Comics, Video Games & Politics

There is one comic I read regularly. It is loosely based on video game addictions. They are all rather entertaining, but occasionally there is a gem. But, as with all things in my life they are gems only to me because of my twisted view of everything (comics included).

This one here was funny because I was under the gun at work to get a project done in an unbelievably short time frame.

The one pictured is humorous for obvious reasons, but it also got me to thinking about politics and freedom.

We have apparently decided that we want the government to help us raise our children. So, all games are "rated". I can't even tell you what the rating system is. I know I've been playing Age of Conan lately and supposedly you are supposed to be over the age of 18 to play it. It has lots of blood, some sexual inferences and nudity. You can also behead your enemies (WOOT)! But, anyway, it's rated.

Video games are rated, TV is rated, movies are rated. Everything is rated. But, what about life? What happens when your sweet little government protected child goes to school and his buddy uses the F word? What happens when his 3rd grade teacher has a wardrobe malfunction? That would have been the happiest moment in my elementary career!

There is a video game called Spore (as shown in the cartoon). You start out your creature as an organism and get to pick various traits. Go to the site for more information. But, the enjoyment of the game stems from freedom. You can create just about anything (millions of combinations).

Who is policing this activity? When your 10 year old (who is addicted to the game), runs across some creature created by some whacky kid in Britain named and striking a bizarre resemblance to "Mr. Happy Penis", who is going to be held responsible for this outrage?

Who do we, as outraged parents, sue? Do we sue the game creator for allowing kids to be too inventive? Do we try and sue the government of Great Britain for not raising their creative kids correctly? Do we go after the kid?

I suspect that this game has a 400 page legal speak document that you have to agree to before you play. They probably had to pay 4 programmers, 10 artists and 3 managers $400k to write the game and 10 lawyers $10 million to write up the contract.