photo Reddit user MattWestacott
Now people who know me know I'm a big supporter of EB Games. I love their enthusiasm and staff, I love they brought gaming expos to Australia. But this... this is something a little different.
A Gold Coast EB Store used "Wizz Fizz" to simulate cocaine on the sales counter during a midnight launch of Grand Theft Auto. Initially, it was swept under the rug but then a photo posted by Reddit user MattWestacott went viral, and everybody lost their minds. EB have since issued a statement saying...
"Regrettably, one of our EB Games store locations in Queensland set-up an unauthorised display within the store in support of the launch of the Grand Theft Auto V video game,The display included a white powdery substance that appeared to be some form of an illegal drug. We can confirm that the powdery substance was 'sherbet', a type of fizzy candy, and at no point did the store attempt to give any of the fizzy candy away. This was an isolated incident, and we apologise for any offence this may cause."
Before I go on I wish to note that I know the staff and store members involved in the incident and they are not bad people, they simply tried to promote a game and went the wrong way about it. This was an R18+ event for an R18+ game, but the damage done by this promotion is far spread throughout the gaming community.
So why is this so offensive?
Let's start with gamers. I'm not going to rant about wanting gamers to be taken seriously because gaming shouldn't be serious. It's a fun, great way to spend some time after work to chill out. Unfortunately, people who don't play games think we are a bunch of violent, anti social nerds who do nothing but stay inside and waste their lives away. The use of fake drugs in this promotion gives people more ammunition about how games corrupt our society and are "evil." Here's an extract from a New York Times Article on GTA V...
"The game's genuinely problematic aspect is not its enthusiasm for violence or sex but its lack of interest in women as something other than lustful airheads"
The Grand Theft Auto brand is damaged as people see this game as the worst of the worst video games when it comes to stylized violence and drug use. The media have a very biased view to GTA and so far all I have read in newspapers is how EB were promoting a game that encourages players to use drugs and kill people. A lack of education in the general public and this biased view further damages the GTA brand.
EB Games have always promoted themselves as a family friendly brand, they try their best to promote a positive experience for young and old by changing the way they advertise, communicate and interact with gamers. This sets them back a few steps as parents are horrified that drug use was "glorified" by members of EB Games.
But you know what the worst part is? Simply put, drugs are terrible.
On our streets, people are dying from drug overdoses, being robbed for drug money, gangs are terrorizing society, and drug related crime is on the rise. GTA has drug related themes, but it doesn't shove them in the face of the public. They are viewed by players who purchase the game. The real damage is done to the people who have been victims of drug related crime or lost loved ones to drugs, who pick up the newspaper today and Misinterpret that gamers, GTA and EB Games think drugs are fun and cool, and used that to make a few bucks.*
-Sarge out
*Clearly this was not the intention of those involved and simply the general consensus of the public.
No comments:
Post a Comment