Hooray for Beer!
Brewfest is upon us, and man is it a ridiculous success of an event. What was once an incredibly deserted and inactive Org has become a bustling capital of the Horde once more. The streets and rooftops are packed full of the drunkard and wary, trying desperately to get their clammy hands on an Epic Ram mount. Decent mount with clean animation and all, but to get it, there's just so much to do, and I'm not sure it's worth putting our realms excellent progression on hold for...
=)
The festival is a bit buggy atm, however, with some quests not showing up for some players, items not responding correctly to clicks, and the like.
But even with all of the bugs, the festival has been an utter and complete success at one thing, and that's sending a wholesome and moral message to the young ones out there. Drinking is cool, people. It's safe. It's healthy. It's wise. Do eet. You'll see things in a completely different and better light. People will like you better. You'll like others better. And hell, you'll become a better person for it.
So mount up, young ones. Grab a beer in this exotic fake realm of ours, and down it with dignity! Tempted to try one in real life? Steal one of your daddy's beers to see what it's really like. Go right ahead. I'm sure he won't mind. Heck, he'll probably be proud that you're becoming more like him. Maybe he'll even let you beat your mom too!
-_-
In all seriousness, you gotta wonder how many parents actually know stuff like this happens in-game. Of course, it's not Bliz's responsibility to parent, but it sure as hell is their responsibility to inform. And I can't say that people who don't play this game at all would know anything about the pro-drinking shizzle that's going on right now.
Tisk tisk, Bliz. Tisk tisk.
10 comments:
ToS protects them against people wanting to blame their game for underage behavior. And drinking does not = beat your mom/wife.
Unless you count the inside that is...
of your mom?
Ah, but that's the beauty of it all, Zy. A kid (anyone under 18 in Cali) is allowed to buy a game. He/she chooses WoW. Agrees to the ToS, starts up an account using his/her own money (time cards, or whatever), and plays the game.
Guess what? That ToS means shit.
In the state of Cali, and most states I believe, no one under the legal age (specific to each state) can enter into a valid contract. If they do, it is null and void.
Of course, companies don't want you to know that and will fight and fight and fight to get people to think otherwise -- after all, kids are a seriously large demographic they can't afford to lose.
But, it's in the law. Kids cannot enter into a binding contract. Period.
Now, what were we talking about?
=P
does clammy hands make for better masturbation?
6-7
"does clammy hands make for better masturbation?"
This made my day. I think that demo couldn't even beet the snide sexual line there. 10/10 lolololol
If kids are at home getting their l33t characters drunk, they are not at bars getting drunk. And if they are at home getting drunk while playing WoW, I don't think even Blizzard's ToS can save them from the horrible lack of parenting.
You should log Laqueefa on and see how much alcohol it takes for us to not be afraid of "her"!
Also jago you are correct, minors cannot enter a contract. Unless through their parents ( for example: signing your soul to the military at age 16-17) And I did go and briefly look through the big tos, its pretty murky imo. Deathklock never would have signed that.
Not to side with the big corporate fiends, but you know how I like to make discussions happen ;P
I don't think the game is a parenting mechanism. Its obvious the game isn't meant to babysit your kids. TV has that market -_-
All in all I think people do need to be aware of what is out there, at a young age so that they are informed and can have enough info to make an educated decision later on. Drinking in a game, skimpy plate armor, mindless violence... Theres a lot that many conservatives would love to see off the interenet, media ect. I encourage people being properly educated about the underbelly of the world.
In point, wow =/= babysitter. Any educated child should know the potential effects both positive and negative of alcohol, sex, or any other controversial thing that many people like to pretend don't exist until you ding 18.
Oh, the game is definitely not a parenting mechanism. But the question is, does Bliz take an active approach at educating the parents as to what is going on in the game their children are playing?
Does that make the parents any less responsible? Absolutely not. But it doesn't make Blizzard a better company for it, ya know?
Frankly I don't think its anyones responsibility to hold a parents hand. Thats not to say hold information or anything; but any parent that gets peeved when he/she "didn't know" its generally their fault.
Its no ones job to tell you anything when the information is readily available. -_- Unless you pay extra of course.
I think its a sign of degradation in common sense that we have to put signs on coffee cups "CAUTION HOT" and the countless other measures companies are forced to take in order to prevent ignorant people from hurting themselves. You don't see this kind of thing around the rest of the world.
Meh off topic >_>
What you're talking about is negligence, which is very different from misinformed or even uninformed.
The one example that comes quickly to mind is cigarette smoking. Cig companies were taken to court many years ago for the malicious act of marketing their products directly to kids.
They would have shops hang ads at the average eye-level of a 13-year-old, next to the rack of candy bars. They would research the demographic of pre-teens and teenagers and plan their marketing schemes accordingly. There was a settlement (of course), and a part of it was that they would have to remove all billboard ads and their mascots (when was the last time you saw Joe Camel or Marlboro Man?), to prevent further exposure to the young.
Active parenting is good, but when there is also an actively malicious counter weight in place, even in the best of homes, sometimes the scale tips in favor of the unwanted behavior. And when that behavior is addicting... well... you know where it goes from there. It becomes less of a choice, so no matter what kind of environment you are in, you get stuck in a cycle.
Now, I can't say for sure that Bliz is marketing for the alcohol industry via WoW. But on the surface, just through a simple explanation of the festivities of Brewfest and what it's like to be a part of it, it's enough to make any of us go "wtf," even if it's just a little.
Cool. I feel that both sides have been argued enough for a a good array of possibility.
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