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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, pictured here next to missile launchers -- a small part of his nation's vast arsenal -- is looking to ban violent video games, which he and members of legislature believe are causing real world violence. Ironically, Venezuela is in the process of building South America's largest machine gun factory.  (Source: Caribbean Net News)
Venezuela, known for its real world violence is taking a stand that would make Jack Thompson proud

When things seem bad, cheer up, at least you have the freedom to buy video games.  Just as some countries, such as Iran are beginning to experience new found eras of gaming joy, another one is looking to cut gamers off. Venezuela is taking a rather baffling stand against violent video games.

Apparently very much against digital violence, President Hugo Chavez's administration has launched legislation in the nation's National Assembly, which looks to ban the sale of violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto and prevent the sale of toy guns.  The government insists the move is essential to curb street violence.

Venezuela is currently one of the most dangerous countries in South America.  In its capital of Caracas dozens of people are estimated to be murdered daily, mostly in petty muggings or drug disputes.  Hugo Chavez, though, insists that reports of 100,000 people being murdered in the country since 1999 are lies from private media, though he admits that the nation's crime problems are quite bad.

The bill passed one vote and must now pass a second vote and be signed by Hugo Chavez in order to become law.  Mr. Chavez, an ex-military officer and vocal socialist, is urging the assembly to vote the bill into law.  He and many members of the country's National Assembly believe that video games are warping the minds of Venezuela's youth and causing violent tendencies. 

In America, some groups and individuals such as the infamous Jack Thompson have fought hard to ban violent video games.  Their efforts, however, have met with less success in the U.S.



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Gaming?!
By mdogs444 on 8/28/2009 9:02:45 AM , Rating: 5
He's running a socialist government, nationalizing all the companies, not creating wealth through motivation, harboring drug lords throughout his country, and pushing away all developed nations (besides Russia)....and he wants to blame Video Games?!

What planet is this guy living on?




RE: Gaming?!
By retrospooty on 8/28/2009 9:04:49 AM , Rating: 5
Its not really a surprise anymore that this guy is off his nut. not the first or the last time we will see this.


RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 9:34:43 AM , Rating: 5
Speaking of nuts. Sean Penn loves this guy and loves nuts. You maybe on to something here... We need to call on our special agent, Secret Squirrel to investigate this subject.



RE: Gaming?!
By mcnabney on 8/28/2009 10:56:20 AM , Rating: 2
Hugo has only done one thing right since he took over. He has provided more resources to the poor of Venezuala. However, he has done nothing else right. Because of that everyone in his nation suffers. Oh, and the machine gun plant is part of his plans to bolster his military so that he can fight a war against Columbia.


RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 11:10:12 AM , Rating: 5
Hugo has only done one thing right since he took over. He has provided more resources to the poor of Venezuala.

Like the poor lady who lives across the street from the capital. She has no front door, no windows, no food, just 4 walls and dirt floor - she was on a TV interview... she still likes the guy even thought she received nothing from him, why I do not know. This was after his 8th year in power... Sounds like the poor of Venezuela are really benefiting from those resources. If they were getting a penny, this lady would be first as her home is in sight of capital.

I say the only thing he did right was to shut up after the King of Spain (I think it was Spain) told him to "shut up!".


RE: Gaming?!
By ClownPuncher on 8/28/2009 11:26:44 AM , Rating: 5
Yes, it was Spain. That was awesome, I laughed so hard I had tears.


RE: Gaming?!
By MrWho on 8/28/2009 4:33:00 PM , Rating: 5
RE: Gaming?!
By MrBlastman on 8/28/2009 11:17:09 AM , Rating: 5
I say we ban Hugo Chavez--from either sunlight or breathing air. He's robbed from the rich and pretended to give to the poor in Venezuela (while giving it all to himself and his government cretins). He shakes his fist like a superpower and thinks he is some sort of big shot. There are a few dictators and despots the world would be better off without and he's one of them.


RE: Gaming?!
By grath on 8/29/2009 1:40:12 PM , Rating: 5
So lets remove him from power making room for someone only slightly less evil yet more subservient to us so at least we can also benefit from the exploitation of his people long enough to suck his country dry of oil and lumber. Its the American way!


RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/29/2009 1:58:30 PM , Rating: 3
They tried to in 2002, but the coup failed. There were many accusations that the USAID was involved. In view of the presence of Venezuela's oil resources, some weight is given to these accustions by experts in the region.

One fact is undeniable, however: Hugo Chavez became highly critical of the US. I think that's called "blowback" . . .


RE: Gaming?!
By Solandri on 8/29/2009 11:44:08 PM , Rating: 2
Venezuela's oil has a high sulfur content. The U.S. is virtually the only country in the world with refineries capable of processing the stuff. As such, we're virtually their only customer. They have some minor exports to the EU, and a bunch to Caribbean nations who re-sell it to the U.S.

