This is so STUPID...

[Destroyer2000]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/08/news_6093252.html

^^ Someone is ticked off because Nintendo games have caused seizures in children before. If so, DON'T GIVE A KID THAT HAS EPILEPSY PLAY A GAME WITH FLASHING LIGHTS! Sheesh! There is a warning there for a reason! I can't stand ignorant people...

[Lochaber Axe]

Its mostly the same as in the MacDonald's cases. Just lazy idiots getting a quick buck out of the pockets of consumer loved (its a stretch, I know, I'm just generalizing) big companies. No matter what a company has done, unless there was a big time cover-up that would hurt countless lives such as in Tobacco cases, it is just a get-rich quick scheme.

[Straylight]

Its mostly the same as in the MacDonald's cases. Just lazy idiots getting a quick buck out of the pockets of consumer loved (its a stretch, I know, I'm just generalizing) big companies. No matter what a company has done, unless there was a big time cover-up that would hurt countless lives such as in Tobacco cases, it is just a get-rich quick scheme.

Definately -- people love to find faults in big companies with lots of money... the BBC team behind those documentaries obviously had to dig deep to find all that crap. However to be honest, nitpicking has positive effects. Without it, powerful corporations would end up doing whatever they wanted to.

(A good example of constructive nitpicking is the exposure of the "sweatshop" employment policies of Nike - I don't think anyone in their right mind wants them to get away with that)

[Lochaber Axe]

Of course, if you ever read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair then you can tell why that book helped clean up the meat packing contamination practices of Turn of the Century Chicago.

[ShiroiHikari]

I thought the epilepsy thing was old news? o.o

I wish I could see this documentary though. Sounds interesting.

[Straylight]

I'll definately be watching that series... will report back in this thread for y'all

EDIT: Dang, it's on BBC3 - a digital channel... oh well

[Zilch]

that IS stupid, esp. since all games have warngin labels all over them about epilepsy and stuff like that...dumb, dumb people...it's like having to say...

"Warning: Eating too many greasy hamburgers in quick succession may cause weight gain in some people, leading to being the brunt of jokes and poor self-esteem development."

[MasterDias]

Of course, if you ever read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair then you can tell why that book helped clean up the meat packing contamination practices of Turn of the Century Chicago.

My history teacher mentioned that book.
Sounds interesting...

[Lochaber Axe]

Be wary though, the writer was a Socialist and the book gets very Pro-Socialist at the end.

[Zilch]

*coffofftopiccofcoff*

But, yeah, they layer these games with warnings, then people STILL complain? I don't understand...

[cbwing0]

It sounds to me like they were running out of things to put in the documentary, and had to milk the seizure issue for all they could.

[Lightbringer]

this is pretty lazy, wish people would shape up a little. but as for the running out of documentary stuff thats true cause i was watching some animal channel the other day and i saw a show dedicated to mice. Now mice are fine, but its usually predetory animals they use cause its more interesting to see a wildabeast get taken over (to me anyway) then a mouse gnawing on the wood in your house, i get enough of that in real life.

Anyway, Id like to see a law passed where dumb law suits end up in the plaintif haveing to pay the defendent and give a public apology...... the flogging afterwards is optional (yes im serious, sept for the flogging part)

Lightbringer // Aaron

[uc pseudonym]

It sounds to me like they were running out of things to put in the documentary, and had to milk the seizure issue for all they could.

Probably.

Similar to "The Jungle" is "Fast Food Nation." An interesting read, all in all.

On the original topic, I do find this slightly amusing. In another way it is saddening... people will do so much for money...

It would make an interesting sci-fi story to create a world in which there are warning labels for absolutely everything (ie "Do not smash your body into this wall" "Do not attempt to eat this carpet" "Do not snort this fire up your nose" etc).

[Fsiphskilm]

Try playiing

[Bobtheduck]

I wonder why no one sued Ridley Scott... Towards the end of Alien, I thought I was going to have a seizure... "Pi...KA... CHUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"

And, Volt, the seizure warning probably, like the "This coffee is hot" warning, only came after the problem caused the need.

Lightbringer: It is because of bad interpretation of law that these sorts of suits go through in the first place... If a law about frivilous lawsuits were to be passed, it would likely cause more problems than it solved. The plain fact is, you really just need a judge with common sense and who believes in the spirit of the law, and hope you don't get a big organization in on it...

UC: Or just a joke movie.

[Fsiphskilm]

[quote="Bobth

[Benu]

Yea the seizure thing is kinda old. Every game has a waring now so that should be enough uless you can't read or something. But there should be a law aganist those people who modify their bodys. I was watching some thing last night on national geographic and I was shocked at what some stupid kids are doing now just so they can be different. No offence too anyone here that might be into that stuff but I would never like almost kill myself by branding a design into my skin or getting a tatoo by lighting.

Anyway I'm going off topic. But hey the games have warnings so people should start reading. But games do have affects on kids I know people are going too get mad but yes games can have very bad affects on little kids. But I only take that too a certant exstient.

[Straylight]

I dunno about you guys, but even back in the old school days, all my Sega Megadrive games had seizure warnings in the manual.. so I'm really not sure what the fuss is about to be honest. Perhaps the issue was further back than that...

[uc pseudonym]

If I recall (and I may not) the seizure issue wasn't ever that big of an issue with video games. At least, video games were not the origin. I believe it got some publicity after the Pokemon issue, but other than that I really don't remember anything. There have been seizure warnings for a while...

[Zedian]

I think it still comes down to bad parenting, parents should be aware of their child's health including chronic illnesses and such. And if they don't, still read the content of a game -- it's printed for a reason.

[Debitt]

=/ Goodness...my friend wrote a speech about frivolous lawsuits. Maybe I should ask her if I could post it here.

There's a pop-up window on Ragnarok everytime you sign on with a seizure warning on it. Heck, I've been seeing seizure warnings in the back of video game manuals since my days with the original Nintendo (gosh, that kinda makes me feel old) - they've always been there, and if a parent or a gamer is too negligent to read the warnings before they or their kid plays the game, then the resulting seizure really isn't anyone's fault but theirs. It's like suing McDonald's for your weight problem, really.

[uc pseudonym]

You could accuse people filing such lawsuits of being stupid, or admit that they're smart. It is a method of getting money for practically nothing. Unfortunately, our Constitution has no clause that states that such manipulation (and lunacy) is a capital offense.

I have an idea. MacDonalds should sue all their customers for eating their products. After all, this consumption of food caused them to become fat, and none of the consumers had any visible warnings stating "Caution: Giving food to this person will result in expensive lawsuits."

And if they don't, still read the content of a game -- it's printed for a reason.

You assume these people can read.

[Straylight]

What I think would be funny is if the legal system in America decided to sue all the dodgy lawyers their clients for the amount of time and money that they have wasted.

[Debitt]

Would serve them all right, that's for sure. ^^;