14 DAY TRIAL // Lately, games have been trying to be more and more similar to movies, emphasizing emotions and the cinematic experience. However, not even this has been enough to get some of the higher layers of society to look at titles as being anything more than brainwashing instruments meant to wrap the tendrils of violence around the minds of children. And while Australia's government might be the first one people would rush to blame for staying in the past, or even Germany's, Lionhead Studios' man-on-top has a bone to pick with old, merry England.
"I've been saying this for years; it is just crazy that the British government does not recognize the games industry as a creative industry in the way it recognizes others," Peter Molyneux told the Telegraph. "There are very simple things that Canada does that they've proven are financially sensible, that Britain could do to encourage people to use them as a creative center. Because the British are very creative people and it's frustrating that we don't get that."
Authorities may have spotted their own neglect of the video-game industry themselves, as, just a few months ago, they wanted to express their openness toward the gaming world, by announcing that, lately, the local government had banned more films than it had video games. Which isn't really a good thing, since censorship is still censorship. And England's desire to change was spotted by Molyneux as well, who said that the government was listening, but that it had been doing nothing but that for the past 15 years.
"It's very frustrating that there are a lot of Governments in the world that focus on the negative side of computer games. They just look at one or two titles and think that's representative of what computer games are. And that just drives me mad because I could look at films like Saw and say 'oh, that's what the film industry is all about.' But I'm never going to as it's so narrow-minded," Molyneux added. "There are millions of people that are entertained and their life is enriched by the entertainment that we provide. The vast majority of it is actually tame compared to a lot of films." Which would actually make the movie industry look really bad, considering AvP's recent rip-out-a-human-spine-with-your-bare-hands moment.