant over, I suppose.

[-IRC-MIKE]

The deleted Reviews..... MAYBE? I dunno.. but they're good.


Check THIS out and read down where the reviews begin at Barnes and Noble books. LMAO!!!!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&btob=}&EAN=9781599211794&tabna me=custreview&itm=1

ON B&N books above, they make hardly NO reference to anything to do with a video game, but they sure as hell raped her in reviews... here is a close one resembling anything to do with the game:

I was expecting something intellectually stimulating when i picked up this book, shortly finding out that it was filled with nothing but pseudo psychological arguments and poor attempts at humour. This book will have a mass effect on her career.

This book was not as Massively Effective as I had hoped
A reviewer, a FOX news watcher, 01/24/2008

I had hoped this book would help me navigate the cult of perfection that modern society enforces on us. Instead, it just made me sleepy. It doesn't have to be that way. We won't give them oil prices, we'll give them quail prices. Avoid at all costs. You must have had me confused for somebody who repeats themself. I am a theater director from New York, who reads a lot of technical books and is also an avid bird lover. Somewhere along the aggregate demand curve, lurking.

I'm going to post a review of one of the other books on the page... just because it is on the same page as her book....

Just kidding!.

[CarbonFire]

With that in mind, the rating basically says, "Without parental permission, you can't play this game unless you're 18+." (or is it 17+?) Now, an audience of this age should be able to handle these topics maturely. Rarely have I ever seen someone bash a movie for being "too violent" (except for one, and that is a completely different rant on my part).

So, maybe the game isn't good for 12-year-olds, but, then again, it isn't supposed to be played by 12-year-olds! Games are evolving into an expressive media, and they are rated appropriately. Don't flip out because of the content...there are ratings in place for a reason.

That is my biggest gripe when it comes to the ratings.

The ratings process is done for a reason, yet no one seems to really care that they are there. The ESRB rating clearly states the age rating, as well as the reasons for the rating (violence, drug use, nudity). Unfortunately, people don't seem to pay much attention to these ratings and then later harass the industry or the ESRB and complain about what was clearly marked for them on the box. And, unfortunately, a great deal of these under-age purchases could be stopped if parents and guardians would take some time to see what their children are playing. I suppose I can not speak from experience, but I'm 99% sure that I would like to know what my child is watching or playing when I'm buying or renting something for them.

The one thing I can not stand is when they act like the video game industry is the most vile and corrupted industry in the US, when you can see much, much worse in your average day-time television program. I'm miffed when they complain about "30 seconds of partial-nudity" in a Mature rated game, when you'll see a lot more than 30 seconds of nudity on television. It's hypocritical, in my opinion, to slander a game that is clearly marked for those over the age of 18, when public television is available to any and all, is a lot more accessible, and shows far worse. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't exactly see titles like "Sex and the City" floating around in the video game industry... except for GTA.

I understand that video games can generally have a more compelling nature to them since you're controlling the characters rather than merely watching them, but that's what the ESRB is for. Grow up, take some responsibility for yourself, and stop blaming an industry who is providing you with every tool you need to make sure your children aren't getting an inappropriate game.

Rant over, I suppose.

Well Put

So many hypocrits in the media its not even funny

[BigTwinky]

45 pages of comments at amazon, some are pretty funny

http://www.amazon.com/review/product...owViewpoints=1