Quick Jump Daily Digest

Thank you for your interest in the Quick Jump Daily Digest. Get notified of all new content on QJ in our free Daily Digest. To subscribe, enter your email address below and click the subscribe button.

Cancel and Return to page

Ready at Dawn's Ru Weerasuriya talks about violence in media

Posted Aug 30, 2007 at 10:09PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Wii, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS Tags: Greece, Jack Thompson, Ready At Dawn, Ru Weerasuriya

Ru Weerasuriya of Ready At Dawn - Image 1

It's nice to see game developers with a little flexibility for their intended target market. Aside from catering to a wider audience of gamers, it's just good business sense. This was probably what was going through Ready at Dawn's mind when they followed up their very wholesome platformer, Daxter, with the upcoming mythological hack-and-slash game, God of War: Chains of Olympus.

With the God of War series already infamous for its bloody appeal to gamers everywhere, you have to wonder, especially with the growing attention people have been giving to violence in media, if there's any hope for violent games left in the video game market. Ru Weerasuriya, founder and vice president of Ready at Dawn, wrote an article on the subject, giving his opinion on the effect of violence in media.

He focuses on the inevitably bloody theme of God of War: Chains of Olympus and how it compares to the many violent games being criticized in the market (and of course the name of Mr. Jack Thompson just had to come up in his article). He says that because the game is based on Greek mythology, it is inevitable that the theme of violence and sordid tales will be inserted into God of War. In introspect, the violence the game depicts is tame compared to the actual mythology and even the history of Greece.

Of course, you can't help but insert the advocacy of freedom of expression when defending a medium which you find yourself prolific in and a majority of Weerasuriya's arguments focus mainly on such. Saying that the advent of the interactive entertainment industry cannot be blamed just because some feel threatened of the way such medium is presented that offends them and threatens their comfortable way of living.

God of War: Chains of Olympus logo - Image 1

He goes on to say that the most important thing about violence in games is the way we should learn from them rather than be ignorant of how we choose to thrust aside our children in front of the TV to play a game which we know nothing of, and therefore, neglect the proper education and instruction to those who willingly play the game without a wider perspective about the moral issues involved.

He tops off his article with a well said statement:

Is there violence in games? Yes. But do games engender violence? No. Ignorance does. And from the look of things being said and written lately, ignorance is abundant. To the people who blame videogames as the cause of violence, pour your energy into a worthwhile cause. Fight ignorance--first and foremost within yourself.

Wise words from someone with an inside look into the industry itself. It may give people something to think about the next time they try to criticize games for their content rather than what it means to understand them as a whole.

This story sucks? This story rocks!

Vote Now!

(0)

(0)

And it's ironic too since he's the most violent yet most peaceful of the lost castaways.

oh well, interesting thoughts. Violence comes in many forms and does influence children, but jumping on videogames as the sole cause of kid's problems is really stupid. We were all kids at some point and we all know kids suck anyway. who cares about them.

# Final statement — Guest 2007-08-31 04:20

On the Full article his final statement is well said.

# Ru! — Guest 2007-08-31 10:41

Ru is the man, hopefully he and his team continue working on PSP titles every now and then....

# noone — Guest 2007-08-31 12:43

Lol, nobody cares, but if you ignore them all long enough and let them play these games they will save up their lunch money, buy a gun and go on a killing spree that might get some grown ups involved!

Refresh comments list

Add comment

JComments

HOT GAMING NEWS | LATEST GAMING SEARCHES | FORUMS

QUICK JUMP DAILY DIGEST

Welcome to QJ.Net!

If you want your comments to go live without waiting for moderation, you need to be logged in. Being logged in has its benefits:

Logged in members do not wait for their comments to be approved.
Logged in members can create Profiles to be seen by other users.

So why wait? Create an account or login now! It's easy, quick, and free.

To get started, use the LOGIN boxes, or the REGISTER link below!