If we really wanted to hurt him, all we'd have to do is stop importing their oil. It's part of the reason I'm on the green bandwagon when it comes to automobiles, even though I don't believe in oil company conspiracies or that replacing gas automobiles with electric will have a significant impact on carbon emissions (since we get most of our electricity from burning coal).


RE: Gaming?!
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 2:42:37 PM , Rating: 3
more resources WHERE???
the only ones that got more resources are the people that work in high goverment. In fact the goverment is richer now and people are poorer.


RE: Gaming?!
By delphinus100 on 8/31/2009 12:21:28 AM , Rating: 2
Yep, real violence is okay, as long as it's being done against some other (preferably, but not necessarily western or pro-western) government...


RE: Gaming?!
By amanojaku on 8/28/2009 9:12:04 AM , Rating: 5
Here's another way of looking at it. Violence came before video games. In ALL countries and societies. Anyone who blames games for violence is lying to himself and/or everyone else.


RE: Gaming?!
By invidious on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By amanojaku on 8/28/2009 12:30:03 PM , Rating: 3
Hey, man, don't hate the game, hate the player. ;-)


RE: Gaming?!
By DEVGRU on 8/28/2009 1:04:54 PM , Rating: 5
Yep, and before video games it was the 'Devil's music' that made people kill each other.

It baffels me that people try to use completely disconnected logic to blame whatever...

Crazy is crazy, just like stupidity. I think Chris Rock said it best... "What was in Hitlers CD-player?!"


RE: Gaming?!
By Flail on 8/28/09, Rating: -1
RE: Gaming?!
By Ranari on 8/28/2009 11:38:53 PM , Rating: 5
That was the point of the statement. Human beings are remarkably violent by nature. Video games, rock/rap music, and comic books don't make us violent.


RE: Gaming?!
By inperfectdarkness on 8/29/2009 1:13:21 AM , Rating: 4
*warning* watch michael moore with salt easily accessible

that's the point of bowling for columbine. moore intentionally suggests the ridiculous premise that bowling might be responsible for columbine--since it was the "last" thing the perpetrators did before the horiffic attack.

it's because such a premise is no less logical than suggesting video-games, music, movies, etc are responsible for the evils in the world.

the best part is when he personally interviews marilyn manson--long postulated by the christian coalition to be the spawn of satan.


RE: Gaming?!
By TSS on 8/28/2009 1:09:19 PM , Rating: 5
Don't just focus on the video games. He's banning toy guns as well.

Because, yknow, a toy gun isn't as much fun as real guns which are all over the place....


RE: Gaming?!
By RivuxGamma on 8/31/2009 10:00:11 PM , Rating: 2
Why doesn't he just ban poverty? That causes way more violence.


RE: Gaming?!
By fic2 on 8/28/2009 1:50:29 PM , Rating: 5
Just think if video games had been banned in medieval days none of the crusades would have happened and everyone would have been friends. Same is true for Roman Empire days.


RE: Gaming?!
By Gul Westfale on 8/28/2009 6:12:41 PM , Rating: 5
here's what that headline should read:

Gamers blame Hugo Chavez for Venezuela's Violence, Push for Ban


RE: Gaming?!
By Graviton on 8/28/2009 6:57:12 PM , Rating: 5
Well I for one blame violence for video games.


RE: Gaming?!
By MrPoletski on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 9:40:23 AM , Rating: 5
"He is unpopular with the west though because he nationalised their oil industry, wiping out a large amount of exxon mobiles investments."

In the West we call his form of "wiping out" STEALING. Walking into a oil plant and saying, I claim this as the government business, you have two days to leave, is nothing more then stealing.


RE: Gaming?!
By HinderedHindsight on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 12:06:20 PM , Rating: 2
A Rose is still a Rose under any name. I have not known the Patriot Act to steal billions out of the peoples pocket. Maybe some pocket knifes and odds and ends that you were told not to bring on a plane.
As a person posted before that does live in Venezuela. He can move to any country he wants but can only take with him what he can carry. So, everything else is left for the government because they want to take it from him.... AKA stealing.
I might add, in some cases the American Indians agreed to a deal and traded land for something with the US Government (therefore a agreeable fair deal was reach) in other cases the US Government came in a just took the land because they wanted it... They still do today, my parents lost land to Government because they wanted it, they received pennies on the dollar. So, you'd say all the about are good and not a form of stealing? I disagree, when you take something and do not give a fair agreed upon trade amount - you are stealing. His case is far worst then US cases, because if I'm not mistake, he gave nothing to the owners of these places.


