#1 | 16 June 2008, 8:12 AM
MUM'S NINTENDO EPILEPSY BATTLE
Anyone who suffers from photo sensitive epileptic seizures will, of course, be weary of playing videogames since 99.9% of them will potentially cause them. But it's still fun to see many people are still campaigning to put tighter restrictions on videogames for this reason, even though there are a billion warnings plastered all over the packaging and manuals. Because of the campaigning people have done, we even get a Health and Safety pamflet with every videogame we buy... hell, Nintendo even goes as far as warning people about the Health and Safety messages every time they turn on their Wii and DS.
It is important to make sure videogames are safe for people who suffer seizures, but what more can you do? I mean, as videogames have advanced and become more complex, the more impossible it is to weed out anything that could potentially cause seizures.
I also love how they say "we don't notice the fine print"... like hell you don't. Every time I look at packaging and manuals for videogames, all I can see are the health and safety warning plastered all over it.
Anyone who suffers from photo sensitive epileptic seizures will, of course, be weary of playing videogames since 99.9% of them will potentially cause them. But it's still fun to see many people are still campaigning to put tighter restrictions on videogames for this reason, even though there are a billion warnings plastered all over the packaging and manuals. Because of the campaigning people have done, we even get a Health and Safety pamflet with every videogame we buy... hell, Nintendo even goes as far as warning people about the Health and Safety messages every time they turn on their Wii and DS.
It is important to make sure videogames are safe for people who suffer seizures, but what more can you do? I mean, as videogames have advanced and become more complex, the more impossible it is to weed out anything that could potentially cause seizures.
I also love how they say "we don't notice the fine print"... like hell you don't. Every time I look at packaging and manuals for videogames, all I can see are the health and safety warning plastered all over it.
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#2 | 16 June 2008, 8:38 AM
I don't think it would be fair to hinder gamers who don't have these problems to try and protect the small percentage that do. A warning is enough, they should know whether its safe for them to play or not.
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#3 | 16 June 2008, 9:49 AM
Speaking as an epileptic gamer, I appreciate the effort that Nintendo has undertaken to raise awareness regarding the issue and protect their customers. Gaming is an integral part of my life, and I would hate like hell to lose it or be forced to minimize my playing time due to seizures...a very real problem for those whose condition is more critical than mine. In addition to this, there are definitely games I've stopped playing because they made me uncomfortable, even before I ever had my first seizure. (Unreal, I'm looking at you)
However, the industry has done what it can do, other than perhaps hiring epileptics to playtest their games, deliver feedback and rate the games accordingly. This unfortunately is likely to introduce delays and higher game costs, since all such matters are handled bureaucratically and require committees, discussion, and regulation.
If you are a photosensitive epileptic and you have a seizure caused by a video game, you brought the situation upon yourself by making the decision to play it in the first place. IMO, it is no different than a smoker getting cancer. You knew what you were getting into when you opened the box; it's not the desired end result, but it is a known risk. It might be nice to have epilepsy ratings on games, but even those would be completely unreliable since epilepsy has a wide range of types and severities and what's alright for Epileptic A and only makes Epileptic B uncomfortable could very well cause Epileptic C to go into full-blown status epilepticus. (a non-stop, medically-critical seizure state that does not relent without medication and can result in death) Even beyond that, games with potentially "safe" ratings that *do* cause problems opens the door for potential lawsuits, etc.
Personally, I am of the opinion that if you are an epileptic gamer, then you owe yourself some research into a game before making a purchase, whether it be looking on game sites, reading magazines, talking to friends, to find out as much as you can about whether that game/game style is appropriate for your condition, as well as becoming familiar with what you're okay with and what makes you uncomfortable to play...it is NOT the responsibility of the industry to keep you safe, at least beyond the warnings Nintendo already gives. (and again, kudos to Nintendo, and i barely notice the health warning screens anymore anyway)
However, the industry has done what it can do, other than perhaps hiring epileptics to playtest their games, deliver feedback and rate the games accordingly. This unfortunately is likely to introduce delays and higher game costs, since all such matters are handled bureaucratically and require committees, discussion, and regulation.
If you are a photosensitive epileptic and you have a seizure caused by a video game, you brought the situation upon yourself by making the decision to play it in the first place. IMO, it is no different than a smoker getting cancer. You knew what you were getting into when you opened the box; it's not the desired end result, but it is a known risk. It might be nice to have epilepsy ratings on games, but even those would be completely unreliable since epilepsy has a wide range of types and severities and what's alright for Epileptic A and only makes Epileptic B uncomfortable could very well cause Epileptic C to go into full-blown status epilepticus. (a non-stop, medically-critical seizure state that does not relent without medication and can result in death) Even beyond that, games with potentially "safe" ratings that *do* cause problems opens the door for potential lawsuits, etc.
Personally, I am of the opinion that if you are an epileptic gamer, then you owe yourself some research into a game before making a purchase, whether it be looking on game sites, reading magazines, talking to friends, to find out as much as you can about whether that game/game style is appropriate for your condition, as well as becoming familiar with what you're okay with and what makes you uncomfortable to play...it is NOT the responsibility of the industry to keep you safe, at least beyond the warnings Nintendo already gives. (and again, kudos to Nintendo, and i barely notice the health warning screens anymore anyway)
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#4 | 16 June 2008, 9:40 PM
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#5 | 16 June 2008, 9:52 PM
The amount of documentation you get with the Wii which is ALL for health and safety is insane XD
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#6 | 16 June 2008, 10:55 PM
insane but fun to look at XD
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