Okay, CVG ed man Tim has just returned from Television Centre, having fought the good fight for video games on Alan Titchmarsh's afternoon show. He's likened it to a "hallucination".
Taking part alongside daytime 'relationship expert' (read: sex toy connoisseur) Julie Peasgood and former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie, Tim defended the industry in a debate entitled: 'Are violent video games corrupting our children?'
Believe it or not, the polemical contest was picked to 'celebrate' the BAFTA Video Games Awards, which get underway this Friday. Not that you'd know.
Tim described Peasgood as "mumsy in a MILF-y way, and quite nice really... but woefully ill-informed". She labelled games "addictive" and "racist". We're not joking.
Tim found an odd ally, however, in notoriously reactionary newspaper man MacKenzie - who despite confessing ignorance over gaming, agreed with a few of the CVG man's points. However, MacKenzie was concerned over increasing realism in violent games.
It was Titchmarsh, though, who was the biggest surprise package.
"I found myself in the bizarre position of debating the merits of a libertarian society with TV's most famous gardener," said Tim. "He wouldn't let up. It was like he morphed into a Daily Mail-sponsored version of Paxman before my very eyes."
The best bit is, Tim got booed by a load of grannies. That's pretty much what we're most interested in seeing.
The show airs 5pm, Friday on ITV1. Our bit's on just after Sooty & Sweep and Matthew Kelly.
I look forward to it And don't worry, I'll just play GTA, get pumped and violent, then do some violent things to those grannys. Yeah. Violence. Coz I play games
Ignorance is bliss for these so-called social commentators. I'd really like to see them put infront of an audience full of gamers and quiz them Question Time stylee.
Titchmarsh may have been the biggest bottom on the show but I dont think i could have sat within punching distance of Kelvin MacKenzie without trying to knock the guy spark out!!
As a gamer of many years I'd like to think myself and any other right minded person can see that games are fine and not the horrible things they're made out to be in the media. Get me on these shows, I'd show just how ridiculous these anti-games people can be.
if anything has effected me its the internet, or TV programs not game. although you are killing people anyone over the age of 15 relises that its fake and its fun. however game like call of duty MW age limits stop them from playing it ect. its the perants/guardians fault for letting them play a game over their age. just like its the cinimas fault if they let 10 year old into 15 movies simple as
Video games can be addictive and some people (particularly children) are more influenced than others by seeing violence and sex in films or games. Even so, to say that all games are dangerous or evil would be an overstatement.
Parents have a responsibility to make sure their children are only exposed to entertainment suitable for their age and maturity level. Parents should be aware of their children's personalities. If some children have addictive personalities, the parents may want to closely monitor and regulate the amount of time they spend playing games.
The industry can also help by making sure that "mature rated" games aren't marketed for children as well as giving good information regarding content to the consumer. Retail outlets also have a responsibility in making sure games are only sold to those old enough (as indicated by the rating).
Well done guys, anything that can be done to bring some common sense & videogames savvy to these ill-informed people is a step in the right direction. I've been a gamer for over 30 years and am probably one of the least violent people around. Well, except for that one time when my mates Cody, Axel, Guy, Blaze, Adam, Haggar and myself went out for a stroll.
It's going to be very interesting to see how this gets edited in the end. I've got a funny feeling Tim's sensible points will be "mysteriously" lost down the back of the cutting room sofa.
A gardeners opinion on video games eh? For craps sake. I'm sick of people preaching about our hobby which they know NOTHING about. I've been playing video games for 23 years and i've never went crazy with a shotgun
I've been playing games since I was a about seven and have never been violent without reason. I mean if a giant zombie is chasing you with a chainsaw, who isnt going to get angry?
People needs to give gamers and children more credit. Just because they see something in a game doesnt mean they are going to go out and copy it or make them more violent.
Thats like saying everyone who watches soaps is going to go on to be a p**s poor actor. The youth of today are not so impressionable as the ignorant politicians and egotists would have us believe.
Those that do imitate things they see in games or on TV, well they've got more serious problems than playing on their consoles.
I've played computer games since I was about 8 years old, back on the old atari through the bad times on an amstrad and the good times on to the amiga. Ps2 was a good friend to me, The xbox followed and now the 360 is my buddy. During the periods i wasn't playing I never once killed or maimed anyone (do prostitutes count?) and I don't ever recall car jacking someone and running people over. Games have always been violent but the graphpics and realism has incresed to a very hugh level now but isn't that why they have an age rating now? It's down to the parents to control what thier children are playing and seeing when they play games. I'm a parent myself and always check what my kids are playing. People who don't know anything about games shouldn't be telling everyone else what should and shouldn't be done.
By the power of Grayskull Tim! I hope you Fought well against Alan (Skeletor) Tichmarsh and his evil army the grannie brigade armed with there most diabolical weapon the Dail Mail!
A gardeners opinion on video games eh? For craps sake. I'm sick of people preaching about our hobby which they know NOTHING about. I've been playing video games for 23 years and i've never went crazy with a shotgun
Neither have i, i was very controlled when i shot 17 people in the trafford centre, i was a bit confused when nobody dropped a first aid kit though.