RE: Gaming?!
By HinderedHindsight on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 12:55:12 PM , Rating: 3
Again, I'm not arguing whether or not it's "right". I'm just informing you of the legality of it under Venezuelan law, and that it doesn't constitute stealing as far as Venezuelan law is concerned.

You missed my point with, a rose is still a rose under any name. They can call it legal, just, fair, correct, or anything else they want to call it. However, it is still stealing. When you take without paying it is stealing. There maybe places on the planet that it is legal to steal but it is still stealing.

A) I didn't say it stole billions, however, it did "steal" some liberties to personal privacy- do you consider money (yes, even billions) to be more valuable than your rights?

some minor liberties temp lost (hopefully only temp lose) and you comparing it to losing billions of dollars. You say rights are more valuable then money. Not going to fully disagree with you.. However, I would say "We probably that Freedom and life is first and most important of our rights, but somewhere down that list comes; it's a valuable right of mine that I can have money, and that it be protected from people that would try and steal it from me"


RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 12:57:21 PM , Rating: 2
We probably that Freedom..

Sorry hit post instead of preview to finish my re-read...

should say We probably agree that Freedom...


RE: Gaming?!
By MrPoletski on 9/2/2009 5:55:44 AM , Rating: 2
You do not have the right to have money, you have the right to be fairly compensated for the work you perform. It's just we issue that compensation in the form of money.

If it was your right to have money then a welfare state would be obligatory.


RE: Gaming?!
By MrPoletski on 9/1/2009 10:20:05 AM , Rating: 2
not sure why I got voted down for saying largely what you said but whatever. Yes nationalising their oil industry effectively stole a load of exxon mobiles assets and as I understand it, a deal for compensation was never reached.

but lets face it, the amount they would have got vs their already accumulated profit would have been miniscule. Exxon want to continue making loads of profit by selling somebody else oil and thats what Chavez has a problem with.

besides, how is the USA any better? what do you call invading Iraq, wiping out the national oil companies in Iraq and opening up the fields to no bid contracts from American oil companies then when they have their foothold opening it up to the worlds free market for competitors to bid? Fair trade? ROFL.


RE: Gaming?!
By marvdmartian on 8/28/2009 9:20:32 AM , Rating: 5
Hugo Chavez, while standing next to missile launchers, talks about video game violence.....

Yeah. There's no irony in that, is there?? [eyeroll]


RE: Gaming?!
By shazbotron on 8/28/2009 9:39:02 AM , Rating: 1
Methinks the image was chosen for that very reason, but thanks for letting me know that the image wasn't just funny, it was also ironic.


RE: Gaming?!
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 9:49:02 AM , Rating: 2
the funny thing is that is on the air on every channel available... Ohhh and radio too tho u cant see the launchers there. he just takes all the media whenever he sees it fit


RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 11:46:54 AM , Rating: 2
I've heard about that... like a 7 hour address to the nation on a Sunday afternoon. Every station had to cover it. I'd be pissed off. I have one day maybe two a week off and this jerk wants to ramble on and on about himself. I'd be screaming at the TV, "Dude the games on, so shut up and let me watch it!!"


RE: Gaming?!
By MrPoletski on 9/1/2009 10:22:29 AM , Rating: 2
can poeple please learn what the word Ironic means.

Yanno, maybe if he was standing next to a chart that showed video game use going up and violence going down the picture would be ironic but standing next to missiles and moaning about video games causing violence just isn't


RE: Gaming?!
By shazbotron on 9/4/2009 10:36:12 AM , Rating: 2
Thought not a chart he is standing next to an article that states that he makes that claim.

If you want, we can make you a chart so you can laugh along with us.


RE: Gaming?!
By Hakuryu on 8/28/2009 10:21:57 AM , Rating: 2
Just like the fact they are building South America's largest machine gun factory. Banning violent video games and building real guns can only result in less violence... right?


RE: Gaming?!
By Pythias on 8/30/2009 7:49:20 PM , Rating: 3
Because guns cause violence like matches cause arson.


RE: Gaming?!
By Yeco on 8/28/2009 10:22:02 AM , Rating: 2
Once again Chavez demonstrates his intelligence, or either his lack off. What is the youth going to do now? Be more at the streets...borred...looking for some action.
Maybe he is hoping that the youth will join the army, now that they have more spare time, to play some voilent games in real-life.


RE: Gaming?!
By Flail on 8/28/2009 6:08:50 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Be more at the streets...borred...looking for some action.


and with real guns too, now that their toy guns are banned.


RE: Gaming?!
By themaster08 on 8/28/2009 2:33:46 PM , Rating: 3
Why can't someone just pick one of those launchers up and blast his ass through those doors behind him?

Blame that on video games!


