Editorial: Video game ban a sign of the times

That was <i>Grand Theft Auto V</i>, the new edition of a video game that has become a byword for controversy since it was first released in 1997.

The Warehouse is addressing a societal concern and customer reaction could be highly positive.

It is reasonable to assume that video games have a higher impact than, say, films because of their interactive nature and the repetitive involvement of the players.
At a first glance, it is easy to be cynical about The Warehouse Group's decision to remove R18 video games, movies and box sets from its shelves. The publicity garnered from promoting itself as a family-friendly business as Christmas shopping gains momentum will do it no harm. Nor will most of those families stop to ponder whether the availability of such products is more properly the concern of the Office of Film and Literature Classification. Yet any cynicism is quickly tempered by an examination of the item which triggered The Warehouse's sudden move.

That was Grand Theft Auto V, the new edition of a video game that has become a byword for controversy since it was first released in 1997. This one is different, however. Its first-person interactive mode adds a new element to the murderous rampages undertaken by gamers. It allows them to view the action through the eyes of the protagonist. The classification office has declared it R18 on the basis of a distasteful gamut -- violence, sexual material, drug use and offensive language. The game, it said, contained "high-level violence and cruelty of an anti-social type that would be disturbing or shocking to young viewers".

That classification was not enough for some, however. The Stop Demand Foundation approached The Warehouse, saying that stocking such titles conflicted with the group's stated wish "to enhance the lives of families and young people throughout New Zealand". It was, it added, naive to argue that Grand Theft Auto V was simply a game. "Sexually callous attitudes such as those evident among the so-called Roast Busters do not exist in a vacuum. They are shaped by messages within popular culture, pornography, misogynistic games and the like."

That connection is the stuff of academic debate. But it is reasonable to assume that video games have a higher impact than, say, films because of their interactive nature and the repetitive involvement of the players. It is noteworthy that Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik said he "trained" for the attacks he carried out in 2011 using the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The Grand Theft Auto series has been enormously successful. It is defended by some on the ground that it presents a parody of modern America. The Office of Film and Literature Classification acknowledged this, saying the satire that is part and parcel of the latest edition moderated to a degree the torture, cruelty and violence. It also begged to differ with those who see a connection with the Roast Busters. "Due to the game's fantastical, over-the-top nature and satirical elements, there is never any sense that it promotes or encourages criminal behaviour outside of game play."

Either way, The Warehouse has every right to decide what it wants to sell. No law dictates that it must stock video games and films of any description. If its new policy is viewed as representing another layer of censorship, it will be punished at the tills by people annoyed that they have been deprived of freedom of choice.

The Warehouse, however, is breaking no new barriers in being prepared to consider more than just bottom-line profit. Food producers are addressing concerns about animal welfare. Some funds managers have stopped investing in arms manufacturers. The Warehouse, for its part, is addressing a nagging societal concern. In such cases, the customer reaction is normally highly positive.