Gaming MPs are Human

I was speaking to someone about my conversation with Labour MP Tom Watson about computer games that we play, this was during a recent social media summit see posting below.

They commented that Tom Watson MP was an 'Absolutely worthless waster' (i.e. for playing computer games).

Is this not the kind of reaction that stops MP's being 'normal' and down to earth?

It seams to me that many people expect their MP's to be both human and Unhuman.

People want MP's to understand what it is like to be 'normal' and yet when an MP casually talks about playing computer games to relax after work (something many people do) that makes him a worthless waster?

Surely its because Tom Watson plays computer games that he was able to understand and defend the computer game industry against the attack by Keith Vaz MP. If it wasn't for Tom Watson then perhaps Keith Vaz could of taken the next step introduced a private members bill to ban or censor games (as is the case in Australia) . If Tom Watson was not allowed to be 'normal' then he would not understand computer game culture. Tom is helping to safe guard a very important industry for Britain (Early Day Motion for games tax relief).

Should Tom Watson try and keep his gaming a secret, should MP's keep it a secret when they see films or read books or watch football teams. If you want MP's to be human so they can pass laws that relate to our lives then we have to let them act human and 'normal'.

Robots are no ones friend but thats what we will get if MP's can't do and act the same as the rest of the populaton when they are not working.

see my blog Leave us to Play our Games (MP's debate Modern Warfare Game)‏

Leave us to Play our Games (MP's debate Modern Warfare Game)‏

As a player of console games I am really surprised at the complaints a computer game such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4 receive. No other media is subject to so much scrutiny, Films comics, Books etc have many example of violence. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was released today and many shops across the country including Bracknell opened at Midnight for the release.

These games are already 18 rated. Labour MP Keith Vaz raised the issue in Parliament and criticised the game. Is this not a total waste of time parliamentary time I believe? Fellow Labour MP Tom Watson has setup a facebook group here to give a voice to gamers and defend there right to buy and play the game

This game has been given a rating of 18 which means parents should not be buying the game for their 12 year old kids. The appeal of the game (for me) is not the violence it’s the playing on line as a team against another team like say paint ball. In Grand Theft Auto its the characters and the story that I personally enjoy. It is a game and should been seen as such.

Grand Theft Auto was a British made game, the British game industry contributes nearly £1 billion each year to the UK economy. So perhaps games should be getting more support. However our games industry is falling behind other countries like Canada because they have governments who support the industry through tax credits for digital media, much like the film industry in the UK does from the UK film Council.

Research published by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) shows that investment in privately operated UK developers has dropped by 60% since 2008. Employment is down by 4% and 15% of studios have gone out of business. There is a brain drain of UK-based talent to Canada and Germany and Poland. NESTA has predicted that the UK games industry could slip to the 6th by the end of 2010.

So please just let us play our games and be sensible when buying them.

Facebook Group

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=app_2361831622#/group.php?gid=189974734041&ref=search&sid=565525349.2435364720..1