RE: Gaming?!
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 2:45:40 PM , Rating: 2
belive me i would if i could


RE: Gaming?!
By ClownPuncher on 8/28/2009 3:09:07 PM , Rating: 2
To be fair, they look more like RPG's... :)


RE: Gaming?!
By FITCamaro on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By ClownPuncher on 8/28/2009 11:01:36 AM , Rating: 2
Give it a rest, as much as I disagree with some of O-Bomb's policies, it's a pretty big stretch to say they are buddies or that they share political views.


RE: Gaming?!
By FITCamaro on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By omnicronx on 8/28/2009 11:24:14 AM , Rating: 3
Its called diplomacy, every President has done it, and every President will continue to do it.

http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Phot...

http://www.kennerly.com/images_pix/188_Reagan_Gorb...

etc etc etc..

Once again showing you will go to no end to take a cheap shot at Obama.


RE: Gaming?!
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 12:43:02 PM , Rating: 2
Once again showing you will go to no end to take a cheap shot at Obama.

No one needs to take "cheap" shots at Obama. His own actions speak much louder and does much more harm then any cheap shot I could ever pull on him. Once you get over your honeymoon with him and realize he uses the same words as other major socialist in the world and wants to destroy what has worked in the US for over 200 years, a system that has done the best job in the history of all governments to best distribute the wealth amongst its people, you will see his true nature. (I'll help you out.. He wants to own and control everything. Health care, Auto industry, Banks,...) Since I live in Illinois, I've been exposed to this clown for a much longer time then most people in this country. Over two years ago I warned people about Obama's nature, but people just rated me down. Now, we the people are going to be putting our forefather words to the test. Hopefully, they were much smarter then we think. If not he will find the loop hole to undermine the people rights.


RE: Gaming?!
By sprockkets on 8/28/2009 9:55:55 PM , Rating: 4
Bud, I'm not defending Obama, but if you seriously think any form of government works, you are dead wrong.

This government is more socialist than you think, and both Republicans and Democrats do it in their own ways. We just socialized the rich on Wall Street by giving failed investors $700 billion for their greed, and left the poor to fend for themselves; brutal Capitalism, as many put it.


RE: Gaming?!
By BAFrayd on 8/29/2009 2:03:02 PM , Rating: 1
" We just socialized the rich on Wall Street by giving failed investors $700 billion for their greed, and left the poor to fend for themselves; brutal Capitalism, as many put it."

So was that socialism, or capitalism. Check the definitions and get back to us...


RE: Gaming?!
By sprockkets on 8/29/2009 4:46:50 PM , Rating: 3
To clarify, it was like I just said, we socialized the losses of Wall Street while leaving "Main Street" to fend for itself, aka capitalism.

Who was President when the bailout was given? Who gave no-bid government contracts to Haliburton? Who gave tax cuts for the rich? Republicans.

Like I said, each does socialism differently.


RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By ClownPuncher on 8/28/2009 11:25:24 AM , Rating: 4
I wouldn't be shaking his hand either, the guy is a dirt bag.

But really, Obama is less socialist than EU leaders, who are in turn less socialist than Chavez by a long shot. The dude is a borderline communist dictator. Perhaps even crossed the line to a Stalinist type government.

When Chavez says anything, even "Obama is more left wing than me", he is feeding people a line of BS. You can't honestly trust that statement just because you would like to. Look at their policies, economic and otherwise. They don't share as much in common as you think.


RE: Gaming?!
By Lord 666 on 8/28/2009 11:28:05 AM , Rating: 2
Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.


RE: Gaming?!
By HinderedHindsight on 8/28/09, Rating: -1
RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/28/2009 9:59:51 PM , Rating: 1
Let's not forget pictures of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein after closing a chemical weapons deal in 1983/84. Take a look:

http://vagreatblueheron.files.wordpress.com/2008/0...


RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/29/2009 12:33:57 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Chavez has called Obama even more left wing than him.


Please provide a source for this statement . . .


RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/29/2009 3:37:34 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
quote:
Chavez has called Obama even more left wing than him.

Please provide a source for this statement . . .


Once again, you fail to provide any source to substatiante your claim . . .


RE: Gaming?!
By MrBlastman on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Gaming?!
By ClownPuncher on 8/28/2009 11:46:14 AM , Rating: 3
Things could be far more left than they are, my friend. I would have preferred a moderate or Ron Paul, but the votes weren't there.


RE: Gaming?!
By MrBlastman on 8/28/2009 11:53:26 AM , Rating: 3
A true moderate or an independent is the only hope for our country actually. :( Preferrably an independent as partisan politics have to stop.


RE: Gaming?!
By HinderedHindsight on 8/28/2009 11:56:47 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
Obama is about as far to the left as you can get,


So what you're implying is that given the choice between Obama and Chavez, you would rather have Chavez lead America, because you believe Obama is truly as far left as you can get?

