We just thought we’d take a few minutes to thank all of you who contacted us to make sure that we were ok during the London riots.
We were very touched by some of the messages of support from as far afield as Australia and the US. Despite absolute anarchy on the Capital’s streets over the last few days, we’re glad to report that our offices and workshop have survived unscathed. We all finished work early for a few days so we could get home to our loved-ones by dark, but otherwise it was business as usual here at Bespoke Arcades.
We would like to extend our heartfelt wishes to all those affected, along with their families, by the recent distressing events. We also want to honor the many heroes who courageously put themselves at risk for the greater good of society.
At Bespoke Arcades, we aim to stay clear of politics as much as possible — our focus is on crafting quality home arcade machines and doing that job to the very best of our abilities.
Over the past few days, we have seen various journalists and commentators partly attributing these actions to the influence of violent arcade games like Grand Theft Auto. We feel compelled to challenge these claims and offer a different perspective:
Although some of the scenes witnessed were reminiscent of GTA, we don’t necessarily feel that this is life imitating art. Riots existed long before computers. Some videogames are violent, this is not a new phenomenon as even games like Sonic involve killing. Violence in videogames is nothing when compared to how many movies glamourize every aspect of the negative side of humanity. Which would have a greater impact on youth behaviour, Scarface or GTA?!
There are no calls for a ban on all violent movies. Having said that, these lines are definitely blurring as graphics and technology in computer games catches up with film. New titles have age restriction certificates which cannot be ignored and must be enforced to protect impressionable children from unsuitable images – be those images of a violent or sexual nature.
An adult has the right to watch any film which has been classified and that should be the same for all forms of media. It is up to the individual to decide whether they want to partake. Media censorship is not the answer, but the world has come a long way since Space Invaders!
If anything, buying one of our arcade machines will keep kids amused at home 🙂
HAPPY GAMING!
