videoludica. game culture 

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"How to define "Provincialism"? As the inability (or the refusal) to see one's culture in the large context." (Milan Kundera, The Curtain, 2007)

On March 07, 2007, a group of Italian politicians from the most disparate parties submitted a motion for a resolution to the European Parliament asking for a ban on the sale and distribution of 505 Games' Rule of Rose. They also called for "the creation of a European Observatory on childhood and minors". Representatives from former die-hard Fascist and former die-hard Communist parties, Center-Left and Center-Right groups, Conservatives and Progressives all agreed that Rule of Rose is evil.

Such uniformity of consensus is extremely rare for such a fragmented political landscape as the Italian one. Surprisingly, among the supporters of the motion is Italy's Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, who evidently must have found enough time to play the game during the recent political crisis to conclude that it is despicable and heinous.

We have written extensively about the Rule of Rose "scandal" in the past. Here is a short recap: in November 2006, a sensationalist article published on a mainstream Italian newsmagazine ignited a major controversy that led to a parliamentary debate and a continental anti-game crusade led by Franco Frattini, the European Union Justice and Security Commissioner. The faction against Rule of Rose found additional support in a recent papal speech in which all violent media - video games included - were apodictically condemned.

Of particular interest is the reasons given by the politicians for banning the videogame in their motion for a resolution. The reasoning behind such request are perplexing to say the least, not only because they are largely based on journalistic allegations that were immediately proved wrong by both the game community and by representatives of the game industry - for instance, the fact that "the aim of the video game is to bury alive a girl who has undergone psychosexual and physical violence bordering on perversion and sadism" - but also because they take for granted that there exists a strong correlation between videogame consumption and bullying. More than a correlation, actually: both the text and the previous political debate show that politicians believe there is a causal link between playing violent videogames and antisocial, aggressive behavior. This connection, by the way, has never been scientifically proven.

The politicians' argument is based on a false syllogism: a) Rule of Rose is a violent videogame "which features children and perverse, violent and sadistic images that are harmful to human dignity, was recently released in Europe"; b) "bullying is a phenomenon that is growing dramatically in Europe and in Italy and whereas there have been serious episodes of violence among minors including the harassment of a disabled boy (which the perpetrator filmed and posted on the Internet)", therefore c) we need to ban Rule of Rose.

You don't need a Ph.D in Philosophy to understand that this reasoning lacks any coherence.

Italian politicians are also calling for "a European Observatory on childhood and minors to be set up to preventively monitor video game content and define a single code of conduct for the sale and distribution of children's video games". Now, this request not only bluntly violates freedom of expression ("preventively monitor video game content" is an euphemism for "censoring content", as Viviane Reding, the Director of Media and Communications of the European Union warned a while ago), but it is also impracticable and confirms the politicians' extremely limited knowledge of the game industry. Frattini is also requesting a new rating system that would replace or complement the PEGI.

Moreover, the thesis that Rule of Rose "is only the latest of a series that has become increasingly popular with the younger generation and whose only end is the instigation of violence, bullying and abuse of the weakest" is disproportionate, hyperbolic, and offensive.

Last but not least, requesting a ban months after ther game's release is rather useless - (besides, the game was not introduced in some countries, including the UK): it only provides extra, free publicity for the game publisher.

It's hard not to feel disappointed for the awkwardness demonstrated by Italian politicians in this case.

Link: Full text of the Motion for a Resolution presented to The European Union

Here are the names of the politicians who signed the document: Angelilli, Muscardini, Mussolini, Napoletano, Sbarbati, Zappalà, Poli Bortone, Locatelli, Toia, Sartori, Antoniozzi, Battilocchio, Casini, Foglietta, Morgantini, Pistelli, Tajani, Castiglione, Cocilovo, Fava, Musotto, Musumeci, Andria, Lavarra, Losco, Patriciello, Pirilli, Pittella, Romagnoli, Ventre, Veraldi, Agnoletto, Borghezio, Chiesa, Frassoni, La Russa, Panzeri, Podestà, Susta, Vincenzi, Berlato, Braghetto, Brunetta, Carollo, Kusstatscher, Prodi, Tatarella, Veneto, Mauro, Mantovani, Musacchio, Camre and Vaidere.