Sure, that sounds reasonable....


RE: Gaming?!
By MrBlastman on 8/28/09, Rating: -1
RE: Gaming?!
By HinderedHindsight on 8/28/2009 12:39:29 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Please don't put words in my mouth.


I didn't, read my comment:

quote:
So what you're implying


I chose my words carefully, and that was the implication *YOU* provided. I didn't put any additional words in your mouth.

quote:
Nice try in trying to make my comment make Obama look good.


I wasn't trying to make Obama look good, I was trying to get you to reconsider your position that:

quote:
Obama is about as far to the left as you can get,


He obviously is not, especially in the context of Chavez.

quote:
We need a moderate.


I can agree with you there, but at the same time, you might want to perhaps moderate your view of Obama. He isn't as far left as you can get; the thing that upsets me about Obama is that he has continued some of the same policies that Bush implemented- this is definitely not as far left as you can get. In fact, in a lot of ways (but not every way), he's way more right than I would like. It all depends on what particular topic is being addressed.


RE: Gaming?!
By MrBlastman on 8/28/2009 1:03:10 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
He isn't as far left as you can get; the thing that upsets me about Obama is that he has continued some of the same policies that Bush implemented - this is definitely not as far left as you can get. In fact, in a lot of ways (but not every way), he's way more right than I would like. It all depends on what particular topic is being addressed.


I can agree with you on one point: the bolded one. How? He has continued the Bush policy of pushing their own interests with utter disregard to what the people truly want.

We don't want Government run healthcare (look at the polls), yet the push continues. We want to fight terror (but that looks to be running out of steam potentially, though there has been a stronger shift towards Afghanistan). We do not want to be friends with despots (look at the picture of Obama shaking hands with Chavez). We want to make the terrorists pay and open up about their plans (Obama instituted a new policy where the white house has direct oversight over iterrogation? Reduction of persuasive techniques?).

He has his agenda and he doesn't care what we say or think. That is exactly what Bush did as well. Both of them are severely flawed as a result.

I have not though, seen hardly anything out of his(Obama's) gigantic mouth that I care to agree with though. The reason he looks up to the sky when he talks is because he is thumbing his nose at us like:

a. He knows better than all of us
b. He _is_ better than all of us (in his head)

The government is not our keeper. We don't need them telling us what we need or do not need.


RE: Gaming?!
By JohnnyCNote on 8/29/2009 6:33:25 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
Obama is about as far to the left as you can get, you are in denial.


Not according to true leftists:

quote:
We know, of course, that Obama is not a socialist, and that he is not a radical.


http://www.socialistparty-usa.org/socialist/2009/j...

This is but one of MANY true leftist sites where such statements are quite common.

And you were talking about being in denial?


RE: Gaming?!
By Aloonatic on 8/28/2009 10:22:14 AM , Rating: 5
Well, he could be running a capitalist government, nationalizing all the banks/motor industries, creating wealth/massive debt (seem to be the same thing these days?) through the motivation of short term bonuses allowing the very foundation of their economy to be dangerously undermined, harbouring drug lords throughout his country (I hear America/Britain has something of a drug problem?), and pissing off all developed nations, blowing up everything else..... blaming terrorists for everything.

Only joking. I hope you've not choked on your apple pie/haggis :o)


RE: Gaming?!
By sprockkets on 8/28/2009 10:17:04 PM , Rating: 2
Well, is seems to me that you came to realize the truth, that money is debt. Most people do not realize that truth.


RE: Gaming?!
By Hiawa23 on 8/28/2009 10:38:12 AM , Rating: 2
Wow, I don't live there, so this is really not a concern to me but wow, videogames is causing the violence. By that theory we could eliminate terrorism & violence if the whole world bans violent videogames. Might as well hit porn too as Chavez is as sure as he is crazy it too is ruining their country, LOLO.. Heck, ban porn & you might reduce teen pregnancy too....


RE: Gaming?!
By kattanna on 8/28/2009 11:02:59 AM , Rating: 2
i seriously doubt he is trying to blame video games for the violence.

most likely, this is about 2 things,

1) censorship. he has an awesome track record of clamping down on what is said about him, and what is said to the people. Most games are made in western countries he deplores, and they carry messages about freedoms he doesnt want the people to have.

2) making the dullards think he is working to change the violence.

so, really, with this one action that would be hard to oppose, he gets to further his stranglehold on the flow of ideas and information, all the while making it look like he is doing it for the peoples own good.

and some of you think he is an idiot.. LOL. im sure he knows EXACTLY what he is doing.


RE: Gaming?!
By The0ne on 8/28/2009 12:44:45 PM , Rating: 1
That's just it. When a person lives day to day on what he/she considers the "norm" everything else becomes whack to them. It's a very strange and fascinating thing to observe.