Its this stupid perception that people in general still think games are only for kids. They can't seem to get past that, but anything can be addictive if there is not control. PARENTS are to blame for not looking after their kids properly. They don't blame movies and music as much, but like those, games are always used as a scapegoat to cover up inept or careless parents.
I see those scrote, chav parents screaming at their kids for no reason whatsoever, treating them like shit simply because their retarded minds can't deal with looking after their kids. Its these types of people who are bringing down society and not makers of videogames
Manhunt made me feel a bit odd, I wonder if a version on PS4 or 720, with very realistic 3-D graphics, Force feedback on your knife, totally immersive gameplay, how that would affect you, especially if you were on Chop Chop Master Onion's stage on parappa the rapper.
I'd have thought Matthew Kelly is more of a danger to children than video games are.
Brilliant!
This story is hilarious, but well done Tim for going on there. Kelvin McKenzie sounds sensible on the matter, because some games (a very small minority, actually) are pretty gratuitous to the average person, not that I think they affect sane people.
If the Government wanted to censor anything like this, they should start with films. The issue with both games and films should be "Is this acceptable entertainment?" I've got no time for people who think games are just for kids.
I've played computer games since I was about 8 years old, back on the old atari through the bad times on an amstrad and the good times on to the amiga. Ps2 was a good friend to me, The xbox followed and now the 360 is my buddy. During the periods i wasn't playing I never once killed or maimed anyone (do prostitutes count?) and I don't ever recall car jacking someone and running people over. Games have always been violent but the graphpics and realism has incresed to a very hugh level now but isn't that why they have an age rating now? It's down to the parents to control what thier children are playing and seeing when they play games. I'm a parent myself and always check what my kids are playing. People who don't know anything about games shouldn't be telling everyone else what should and shouldn't be done.
Digging up dirt is what Titchmarsh does best, but I didn't realise that this counted for the gaming industry, as well.
He should stick to his own things instead of kicking up a fuss about the gaming industry, when he probably hasn't even played a game in his life.....unless he had a go on a Wii, because he saw Ant and Dec do it. ¬_¬
Whatever would they say, if they saw the way Kratos acted 24/7? Kratos is so badass, that he could intimidate anyone (including Phil Mitchell from Eastenders), just by appearing on a tv screen!
He doesn't even have to exist, and he still manages to do that to people.
Gaming is a sin. It makes us unintelligent beings, and turns us into vile and wretched creatures......no it doesn't. That's what living in the real world does to you. Gaming is an escape.
If only Steve McQueen could see the real great escape.
There are age ratings for a reason and I don't think it is right to let people too young to play them but it is mostly down to parental guidance. If you are bought up from an early age playing MW2 for example and you kill people see them get up. Kill them again. See them get up again. A child knows no better then to think that if you kill someone they will just get back up again. Especially if your parents influence you in thinking it is a good thing you are gonna turn into a Jon Venables for sure. Stick to the age ratings and be responsible is all that is needed.
Oh my God!!! I really feel for you Tim... Those complete MORONS drove me Insane!!! I really hate how people just group all games in to one category. You have the patience of a saint to sit through that agonising torture!
I think there really needs to be more awareness of how games are rated by PEGI and the BBFC, and that games shouldn't be available to minors if they're under the age of the game.
Well I watched the interview. The outcome was not surprising.
I cannot believe there is still so much ignorance about video games. I'd be willing to bet that Tim was the only one there who knew anything about the sort of content contained in mature-rated games, the rest basing their opinions on speculation and hearsay.
Is it any wonder that mature games keep being played by people who should not be playing them when parents have no idea of their contents? Here's a tip - stop being so sodding irresponsible and pay attention to what you're buying for your children. Age ratings are put on boxes, how is it that people are incapable of understanding this concept. In the words of the ancient philosopher Clarksonius "how hard can it be?".
Just watched it. What a load of ignorant idiots. The are the equivalent of your grandparents (if you're above 30 at least), complaining about things they know nothing about, and will never know anything about because they feel intimidated and left behind. "Oooh! It's different and young people like it and it's dangerous and I feel threatened and so it must be evil!"
Well done Tim for remaining calm in the face of what can only be described as prejudice.
Seems to me that the only person that made any sense was Tim
Blondie is "categorically against violence for entertainment", so she's never watched a violent film, read a book with any violence in it, seen a programme on tv with violence in it? Give me a break, what a load of Bul@#?it.
McKenzie needs to check on his facts too. Childs play 3 was blamed in the media for the Bulger murder - not video games.
Blaming games for the moral breakdown of society is just a cop-out. There's no way that the wrongs of society can be laid at the feet of video games. Violence has been around long before pong was invented - why people focus on games is beyond me. Alcohol causes far more harm than games but if you told either of these "pannelists" that they couln't ever have a drink again they'd be up in arms.
For once I'd like to see a debate with some experts - actually get someone that has studied this and someone from the BBFC or PEGI to discuss this - but then I guess it wouldn't be a one sided video games player bashing experience to please Daily Mail readers!
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And don't worry, I'll just play GTA, get pumped and violent, then do some violent things to those grannys. Yeah. Violence. Coz I play games 
