* Posts by Comp

1 publicly visible post • joined 7 Dec 2007

Mother launches attack on epilepsy inducing video games

Comp

You people are ignorant

Let me tell you how ignorant most of you people who have replied so far are.

I am an epileptic and have been since I was 7. I'm now 41.

I am an IT Manager, been involved with computers since 17 and am a regular games player.

I mainly play the fast paced racing sims and fps games such as Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament etc..

What has to be realised is there are many varying degrees of epilepsy and putting a general warning on a package is not enough.

Im not knocking any of you for your ignorance of epilepsy because unless you have it or know someone close who has it you can't know about it.

In a few of todays games there are certain parts that are more inducive to triggering a seizure than others. Strobe lights in particular.

If you just put an epilepsy warning on all games then people like me, if I heeded them, would never get a chance to play any of them. Games that probably wouldnt affect me in the first place.

A lot of flash-fire for example has a higher chance to trigger a seizure, such as you find in war games. For me personally, I find I can put up with this for quite a while then my head kinda tells me when its enough and to stop.

Another example on a game which should have had a warning, or lets say an extra warning, is Kane & Lynch Dead Men. Theres a scene in that where you are in a nightclub and there are a lot of flashing lights.

I found that particularly disturbing but I got through it. People who have worse cases of epilepsy than myself may not. However the rest of the game is fine so far.

Its the same with news channels. They should always warn the viewer of things like flash photography as this gives a strobe effect.

Sometimes they do tell you and sometimes they dont.

Why not simply put a lighting icon in the corner of the screen when some flash lighting is about to happen. Simple.

That would work for TV and maybe even games too.

So its not about crazy mothers who should just take their kids to play in the parks. Please dont be shouting down this mother as she is pushing ahead with something that should have been done a long time ago.

You all act as if its a personal slight against you and that somehow you'll be affected.

Game manufacturers can always put a 'Flashing lighting off/on' option in the graphics options for particular problem areas in a game.

There are a number of ways to go about this.

I for one back her all the way because some control is certainly needed. At least to allow us all to have a chance to enjoy the games out there instead of having them just blindly having games that get faster and faster and flash more then they need to just to provide some eye candy and then it all goes out of control.

I registered here just to make this post as I was saddened to read some of the non-thinking replies that were in front of mine.

Cut her some slack and have a bit of consideration for others.