.

Yes, because the gaming industry needs more people to start pirating games.

Respect

Mr Taylor's 10 year old son bled to death in an alley after being stabbed in the leg. I'm not sure if he should be advising the prime minister on violence in games, but I am sure that the author of this post should show more respect when voicing his opinions. Just my opinion.

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"I have young people who I mentor and I see them go up and buy the games and it saddens me that they are being able to have such a negative impact," But they dont have a negative impact on adults at all? What about seniors? Surely video games have a negative impact on senior citizens (and yes some seniors do play them). But of course you dont mention them now do you, just the young ones. Go *****ing die you ageist piece of british *****.

Respect

Would you mind pointing out to me the instances where I disrespected Mr. Taylor or his kid?

Karl B.

Maybe you don't get just how much scapegoating goes in the UK? Thugs run the streets of London because there's no fear of retribution. Violent crime has seen a huge jump since they effectively banned gun ownership. Defend yourself against a burglar or attacker? Get arrested and face stiff sentences.

Idiocy

If they did that in my country, I'd stab more people. Trust me. Like video games are the cause of all problems. How about movies that cost a tenth of most games? Eh? Movies that aren't CGI, that more accurately portray violence? People love blaming video games don't they.

LOLWUT

That has to be the dumbest, most self centered thing I've ever heard. That isn't going to reduce anything, it will just be giving the government more money.

Retribution

That's what I mean when I say they should look towards more concrete measures. How would heavy taxation on video games affect these thugs? Do they think of it as some form of retribution that I just don't get? Now if the government actually try and fix problems like the one you mentioned ("Defend yourself against a burglar or attacker? Get arrested and face stiff sentences." - which by the way is totally F-ed up), then maybe crime would indeed be reduced.

exactly

People are always looking for a quick and easy scapegoat.

I thought it was proven that sin taxes don't work

Sin taxes have been put on alcohol, cigarettes, and other things. I thought there have been studies that found that this does not stop people from buying them. I imagine that it wont stop ANYONE from buying violent games.

Since when did this site become a place of political debate?

Less politics, more pspupdates, please. We have other sites for politics.

Violent Video Games are good

Not really sure, but, I think violence will increase without violent video games, because, thanks to this type of games, we can do what we can not do in the real life.

Yeah....

I hate it....why are movies never mentioned. I suppose it's because you are not "pretending" to be the person doing the violence....but really, if you get in to a movie the whole idea is to assume the state of mind of all the people in the movie in order to get the best thrill....including the killers. This is just stupid, too many studies have shown it does not increase violence and none have shown that it increases it. Just a dumb way to give the gov more money. Violent games are the most popular....let's tax them, than play it off like we are trying to do a service to the people.... fawk you....

What about very high tax on knife instead?

It was the knives that killed.. not the games. Ok we can spare the butter knives may be but that *+3 ATK enchanted dagger* that I see in the mall fantacy shop. Is that thing really necessary in real life?

hmm...

"Mr. Taylor also mentioned that a lot of rap music, especially those coming from America, is full of negative content. "It is creating more of a problem because of the language that is used," he said. "It is language that, as a father, I would not allow my children to hear." I believe this is what you should tax then, because in my mind, Rap is more violent than video games. In fact music in general can be extremely violent, not just Rap as a genre. He is also right in knowing that most of that sh*t is coming from America, I hate it when teenager "bump" that sh*t when I'm out with my family, makes me want to slit someones throat.

lol

The tax would only affect the people that arent involved in that *****. The *****ing knife crime isnt just any kids, its the mostly london kids that are trying to act the way black americans are shown on tv and through rap, FFS they are fighting over postcodes... they are delusional little idiots! How the hell does making games more expensive change anything?? Does he seriously believe if games didnt exist these little idiots wouldnt be stabbing each other.

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"Violent crime has seen a huge jump since they effectively banned gun ownership." Thats got nothing to do with guns..

this is most dumbest thing i have heard

So a high tax on games then , not films, books, comics, cartoons. I hate the fact it is always the games blamed, no one blames the perents for buying the games for their kids or the shops for selling an 18 rated game to a kids. I think some people forget that machines like the 360, Wii and ps3 are also played by grown ups aswell and not just kids. I have been playing games for over 30 years, however i dont feel like going out and stabbing someone. all it needs is education, perents need to know about game ratings, all because it is a Wii game dont think it is a kids game i.e Manhunt 2.

>>

Great make the one thing young people have to do even more expesive, I'm sure that will really resolve the situation. Young people are the way they are because they are angry, and not because a video game told them to do it, this is not what influences them. Movies have been doing what games are doing for much longer, and we don't see the governments blaming the movies now do we.

.

Taxing these games will lower the sales of them. I expect heavy backlash from the video game companies, seeing as how some violent games are among the top-rated. Anyway, taxing would stop people who are even 17+ from wanting to buy the games as well (especially considering the state of the global economy). Just as how school uniforms won't stop gangs, taking violent things from society won't stop violence.

XD

" It was the knives that killed.. not the games. Ok we can spare the butter knives may be but that *+3 ATK enchanted dagger* that I see in the mall fantacy shop. Is that thing really necessary in real life? " super lol agreed

Jesus...

These people don't live in the real world. Knife crime is possible due to the ready availablility of knives and the *****ed up lives of those that carry them - violent videogames are the reflection, not the catalyst.

Orlyeh, My thoughts exactly...

When you disarm law abiding citizens, criminals know they have easy targets. Musev, it has everything to do with guns. If an attacker suspects he may be shot he will probably avoid confronting you. ajnauron everyone has the natural God given right to defend themselves and their family and property by any means necessary. Guns just happen to be the best means available. There is nothing political about it. And if you don't believe in God, you still have the right to defend yourself.

(rant time)

Agreed, Taxing computer games will NOT reduce Knife crime in the UK at all! I can only imagin how painful a loss it was for Mr taylor to lose his son in such a pointless way, but attacking computer games and saying there to blaim is like him saying computer games killed his son and not the killer. Is that how we are meant to look at knife crime in the uk and indeed the rest of the world now? What, so is the government going to tell all these people who have lost family and friends "We're so very sorry for your loss, but don't worry. we have found the game that the killer was playing and are now going to sue the companie. all will be fine now", Bull**it! Movies, Tv programmes, books and other media are Just as bad, if not worse. It's so easy the blaim games than it is to blaim the parents, who should be paying attention too what there kids are up to and guiding them in life. Oh no, instead they sit on there fat arses, letting there kids run a muck and then think to blaim computer games because A: they either don't educate themselves to what there kids play or just don't care but feel a need to blaim games anyway because some twit said so. B: There lazy, stupid, one sighted fools who just because they didn't have this when they were kids but be the root of all todays problems. Well done you clever people! your short sightedness has just F**cked another generation of gamers.

Tax

They only want to put pathetic tax on things because they are running out of money. Stupid government.

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ajnauron, politics became inextricably linked with games when politicians decided to start having public opinions about them and making attempts to regulate them in illegal ways. Therefore, any site that delivers gaming news and allows user comments is by default a forum for political debate. And on the main subject... Laws, no matter how well intentioned, need to be developed and administered intelligently. Laws that further victimize the victim by making one defenseless against an assailant doesn't reduce crime, it promotes crime. Taxing "violent video games" doesn't reduce knifing incidents, it promotes piracy. Furthermore, how does one define violence? Mario has murdered billions of living mushroom people by stomping on their heads, should we levy an increased tax on Mario games to prevent fungicide and or copycat crimes against humans? I'm not joking here, think about this seriously because there are people who belive no form of violence of any kind has any place in video games because "video games are for kids."