Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Never Expect A Beaver To Talk About Anything But Dams

So FOX news responded to the withering criticism it received after asking, in typically apocalyptic tones, Is Bulletstorm the Worst Video Game in the World?.

I mentioned this once in the Bulletstorm post last week--specifically, that the article included claims about video games that were essentially fabricated out of the ether.

Also fabricated out of ether was the "opposition" of experts quoted in the story. RPS shows quite clearly that FOX basically extracted single sentences out of long responses, entirely without context, to further their agenda.

What's amusing about FOX's response--which you can read here--is one plain fact: it's a shitty piece of writing. It seemingly wanders at random from subject to subject, using incendiary descriptions in place of, well, logic.

Most prominently, the article harps on just how easy it would be for an underage consumer to buy this game online. Why, all a ten-year-old would need is a gift card to an online site that sells games! And all they have to do is lie about their age to see game videos!

Wait--doesn't that exact same scenario apply to movies and music (or anything else) as well, with any website that issues gift cards? Besides, you don't have to lie about your age to see disgusting video content--just head over to YouTube. Oh, and don't forget free porn previews!

Underage consumers can access everything online. The porn, though, is free. The game isn't.

Of course, they don't address the ridiculous claims by Carol Lieberman that rape has increased because of violent games. Quite possibly, that is one of the most delightfully inept fabrications of all time, because there are simply no studies that exist to suppor that claim. None.

Would FOX perhaps correct that ridiculous bit of inaccuracy? Of course not, because games are Frankenstein, and anything that doesn't gin the villagers up to grab their burning torches simply won't fit.

Allow to me to recommend a new slogan. FOX News: the truth is inconvenient.

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