Concerned Mother Begins Legal Battle on Epilepsy-Inducing Video Games

[zekrahminator]

More and more often, lately, the phrase "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt" is holding itself true. When one 10 year old boy suffered a seizure in the middle of a game of Rayman Raving Rabbids, his mother didn't let her child become just another statistic. Instead, she's started a legal campaign to prevent more seizures like this in the future. If she succeeds, no game released in the United Kingdom can be played until the game is screened for scenes that might cause an epileptic seizure. While this screening is already required for movies, it has not happened for video games as of yet. As consolation to the boy and his family, Ubisoft is currently testing Rayman Raving Rabbids for said seizure-causing instances. Game manufacturers may deem these methods unnecessary, considering that most games and consoles come with a seizure warning on the box or in the manual.

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[hacker111]

Thats good for the people who suffer siezures during playing a game...how does that work is it just a really scary scene or somthing like that?

 

[jocksteeluk]

You see this is the difference between Europe and America, in Europe we sue for the greater good whilst in America you sue for the greater bank account, i have to commend the actions of the concerned parent involved in this case.

 

[effmaster]

You see this is the difference between Europe and America, in Europe we sue for the greater good whilst in America you sue for the greater bank account, i have to commend the actions of the concerned parent involved in this case.

You idiots seem to forget that this only affects a small percentage of the population and if they are too lazy to READ THE POSSIBLE SEIZURE WARNINGS ON ALL GAME BOXES AND GAME MANUALS" then its their fault not the companys fault

 

[Random Murderer]

You idiots seem to forget that this only affects a small percentage of the population and if they are too lazy to READ THE POSSIBLE SEIZURE WARNINGS ON ALL GAME BOXES AND GAME MANUALS" then its their fault not the companys fault

yea, i completely agree here, all game systems and video games are now required to have a seizure warning(and in the case of wii and its games, an "extreme motions" warning) in the manual and/or on the box.

 

[effmaster]

i have to commend the actions of the concerned parent involved in this case.

You cant commend the actions of this concerned parent.

I would commend her if she had read the box warnings before letting her child play the game, thats what a good parent would do

 

[ktr]

The mother lost. They do put those warning regarding seizures. Also, ever heard of moderation

 

[DaMulta]

In America all games say that

 

[JoshBrunelle]

Warning

"WARNING. Read instruction manual for information about photosensitive seizures and other important safety and health information."

Simple as that, just from the back of a game sitting next to my desk.

 

[Disparia]

Sounds like a good way to cull the heard. Video games and extreme rides are our predator in this day and age.

Here at Disney in Orlando, 4 or 5 have died while riding Mission To Space since it opened. Autopsy usually revels heart defect, etc.

 

[DaMulta]

Sounds like a good way to cull the heard. Video games and extreme rides are our predator in this day and age.

Here at Disney in Orlando, 4 or 5 have died while riding Mission To Space since it opened. Autopsy usually revels heart defect, etc.

what a wat to go

Is the ride any good? Does it feel real?

 

[Random Murderer]

what a wat to go

Is the ride any good? Does it feel real?

lol, no, but it's still fun as hell

 

[effmaster]

The mother lost. They do put those warning regarding seizures. Also, ever heard of moderation

LOL KTR I just accidentally clicked the pic ture in your sig and got a funny audio playback

Were going to have to glue you back together in HELL" thats a clever way to hide an audio message

 

[ktr]

LOL KTR I just accidentally clicked the pic ture in your sig and got a funny audio playback

Were going to have to glue you back together in HELL" thats a clever way to hide an audio message

You should have heard the first sound clip i had, it had the goat back stab sound from wolfenstein: et.

 

[effmaster]

You should have heard the first sound clip i had, it had the goat back stab sound from wolfenstein: et.

Awww whyd you change it

 

[ktr]

Awww whyd you change it

I will put it back when i get home (which is gonna be late at night). But first I need to join a server with that mod.

 

[Darknova]

"WARNING. Read instruction manual for information about photosensitive seizures and other important safety and health information."

Simple as that, just from the back of a game sitting next to my desk.

