As far as getting politicians to view us as a viable demographic… I’d rather they didn’t view us at all and call it a win.

Out of those four issues, how many politicians have a stance on on all of those issues? None. Because they jump on the bandwagons of the issues the media decides to sensationalize. Which one do i care about most? Take a guess. Video game censorship is the last issue i worry about when voting.

I happen to remember the 80’s-90’s “crusade” against Metal, Rap and other various forms of Music by the government’s lapdog PMRC. What happened after the media shut up? Nothing except for the fact a label got put on music. The government prattles on about stuff like this instead of what matters to keep us distracted. That’s the truth of the matter. Don’t believe me? Google it, get a history book , whatever.

The fact is Video games wont be censored the same as music wasn’t. I think there are more important issues to worry about that the politicians support or oppose than Video games.
(Disclaimer: Yes I am an AVID gamer. I play constantly when my free time allows)

Miako;
I am not now nor have ever been a Republican. Just because i am a gun owner does not throw me in with that party automatically.

Anyway, my point was explicitly vote for who you want. Vote for the issues that matter. But honestly, don’t profess utter ignorance to a candidates stance on games. If you like a candidate and they seem to be totally anti-video games, why not organize and try to change their view? Write them a letter or two? It’s what interest groups do. Why isn’t there a gaming interest group? There’s film interest groups, there’s sport interest groups… yet, surprisingly, the “immature” and “violent” video gaming sector doesn’t have a single word in it.

And you can’t really predict the future here. I’m not saying GTA4 will be banned. I never said that. I’m simply saying that video game taxes, or other annoying legislation, could be passed if we don’t participate politically. It seems there’s a misconception about gaming in the media, and instead of actually trying to fix it, most gamers are either ignoring it or want to give up excuses and vast generalizations about how it doesn’t matter.

I have not played GTA4, but I did play GTA3, and what I did not like it was the psychopathic (in the clinical sense) behavoiur of the main character, as well as the nihilistic world he inhabited.
The only way to interact with most npc was to either rob them or kill them. How sad.

Jacob–It starts with letters. Long letters and no pay. The thing is, the more you do it, the more ‘press’ you get. Look at Game Politics. They’ve always called people out on their bullshit. They haven’t always been noted for it. Nowadays they are; when they call a bad newss tory out, other news networks at leas tlook at it. The Today Show has interviewed them, the New York Times has as well.

How about we stop constantly complaining about poor media coverage of games.. or anti-gaming politicians and help make a change? We all have good points and views that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Even worse, go to a movie store. The quantity of horror and gore porn movies may surprise you. If GTA is so terrible for having some sex scenes in it then where do you start on movies like Saw, WAZ, Hostel which all feature torture and gore? Surely if GTA is suggesting such things then these movies and music are too right. How is GTA any less guilty?

Fact is, these media all have ratings and people should stick to them and not bark wrongly about the otherwise.