Anybody with an eye on the games industry will have noticed the ongoing heated debate surrounding an ad from a number of state backed UK charities that implies videogames lead to a sedentary lifestyle that can (and it would seem, will) in turn lead to an early grave. A number of organisations within the industry have decried the ad and a further number of individuals have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority. Oh, there’s also a facebook group too. My first thought on the ad is that Sony should consider its legal options. That controller is an icon and central to their brand, furthermore it is unfair that they should be singled out (and by association, slandered) to any degree. Furthermore, and for reasons I’ll explore, it is slightly predatory that they should use the DualShock (or a controller that greatly resembles it) for the ad rather than a generic joypad.
What the debate illustrates for me is a breed of biopower that has risen to prominence within UK public sector communications that has eventually (and inevitably) stepped over the line. Whenever a public body (or a public sponsored charity) has a message to spread that gives it the unassailable moral high ground that usually gives it an automatic license to shock, offend and attack at will for no other reason that it being “good” for the rest of us.
The UK witnessed the moral dismantlement of the Tobacco industry, piece by piece, throughout the late 20th and century. Some of the most stark and powerful advertising of recent years has been from the NHS, graphically illustrating the horror and bitter mortality of lung and throat cancer. What is worrying is that the same logic and the same method of moral deconstruction is being applied to the videogame industry.
It seems ludicrous to draw comparisons between the tobacco and videogame industry, but that is what seems to be happening. Nobody would argue that cigarettes contribute to the well being and betterment of society, its pretty black and white - for videogames, it isn't so straightforward. Whether you enjoy them or not, the fact remains that some of the brightest artistic and technical minds in the world are right now working on videogames, producing some of the most vibrant and challenging works of entertainment and art of modern times.
Of course, there is an issue of balance here. The aim of this advert is to discourage sedentary lifestyles and encourage positive activity. However what is frustrating is that an old stereotype has been employed as the basis of the metaphor which drives it. Why not show a kid reading Ulysses for 14 hours a day? That’s not healthy. Oh wait! Ulysses is widely accepted as a work of genius where as games are a commonly misconceived as a drain on society. I get it now!
Conversely, why don’t they show a picture of kids in hospital engaging in physical and mental rehabilitation with the Nintendo Wii? That would send a very different message about what games mean and how they contribute.
The overall impression I get from this advert is one of arrogance. Whether it was through ignorance and lack of thoroughness in the planning of the ad (a focus group of gamers might have been interesting) or sheer conceit on the basis of its moral imperative, there is an obvious amount of indiscretion at work. The fact is videogames can - and in many case should be encouraged to - be enjoyed as part of a balanced healthy lifestyle. The benefits they offer: personally, culturally and economically (let’s not forget we’re in a recession) are so broad and it would be a shame for any child to miss out on what they can deliver based on some clumsy, decedent government campaign.