Keith Vaz Warns Violent Games Are Worse Than Violent Films

Speaking in a House of Commons debate earlier today, Labour MP Keith Vaz again called for cigarette packet-style warnings to be “splashed across the front” of all violent videogames, despite the lack of such warnings on equally violent films.

Members in the House were discussing the 1984 Video Recordings Act, discovered last year to be invalid due to legal technicalities. Until the law is reinstated, it is essentially legal to sell films and videogames to people of any age, regardless of their classification. Vaz claimed the interactive nature of videogames sets them apart from films, requiring special warnings for consumers and retailers:

A film with inappropriate content is not interactive. The point about video games, which is backed up by research from America, is that the player is part of the process. Players shoot and stab people in a videogame, and that is different. I accept that inappropriate content is wrong, wherever it is found, but videogames are different.

Keith Vaz, who is the MP for Leicester East and the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, used the infamous “No Russian” level from Modern Warfare 2 as an example of videogame violence. Just as he has done previously, he gave this example without any plot context or mention of the fact it is an optional scene:

If a young person gets hold of Modern Warfare 2, for example, they will be asked to participate in a terrorist attack; they will be asked to shoot at civilians in Moscow airport as part of the game.

Vaz did make it clear he was not in favour of censorship, and that “those who are aged 18-plus should be able to buy and watch [sic] whatever videogames they want”, but insisted that young children be protected. Bizarrely, he supported the assertion with irrelevant research showing over half of all eight to 11-year-olds use the internet without adult supervision.

He also wheeled out the case of Stefan Pakeerah, a teenager who’s murder in 2004 sparked outrage over the game Manhunt. Many, including Vaz, called for the game to be banned, claiming Pakeerah’s killer was inspired by actions in the game. It was later revealed his killer Warren LeBlanc did not own the game, but Pakeerah himself did.

Despite the question of how 14-year-old Pakeerah was able to obtain an 18-rated game, and the judge in the murder trial finding no link with Manhunt, Vaz continues to use this example in his crusade against videogames. It’s clear that he’s latched on to “No Russian” in the same way, without actually playing the level for himself. It’s extremely worrying that a man so clearly lacking in understanding of the medium can wield so much influence over the discussion of videogames in Parliament and the media.