RE: Gaming?!
By gmljosea on 8/28/2009 2:15:14 PM , Rating: 2
It's only a political stunt. They government here doesn't do anything about the hundreds of people selling pirated software, movies and music, how in hell do they even hope to be able to enforce such a crappy law?
I for one will continue playing Call of Duty.


RE: Gaming?!
By chenjf on 8/28/2009 2:48:57 PM , Rating: 2
I am all for Hugo Chavez banning violent games for Venezuela. It would be like a testing ground of whether all the nutjobs like Chavez and Jack Thompson are wrong or if god forbid that they are right. It would be interesting what happens when nothing to very little changes when violent games are banned.

I will feel sorry for the gamers in Venezuela but your countrymen did vote Chavez into power.


RE: Gaming?!
By scrapsma54 on 8/29/2009 2:51:56 AM , Rating: 2
Old people, sheesh, they always say that you can't or have you no shame.


Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 9:30:37 AM , Rating: 3
As a Venezuelan Gamer and a *normal* element of society all i have to say is that this is just f#cked up.

<sarcasm>
Sure buddy, violence comes from video games, not all the people that doesn't have something to eat, not to mention all the people that are prisioners (in fact) in their own country.
</sarcasm>
Do you people know I legally can move to another country but to do so I only "legally" can take what I can carry and not a penny more. Sh!t I cant even get dollars in cash legally. Figure that out.




RE: Sure buddy
By MrBungle123 on 8/28/2009 10:48:08 AM , Rating: 2
then while you still can I suggest you take what you can carry and leave.


RE: Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Sure buddy
By kd9280 on 8/28/2009 10:56:43 AM , Rating: 3
You could always give it to a person in America. Hey! I have a bank account, I would gladly hold $10 million for you *shifty-eyes*


RE: Sure buddy
By FITCamaro on 8/28/2009 11:11:50 AM , Rating: 1
As the other guy said yeah I'll be happy to help you with that.....fly me down to Venezuela for a weekend. I got a strong back and can carry a lot. They still make $1000 bills right? ;)

Oh and two words. Money order. Same as cash. Just don't lose it.


RE: Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 11:47:14 AM , Rating: 1
You cant enter us with that ammount of money. Plus there is an exchange regime very much alike the ussr one. Its Illegal to carry foreign currency here, so even if i can carry it, the goverment would steal it because i havent the right to have it on the first place.


RE: Sure buddy
By bhieb on 8/28/2009 11:41:40 AM , Rating: 5
Finally I've found you. Quit sending me all those emails I'm not giving you my account number!!!!


RE: Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/09, Rating: 0
RE: Sure buddy
By bhieb on 8/28/2009 12:15:31 PM , Rating: 3
It certainly was not meant to be, and if you took offense I do apologize.

I was poking fun that you were suggesting a way to offload millions, and mentioned you were from a South American country (which is often where that email comes from). I don't care if your white, black, purple, orange or blue. It was a joke of coincidence.


RE: Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 12:35:44 PM , Rating: 1
Its ok, but sometimes it bothers me that people in the US thinks that someone with a little money from a third world country is either a thief or in goverment.


RE: Sure buddy
By MrBlastman on 8/28/2009 12:40:15 PM , Rating: 4
Actually they come from Nigeria typically (or Africa), otherwise known as 419 fraud.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_scam

... And no, your original comment was not racist. It was pretty funny actually. :)


RE: Sure buddy
By bhieb on 8/28/2009 1:33:11 PM , Rating: 2
Wait Venz is not in Africa. Damnit.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nation_of_an...

Just kidding of course.


RE: Sure buddy
By sviola on 8/28/2009 10:53:09 AM , Rating: 2
Don't worry, you can always buy from Steam or other online distributors...

Also, with such prohibition, you'll have to get pirated games, which will finance the FARCs and enrichen Chaves as well.

:)


RE: Sure buddy
By gmljosea on 8/28/2009 2:18:38 PM , Rating: 2
You can't. The government imposed a $400 yearly limit for foreign internet transactions, which pretty much everyone blows during the first few months of each year.


RE: Sure buddy
By Spuke on 8/28/2009 6:32:58 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The government imposed a $400 yearly limit for foreign internet transactions,
Holy crap! Are you serious?


RE: Sure buddy
By ultimaxxl on 8/29/2009 2:44:06 AM , Rating: 2
yes, it ist...


RE: Sure buddy
By nafhan on 8/28/2009 11:57:29 AM , Rating: 2
Eh, this video game thing is standard politics. Make a big deal of something fairly unimportant in order to distract the public from other less savory things the politician is involved in (ironically, real violence in this case). Politicians here do it all the time, too!

