“Gaming is death” ad kicks up a row: Tiga files complaint, Sony considering legal action

The recent ad from the UK government’s Change 4 Life campaign that links gaming to an early death is attracting a lot of hostility from the video game industry, and from where I’m standing, only rightfully so. The UK and European trade body Tiga is calling the ad “absurd and insulting, […] a non-sequitur of colossal proportions.” Sony is also considering suing them for using a Playstation-like controller for the ad.

Details after the link.

The recent ad from the UK government’s Change 4 Life campaign that links gaming to an early death is attracting a lot of hostility from the video game industry, and from where I’m standing, only rightfully so.

The UK and European trade body Tiga has joined the likes of Sega and Atari in criticizing the ad’s unfair portrayal of video gamers. Says CEO Richard Wilson:

This advert is absurd and insulting in equal measure.

To imply that playing a video game leads to a premature rendezvous with the Grim Reaper is a non-sequitur of colossal proportions. Alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, obesity and involvement in violent crime are forms of behaviour that risk an early death.

In contrast, many video games are mentally stimulating, potentially educational and social and some involve physical exercise. Brain Training, Wii Fit, Civilisation, Singstar and Buzz are cases in point.

This advert is offensive to the 30,000 people who work in the UKÂ’s video games industry, particularly the 10,000 who work in games development. Game developers are typically intelligent, very qualified and creative individuals who work to produce high quality games for peopleÂ’s entertainment. They are not in the business of driving people to an early grave.

With nearly a quarter of men and women and almost a fifth of two to five year olds in England obese we clearly need to encourage a more active lifestyle and healthy diet. It should be possible to achieve this objective without misrepresenting a creative industry of 30,000 people.

Well said. Tiga has joined MCU UK in filing for an official complaint against the ad. On a related note, Sony is also considering suing the UK government over the ad for not being consulted when they used what looks like a PlayStation controller.

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Via MCV UK