HAHAH. Well if she's too stupid to read the box then it's her own fault.

This reminds me of the pre-order boxes we have in our stores. We have people kick off because they can't get it then and there, when it quite clearly states "Pre-order today!"...

"oh yeah...I didn't read that"...morons.

 

[panchoman]

You idiots seem to forget that this only affects a small percentage of the population and if they are too lazy to READ THE POSSIBLE SEIZURE WARNINGS ON ALL GAME BOXES AND GAME MANUALS" then its their fault not the companys fault

+1, those warnings are there for a reason

 

[mas0n]

I am hereby petitioning our star, The Sun, to accept it's responsibility as a causation of seizures as it's light flickers in trees that blow in the wind, the wind being yet another product of said star.





Seriously, just be glad you discovered that your child has seizures while he was in the safety of your living room instead of while driving down a country road.

 

[Bundy]

Whilst I agree with the principle of user beware, in this case the mother is correct. Firstly, fits are often caused by stimuli such as flicking a scene at a certain frequency. It is easily found (hence why movies are all screened for this) and there is no reason why games can't be economically checked for FAULTS like this.
Secondly, is every parent going to ensure that every person/child who uses the game (i.e. your kids friends) are not epileptic? Would anyone enjoy watching visitor to their house have a fit? Are all your games kept locked away?
These problems are resolvable with not that much effort. These days, I think "effort" should be more than simply putting a warning notice on the box.

 

[newconroer]

Whilst I agree with the principle of user beware, in this case the mother is correct. Firstly, fits are often caused by stimuli such as flicking a scene at a certain frequency. It is easily found (hence why movies are all screened for this) and there is no reason why games can't be economically checked for FAULTS like this.
Secondly, is every parent going to ensure that every person/child who uses the game (i.e. your kids friends) are not epileptic? Would anyone enjoy watching visitor to their house have a fit? Are all your games kept locked away?
These problems are resolvable with not that much effort. These days, I think "effort" should be more than simply putting a warning notice on the box.

I have a feeling some people are silently comparing this to warning labels on a pack of cigarettes, and feeling that it's the user's responsibility. Yet we're talking about children here, who are neither mature enough to use moderation, or wise enough to see the consequences ahead of time.

In support of what Bundy mentioned; if you have a visitor child, or your child goes to another person's home, and there's no proper supervision, and no care or concern is taken to your child's epilepsy, then bad things could happen.


With how saturated society is with virtual gaming, it wouldn't be difficult for a child to get in a situation, where they do not protect themselves against a seizure.


There's absolutley no good reason why game products cannot be screened/tested. Game companies are ridiculously rich, and with all the horrible products they release to us year after year, they owe it to us as a gaming community (some of which have children) and as a society, to do something worthy with their money; as it sure as hell isn't being spent on making decent products.

 

[hat]

The only way I see this going anywhere is if the game didn't have a warning about it's ability to cause these seisures. I've played some games that specificly state on startup that it can cause seisures.

 

[imperialreign]

Those warning have been on game packages and manuals for as far back as I can remember. Hell, some games have even gone to the extent of saying those with certain conditions shouldn't play a game if said game is unusually violent, disturbing, or contains graphic and/or explicit material. Doom3 was like that, as was FEAR.


This is just another one of those situations where some dumb-ass has never taken the time to read the licensing agreement printed at the back of EVERY GAME OWNER'S MANUAL.

My response: Chalk it up to experience, lady.

If nothing else, she should be thanking the game company for finding a way to let her know that her child has a condition.

 

[mrw1986]

I disagree with the mothers actions for the same reasons you all do...there already are warnings in the manual and such...

 

[Mussels]

yea, i completely agree here, all game systems and video games are now required to have a seizure warning(and in the case of wii and its games, an "extreme motions" warning) in the manual and/or on the box.

if he's got epilepsy, he shouldnt be in front of a TV playing video games. duh.

if erotic thoughts made me have seizures, i'd stop looking at porn - if flashing lights give me problems, i give up video games. its quite simple... stop suing people, take some meds, and play something in the RW