Want to learn more about the team who brings you the QJ news?

Read about them now!

HOT FLASH GAMES

QJ.NET Categories
• Apple • E3 • Featured Articles • Gadgets • Games for Windows • iPad • iPhone • MMORPG • Mobile • News • Nintendo 3DS • Nintendo DS • Opinions & Analysis	• Photography • PlayStation 3 • PoV • PS Vita • PSP • Rumors • Science • Site News • Tabula Rasa • Wii • Wii U • World of Warcraft • Xbox 360

Sitemap

Newest Downloads

05/22/2012 - 05/29/2012

edicpopDS v0.3.01	05/29/2012
RGLoader 0v290 Beta	05/27/2012
WiiMod 3.2	05/27/2012
WiiMC v1.2.7	05/25/2012
True Blue Firmeware v2.7	05/24/2012
3DS Video Converter v2.3	05/24/2012
Mobile Assault 1.8.2	05/24/2012
PSP Tools Alpha 0.1	05/22/2012
Newton War	05/22/2012
DaedalusX64 r766	05/22/2012
PSPMarble	05/22/2012
The Undead 4 - Nazi Zombies	05/21/2012
3DSExplorer v1.2.1	05/21/2012
J-Runner v0.2 Beta 275	05/19/2012
Priiloader 0.8 Beta 3	05/19/2012

Most Comments this Month
Sound Off: On Game Expirat..	(58)
Say Goodbye to the Xbox 36..	(31)
EA Blames iOS Rock Band Ex..	(28)
Flash0 Contents Of Vita's..	(27)
Sony Had a Rough Year; Vit..	(26)
PlayStation 3: Now Featuri..	(23)
Sound Off: Toughest Game C..	(20)
Apparently You Can Pre-Ord..	(19)
Love It or Hate It, It's A..	(16)
PoV: This Collectors Editi..	(15)
You've Been Up in Arms Abo..	(15)
Pre-Order Generic Shooter..	(15)
PoV: You Are Wrong about C..	(14)
Get Off Xbox Live, You Ped..	(14)
This is Next Gen?	(14)
Metal Gear Solid For Vita..	(14)
PoV: Paid MMOs are Dead	(14)
Stop Your Whining, Start C..	(13)
Pokemon Liquid Crystal! K..	(12)
OK, So Maybe Microsoft Can..	(12)
Does Microsoft Ever Have a..	(12)
Operation Raccoon City Pro..	(12)
Diablo III Getting Mauled..	(12)
Blizzard is Really Sorry a..	(11)
Update: EA Drops Free BF3..	(11)

Top Jumps this Month
Naruto Shippuden: Ul..	(166)
neur0n Knocks Out An..	(100)
Pokemon Liquid Cryst..	(100)
Bust Out Your PSP Fo..	(90)
PSP homebrew - LameC..	(67)
Wii homebrew - WAD M..	(52)
PSP Comics Reader v2..	(50)
PSP Homebrew: 6.xx P..	(43)
Hellcat Working On R..	(41)
PSP Homebrew - PSPDi..	(41)
PSP homebrew - DSonP..	(38)
neur0n Gives You Mor..	(37)
Sound Off: On Game E..	(35)
PSP GBA v1.2: Gamebo..	(33)
Latest Left 4 Dead 2..	(31)
Another CFW Goodie F..	(30)
GTA IV patch 1.0.6.0..	(29)
Soywiz Releases PSP..	(29)
Download full Sid Me..	(28)
Sound Off: Should Ap..	(28)
Homebrew - PSP/PS3 P..	(24)
PSP homebrew - Mario..	(23)
DS homebrew game - S..	(21)
Brian Lara Internati..	(21)
Metal Gear Solid For..	(21)

HOT GAMING NEWS TOPICS

Quick Jump Daily Digest

Ready at Dawn's Ru Weerasuriya talks about violence in media

Related Stories:

Comments

Add comment

Newest Downloads