Florida Fired Up Over New Atari Game

It seems that no child is safe from the influence of video game content. At least, that seems to be the message emanating from Florida politicians. The city of officials in Hollywood, Florida are making noises against Atari™s scheduled release of Marc Echo™s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure video game. The title offers the gamer the opportunity to engage in the art of graffiti. The protests revolve around the concerns that the game might encourage children to go on their own graffiti excursions in the real world. The opponents of the video game are asking Atari to cancel the game, which is scheduled for release in February 2006. Atari took issue with the complaints and responded in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel by saying, By no means is Atari encouraging vandalism or criminal acts. Just as films depict fictional worlds; this game is amusement and [an] escape into a fantasy world.” Others accused the politicians and residents of Hollywood, Florida as attempting to act as censors. Mayor Mara Giulanti responded, “What we are doing is purely making commentary and educating the public that we don’t believe a game that glorifies criminal activity through graffiti or… violence [doesn™t] needs to be perpetrated on the kids of America. If parents want to do it, fine. We’re not banning it from stores in Hollywood. We’re not the moral police.” While many people are quite aware of the recent controversies surrounding M rated (mature) games being sold or rented to minors, just where will the line be drawn as to what children may or may not be exposed to? Will depictions of churches or religious icons be next on the list, for fear of undue influence upon young minds? Or perhaps we™ll see bans on football games which show players tackling each other because of the violence? The creator of the classic television series, The Twilight Zone, said that it was a place where the distinction between darkness and light becomes hard to see. If that is the case, we have entered this realm, as far as video game content is concerned.