The Red Cross is calling for games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty to follow international laws. They want players of games like these to face penalties for their offences when they kill civilians and prisoners in the game.
Bernard Barett, a spokesman for the international Committee of the Red Cross, explains that they “want to make it clear that there are rules in battle and that certain acts are illegal.”
The organization wants to ensure and address that shooting innocents, torturing, attacking ambulances and murdering prisoners, among others, are understood through real laws.
Barett says they are not asking to censor or eliminate any components of the game. They simply want games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty to “respect the basic rules of armed conflict” and to give penalties to players when they commit a crime.
Call of Duty is opposed to the change, saying the video games are “clearly fictitious.”
Hidden Agenda
It seems to me Red Cross is coming from the idea that video games affect the minds of players. So, by creating a more realistic world where players receive consequences for their crimes, they think this will solve this ongoing debate: Do video games cause violence in the real world? It is very clear what their hidden agenda and opinions are of video games.
So, what do you think? Should game developers listen to Red Cross’s call to change the way games like GTA are played?
