Our beloved leader is on a bit of an anti-video game tear lately. In a Father's Day message to all Americans, President Barack Obama categorized video games as a waste of kids' time. In this Sunday's Parade magazine, Obama wrote:
We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters,
Howard Huge was unavailable for comment. That's not the only Obama vs. video games news I have for you, though. In a speech to the American Medical Association, Obama got down to the nitty-gritty of preventative health care, saying it:
"means going for a run or hitting the gym, and raising our children to step away from the video games and spend more time playing outside."
I'm totally in favor of kids both doing homework and playing outside (as long as I don't have to participate in either), but I don't think video games and good grade/health are mutually exclusive. Neither does EA Sports head Peter Moore.
Moore, on EA's website, threw down a challenge to the leader of the free world, posting:
It may be time for the President and his family to put their Wii to good use and fire up the 30-Day Challenge with EA SPORTS Active. This is a “game” even the President may not want to “step away” from.
And adding:
Mr. President, here is my challenge to you: Try EA SPORTS Active and I guarantee you’ll need aides saying “Yes You Can!” to finish your first workout.
Obama, you've been served! But I'm afraid Peter Moore hasn't considered the implications of his challenge. I say, Moore's taunt could spell doom for our entire civilization.
As unlikely as it is, let's say Barack Obama is a big fan of EA Sports and actually reads Moore's challenge, and then accepts it. Then, let's say Obama gets so into EA Sports Active that he checks out other games for the Wii. Before you know it, the president of the United States will be hardcore gamer, decking the White House out with a PS3, and a 360 as well as using CIA super-computers to run Crysis... in full resolution. Then, he'll start checking out MMOs...
Sure, that sounds cool, but these are tenuous times. The economy is tanking, Iran is in the midst of a possible revolution, North Korea is talking about launching long-range missiles again -- if our president gets into World of Warcraft, we can kiss the country good bye, as Obama will be so into campaigning to run his hardcore gaming guild that he'll ignore the responsibilities of the presidency.
Kim Jung Il, using a clever Horde alias, will attack Stormwind, and Obama will be forced to stay up all night defending the Griffin-master. Then the real life Chinese red army, along with sleeper cells of sentient robots, will sweep into the U.S. and enslaves us all to work in outer-space diamond mines.
When the country is a smoldering ash-pile, and you're working 23-hour shifts in a Venusian mine-shaft, blame Peter Moore!
Comments
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wfofisrad
hahaha, very likely scenario.
mindsale
Cute. Peter Moore gets to promote EA's godawful Wii Fit clone. Timely.
IBloodstormI
beloved? hatted is more of my word, but that's a different discussion.
what did you expect from a politician, especially the most liberal president in history. I bet if he passes universal health care he will also attach a government mandate limiting your time to play :P
video games are the enemy of all politicians and political types. that what we get from ignorant old people.
furiousgeorge
Wow I don't even know what to say about the second half of this article. Anyways I'm sure that Obama will just blame Bush for video games, then there will be a huge write up in the New York Times about it. I got good grades in high school and still played a ton of games.
Fulgrim87
am I imagineing things or didn't you guys post a news article saying that the ESRB and the ESA said that obama was gamer friendly. And now instead of just blaming parents for lack of caring in their kids well being he blames gaming for kids opting out of homework. You know at college I opt out of going to class to have sexual relations with a female. I guess we better stop doing anything for enjoyment. And all knuckle down for the rapture.
LePooFlinger
Two big issues in America today are health and education as both arent so steller. Obama isnt saying down with games, he is saying moderation. He's saying finish your homework, then play games. Dont spend the summer locked away in your dungeon lair, experience fresh air once in a while.
I swear- if he had suggested putting down a controller to use the toilet, people will freak out as though the government is issuing mandatory potty breaks!
SkullOne360
Why is Obama getting crap for this? All he is doing is telling parents to be frakkin parents.
taekwondonut
I always had a hunch that WoW would cause the downfall of modern civilization.
lilbrinkie
Honestly, a lot of kids need to do a little bit more exercising and reading. Video games are fun, and I don't think we should underestimate their usefulness as a medium for learning, but it'd be foolish to say that kids right now are on the right track. Playing video games 45 hours a week, reading zero hours a week, exercising only when it comes time to run to the kitchen, and barely graduating high school because their dedication to their guild was more important than aiming higher than a D in Physics doesn't constitute any form of higher ambition. I don't know of any studies done on the subject, but just from my experience it's obvious the people I know that spent more time doing extracurricular activities and giving a crap about their grades as well as played video games are doing a whole lot better in life than the people that are still doing nothing but playing WoW and working at a pizza place.
IcemanMX
You have a very active, yet disturbing imagination, Mr. Johnson.
Have you ever considered developing a video game?
-M
MegaMark26
i give props to obama in a message for parents to be parents but to go against games like most republicans do. its freaking ridiculous. most people play for some form of escapism. if he improves lifestyles for all of us maybe we all wouldn't have to turn to forms of escapism. or there is the worse alternatives to games---alcoholism or what obama used to do hard drugs.
A_Can
in my opinion,video games only affect how you dedicate your time to things
PS--video games actually help you in school by improving your recolection and reflexes
Oinkness
I think Obama speaks out of complete hypocrisy when it comes to video games. Sure, they waste a ton of time, but so does reading books. Actually, you witness less in several hours of reading than you will in a couple hours of playing a game. And you're a lot less active while you're reading than you are when you're gaming.
I learned more from games than I ever did from public school. I was playing Final Fantasy VII in 5th grade. I dropped out of public school in 7th grade due to my grades and the abuse... cause you know you can't spell public school without physical and verbal abuse.. Went to homeschool and brought my grades up from Ds to As.
Fyzban
Its true a lot of gamers should go outside more often. World of Warcraft is one of the worse lol
joshua_nash
uh, the last bit of the article kind sounds like somebodies been playing way to much fallout 3, or dare i say way to much WoW
juice0325
You know what, as much as I love video games and advocate for them to people, I think Obama is right. Kids DO need to spend more time outside, they DO need to read a book and do there homework. It's not that parents need to throw out the 360 or PS3 it's that parents need to TURNED OFF the 360 or PS3 more often.
ccruse1112
This is the problem with our nation. We say we want to the best, we want to change and we want to improve things (currently ranked 38th in health care in the world). But when a leader comes along and tries to make these changes, and encourage us to make changes in our lives and our children's lives, he is accused of being anti-american, anti-capitalism, too liberal, ant-videogame, socialist (and most people who call him that dont even know what it means, they just heard it on Fox and want to roll with it)...etc
Get over it people. Fact is our citizens (not just kids), need to spend more time doing real things, and less time doing virtual stuff on the pc and consoles (myself included). And only the most ignorant of us will give him slack for saying what is true.
And I doubt Peter Moore really feels the way his statement seems, he is just a business man using this as an opportunity to promote his product, which by the way Obama would crush since he is a very fit man.
juice0325
I sound like an Obama fanboy don't I... I'm not really, no really I'm not.
D351
Wait, you're saying I'll get a job if Obama becomes a gamer?
elfbride
I am so sick of people bashing video gaming! Hasn't anyone heard of the concept of 'balance'??? YES YOU CAN... be both a gamer and be reasonably active and do well in school/be a good parent. I'm sick of this idea that gaming is just for "kids", and parents think they can't play Fallout or Halo or whatever when the kids are gone to bed. I took up gaming as an adult and buddy am I glad I did. I'd rather spend an evening at home co-opping with my husband in Halo than watching more mind numbing TV or paying too much to go to a movie.
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