Yes, I occasionally make mistakes. Sometimes they are small errors in spelling or grammar, but occasionally there are also larger mistakes regarding research. I get quite annoyed about that, believe me. Nevertheless, I at least have a few principles that I try to adhere to strictly.
For example, I don’t like overly sensational headlines, and I don’t like attempts to make a small mosquito into an elephant. But maybe I just need to spend more time on my work? (Yes, a few puns are coming your way…)
Good Times, Bad Times…
You probably remember our little news about ArenaNet’s actions against a known cheater. The corresponding character was stripped of his equipment, subsequently jumped to his virtual death due to the operators’ actions, and finally, the account was banned. A very commendable behavior, I think. Because on the one hand, an example was made, and on the other hand, honest players finally gained the impression that something is being done against cheaters.
But we wouldn’t be Germany if we didn’t constantly have to put video games on trial again, would we? So let’s let a dear gentleman from “Zeit” loose on this topic, and lo and behold: Suddenly, developers forced a character to commit suicide (zeit.de)! Not only that, through the “evidence video,” the so-called Werther effect could occur, and real people could be encouraged to choose suicide in real life. Not to mention that player characters in Guild Wars 2 cannot actually “die” but only get defeated and respawn at the next waypoint.
The user’s character DarkSide was forced into suicide in the game “Guild Wars 2”. – Zeit.de
Turning Back Time
I had actually come to the conviction that gaming has more or less arrived in the middle of society and that this society no longer sees games as a medium to be demonized. Exactly this was done again this time, playing the role of the pseudo-moralizer and asking: Could the public display of a “suicide” in a computer game lead to real imitators?
Leaving aside the fact that sensationalism produced dramatic expressions like “the character’s death rattle,” which simply do not exist in Guild Wars 2.
A Timeless Issue
But I find this passage particularly hypocritical:
“But media are required to adhere to a guideline when reporting on suicides to avoid triggering the so-called Werther effect – meaning: not to encourage anyone to imitate through sensational and simplistic reporting. Whether a game studio should also adhere to this is at least debatable.”
Honestly: No, that cannot be debated. No one saw a “suicide” here, except for Zeit. And why? Because it makes a wonderful headline. So far, it was just the punishment of a cheater in an online game. The entire suicide part was fabricated. If you want to avoid the Werther effect, as it is beautifully written, you should report sensitively on the topic of suicide. A first step might be to write only about suicides when they actually happened, and that was not the case here. It also doesn’t help to fill a third of the article with self-help addresses and research on suicide causes to present oneself as sensitive.
A Note from the Author
In the meantime, the author of the original text has spoken out again, likely triggered by the countless negative comments that the article has received. Anyone who reads this addendum quickly recognizes the intention: to soften. To mitigate reactions and articulate one’s own thoughts without admitting a mistake. After all, it was the foolish readers who found a headline to be sensational.
That the authors of Zeit now see video games as a cultural asset is commendable, but also quite brazenly dishonest. Because why don’t they act accordingly? Why don’t I read an article every time a new book is published when characters commit suicide? Because video games are still not seen as equivalent cultural assets by some people. I would be happy if some people would finally move with the times.
What do you think about it? Has this topic been exaggerated and twisted? Or does the original author even have a point? However, I will pack myself into the demonic summer sleep and will be at the RPC in Cologne this weekend – where you all should also be. Until next Wednesday!