I'm not there, and don't know enough about the situation to say for sure, but taking what you can carry and leaving might not be a bad idea...


RE: Sure buddy
By ertomas on 8/28/2009 2:24:36 PM , Rating: 3
I though I was the only Venezuelan gamer on this site!

The funniest part of this ban is that 95% of the games that are bought here (consoles and PC) come from piracy. I would really like to see them control that.

Anyway I buy my games from Steam. How do they think they will control when I play TF2 from my house?

Although, with the other media control laws on discussion here (Cable/Satellite TV, Internet, etc.) it may not be long before we go down into China levels of control...

God how I hate him (Chavez)...


RE: Sure buddy
By m4elstrom on 8/28/2009 2:36:27 PM , Rating: 2
nah i know at least 2 more!!! =D


RE: Sure buddy
By PICBoy on 8/30/2009 11:27:45 AM , Rating: 2
I'm also from Venezuela and not only a gamer but I also sell videogames in here. I'm really pissed at this law as you guys can imagine. I'm against letting 8 year old children playing grand theft auto at a cyber cafe or their own house but I blame their parents. Lets hope this is yet another law that is not obeyed and the guys at customs won't bother us or try to "matraquear" us.
Also, this law is most likely a decoy for the other real problem, the education law. He has always done the decoy thing.
The worst part is that violence will likely raise because of this.


I bet
By eddieroolz on 8/28/2009 5:43:06 PM , Rating: 3
I bet you that he doesn't know what an internet is.




RE: I bet
By Belard on 8/28/2009 5:50:51 PM , Rating: 3
It a serious of tubes.


RE: I bet
By Flail on 8/28/2009 6:22:00 PM , Rating: 2
are you serious?


RE: I bet
By Belard on 8/29/2009 3:20:23 AM , Rating: 2
you CAN'T be Series...


RE: I bet
By GodisanAtheist on 8/31/2009 4:51:56 PM , Rating: 2
All you guys are retired.


Thompson?
By kd9280 on 8/28/2009 9:07:07 AM , Rating: 1
Oh, so is THAT what Jack Thompson's been doing? Can't get American Government to ban violent video games, so he's gone to Venezuela?




RE: Thompson?
By knutjb on 8/28/2009 9:38:03 AM , Rating: 3
Possibly, the FCC's Diversity Director Mark Lloyd publicly praised Chavez for his government control of the media. I'm sure he would agree with Chavez on this one too. Wouldn't want killers to get practice on those nasty video games.


RE: Thompson?
By kd9280 on 8/28/2009 10:26:17 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, since video games are the problem, and not psychological problems / parents not being parents / societal problems / any number of factors which might possibly cause someone to kill someone else.


RE: Thompson?
By omnicronx on 8/28/2009 11:37:07 AM , Rating: 2
Exactly, I think its hard to argue that a 12 year old playing GTA is a good idea, but that should be up to the parent, i.e not buying rated M game for your kid. Even then, I don't necessarily agree that this will lead to violence. Surely it will put them on the desensitization fast track, but I grew up playing games like GTA and as far as I know, I don't have any underlying problems...

during the day at least.. muahahah
Lock your doors, watch your kids, violent gamers are roaming the streets!


RE: Thompson?
By kd9280 on 8/28/2009 12:39:26 PM , Rating: 2
My parents didn't buy violent games for me, if I borrowed one from a friend, my parents were sure to sit down and pay attention to what I was playing, and if they were unhappy with it, I would have to return the game to my friend.

I played Doom and GTA and alot of those kinds of games, and I'm a well-adjusted, healthy adult.

Except for the voices. But that's an entirely different matter altogether


Obama does the same thing
By joshuaheard on 8/28/2009 10:22:48 AM , Rating: 5
Chavez is taking a page out of Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, Obama's bible. He is making a scapegoat for a problem. Obama does this all the time. It accomplishes two things: it deflects criticism from you, and, it rallies your supporters against a common enemy.

All of the posts in this thread are correct, video games have nothing to do with street violence. Chavez knows that. He is deflecting criticism from his own policies and rallying his ignorant lower class supporters against an enemy they most likely don't understand.




RE: Obama does the same thing
By Machinegear on 8/28/2009 12:02:13 PM , Rating: 2
Very astute observation.

To add to your point; dictators use this tactic to greater, and ever more silly ways, as their power becomes more absolute. The video game finger pointing is probably getting, or already at, silly.


Blaming games
By RussianTank on 8/28/2009 10:14:19 AM , Rating: 3
Whenever any government blames video games for violence, it simply means that they are making an excuse for why they themselves could not handle the violence.




RE: Blaming games
By Kunikos on 8/28/2009 11:33:40 AM , Rating: 1
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Up, up, and AWAY!


