N'Gai Croal on CNN's "American Morning" discussing Manhunt 2

Last week, we made an appearance on CNN's "American Morning" to discuss Rockstar Games' forthcoming Manhunt 2. Our friend Mike Snider had quoted us in his USA Today story about Manhunt 2 and Nintendo's Wii, which prompted a couple of national TV news programs to get in touch with Newsweek's PR department to speak with us about the game. One news org decided to keep its powder dry until the game's release at the end of October, but CNN decided to tackle it immediately. Which is how we ended up in NYC's Time Warner Center on the set of "American Morning," seated across from co-anchor Kiran Chetry, explaining Manhunt 2 to thousands of Alpha moms across the nation.

The experience was pleasant, simple and short. Chetry didn't have an agenda or an ax to grind; she merely asked us a series of eminently reasonable questions about the kinds of things that curious viewers would want to know about the game. But inherent in some of her statements and questions was the assumption that Manhunt 2 was somehow intended for children. As we waited in the green room, we heard her tease our appearance by saying, "Well, there's something new from the Nintendo Wii, but some are saying it really allows players to act out a murder and just how dangerous it is that for the young kids that are playing these games? We're going to talk to one of the few people who had a chance to preview, to play this game. How violent is it? We're going to take a look ahead on 'American Morning.'" Later, when we were on the set, speaking directly with Chetry, we had the following exchange:

Kiran Chetry: It does seem shocking, actually if you're not in the world of gaming, to see this. I mean, it's so realistic. There's blood on the people and you're actually--the kids are moving their hands in motions that simulate killing. How--when do you cross the line? This fantasy world becomes so realistic that it can't help but be damaging.

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N'Gai Croal: The first thing I have to say is the game is like when you say kids, the game is "M" rated which means you have to be 17 years or older to purchase it. Obviously, that doesn't prevent some children from getting their hands on it but really I would say that's the responsibility of parents to make sure that they don't. As far as adults, I mean, you know, you or I can make decisions about what kind of entertainment we do or do not want. It might be to my taste, it might not be to yours but I feel like we should be able to make that decision.

Finally, as our appearance was drawing to a close, the connection between children and Manhunt 2 came up one more time:

Chetry: Would you let your kids play it?

Croal: I don't have children.

Chetry: If you did?

Croal: If I did, no, I wouldn't let them play it if they were under age. But if they were, I would want to sit down with them and sort of talk them through what it was they were experiencing just to check in with them and make sure they understood the distinction between fact and fiction.

Chetry: Well, that's very important, of course. N'Gai Croal here at CNN with "Newsweek," the technology general editor. Thanks for being with us.

Croal: Thanks for having me.

We bring this up not because there's anything sinister at work, but rather because Chetry isn't alone in her bedrock assumption that all videogames are primarily aimed at "kids." After all, had we gone on the show to discuss Ang Lee's NC-17-rated erotic thriller "Lust, Caution," or the upcoming horror movie "30 Days of Night," we doubt that we'd have been asked "Would you let your kids watch it?" It would have been assumed that those movies, like certain TV shows, books or plays, are not intended for children. Yet videogames often don't get the same recognition.

The assumption that all videogames are toys for children rather than entertainment for a variety of different audiences is one of our pet peeves. It may seem innocuous, but it's not only the foundation of continued attempts at the state and national level to regulate the sale and marketing of videogames, it's also an excuse for developers and publishers to coast on the innocuous, the inoffensive and the tried-and-true rather than push the medium forward in multiple directions for multiple audiences--including adults. In other words, it's not just videogame outsiders who hold this belief: many insiders do as well. We pointed this out back in January following the head of the Slamdance Film Festival's decision to pull Super Columbine Massacre RPG! from its videogame competition, when we wrote:

Slamdance's cowardice, then, is of a piece with the controversies that greeted the "Hot Coffee" mod in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as well as the company's more recent title, Bully. Simply put, the average person believes that videogames are solely intended for kids; that the content of all games is suitable for kids; and if it isn't, it darned well should be, even if it has an M-rating. This creates a double-edged sword for game creators and publishers. Because videogames have the revenues of Hollywood's box office but a cultural (in)visibility that's much more similar to that of comic books, creators can work freely, in relative obscurity compared to artists in other fields, while still earning a good deal of money. That is, until a game is perceived to have crossed a line or pushed a hot button, at which point, all hell breaks loose. This is a recipe for the continued infantilizing of a young medium whose potential, for all of the compelling works already released, still remains largely untapped.

Next: A look back at our conversation with Game Developers Conference executive director Jamil Moledina about the fallout from Super Columbine Massacre RPG!