RE: Blaming games
By kd9280 on 8/28/2009 12:29:06 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Up, up, and AWAY!


"You are falling off a cliff."


Blame Violent games for Nazis
By Belard on 8/28/2009 5:34:19 PM , Rating: 3
If it were not for violent games, the nazis would not have slaughterer millions of people. No rapes, torture and out right mass murder.

Videos games and porn created Hitler.

Heard it from Glen Beck.




RE: Blame Violent games for Nazis
By Belard on 8/28/2009 10:37:02 PM , Rating: 1
Here is the documentary of Hitler and his Xbox:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfkDxF2kn1I

Odd... Hannity and Limbaugh are in the background. ;)


RE: Blame Violent games for Nazis
By Belard on 8/28/2009 10:40:13 PM , Rating: 2
And part 2 of these historical facts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uNtPh7hSsE


and how many own a game console?
By HighWing on 9/3/2009 11:12:37 PM , Rating: 2
Seriously, for his claim to even remotely be true, someone would have to prove that a majority of the people who commit those crimes, at one time owned/played a video game for more then a few minutes! Now I'm just making an assumption here, but aren't most of the crimes being commuted because the people are too poor to even buy food, or for money to buy drugs? And seriously, does anyone really believe that criminals spend hours playing games like Grand Theft Auto? Chances are they are out looking for potential victims instead.




RE: and how many own a game console?
By Pythias on 9/4/2009 2:34:21 AM , Rating: 2
Not quite. It does not follow that committing violent acts and playing video games = video games cause violence.

It is this sort of logic that brought about the "comics code" back in 19*coughrumblerumblecough*.

Some moron interviewed a bunch of convicts who all said they enjoyed reading comic books so "Oh mah Lowered! Comics turn people into criminals! Something must be done!"

It is easily demonstrable that neither of these statements are "true".

More people play games than commit crimes.

The end.



By HighWing on 9/7/2009 1:28:16 AM , Rating: 2
Seriously did you even read my post? I wasn't arguing that playing games causes violence. I was agreeing what what you said.
I was saying that I do not believe that the people committing crimes in Venezuela ever owned a video game, let alone played one for any length of time. Ergo if the person never played a video game, how can that be responsible for their violence? Thereby blowing a big gaping hole in Hugo Chavez's claim.


The REAL reason for the ban is...
By hduser on 8/28/2009 2:07:30 PM , Rating: 5
Hugo Chavez got pwned in a session of multiplayer Halo 3 by a snot nosed 13 year old. ;)




might as well ban soccer...
By jsonc on 8/28/2009 2:58:22 PM , Rating: 3
considering how many riots have started in soccer games.




RE: might as well ban soccer...
By darkxuy on 8/31/2009 11:49:29 AM , Rating: 2
I don't think so, soccer is a millionaire business that entertains and distract the masses.

We don't want the people to think, do we?


By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2009 9:30:07 AM , Rating: 4
Hey Hugo you must be correct, it must be the video games. It could not have anything to do with Venezuela being run by a corrupt, self-centered, and moronic, dictator now could it. It could have nothing to do with people wanting rights and their freedom. No, that’s just silly talk isn’t it.




Ridiculous!!!
By mingocr83 on 8/30/2009 3:08:54 PM , Rating: 2
I don't know if one of his advisers has the balls to tell this guy... "you are the root cause of Venezuela's general violence"...."get the f**k outta here"...

Another stupid movement from Mr. Chavez... deleting civil rights... now you can't play on the computer or console... RIDICULOUS!!! later on... no internet... no cellphones, etc etc etc...




RE: Ridiculous!!!
By HotFoot on 8/31/2009 8:50:17 AM , Rating: 2
There's this weird quirk when it comes to lifetime dictators that the more ruthless you are, the more boisterous you are and the more you feign standing up to 'evil' external influences, the more popular you become. Usually the 'benevolent' dictators are less popular, though I'm sure there's exceptions.

I look at the things leaders from Venezuela, Iran and North Korea merely as performances on the world stage done for the sake of political gains at home. Sad thing is, it reliably works. Woe for the human condition.


By plouf34 on 8/31/2009 8:33:12 AM , Rating: 3
RTS and other be-a-god like games should also be banned as they encourage people to become dictators.




Yup
By Machinegear on 8/28/2009 9:19:02 AM , Rating: 2
Good idea. Get rid of those silly video games. Get rid of golf too while your at it.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid...

Any big government DailyTech readers plan on taking a vacation to Venezuela soon? This country has to be looking more attractive all the time. Why wait for Obama?




gaming
By frozentundra123456 on 8/28/2009 8:35:32 PM , Rating: 2
Ya, Hitler started WWII because he played too much on his X-box and then got banned!!!
Anyone else seen those y-tube videos? they are hilarious.




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