(News and Opinion) So a person committed suicide due to horrors of Doki Doki

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Cleverhardy (She/Her) Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:39pm

A BBC News programme recently involved a few people trying to argue about Doki Doki being the cause of a teenager's scuicide. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-44644127/doki-doki-warnings-over-suicide-themed-video-game

Now, I guess the parents didn't monitor their gaming properly, because the suicide victim might not have taken the warnings seriously. There are people saying the BBC are trying to give Doki Doki a bad reputation, because this is a point where media can influence anything. However, this is a fact: the BBC are not politically biased that much, and the opinions of the victims do not represent that of BBC News. It isn't the BBC attacking the game. It's a victim who didn't parent properly. And it might be the host. But don't let it tarnish the BBC itself, alongside Team Salvanto's message of Doki Doki Literature Club.

This is Cleverhardy saying: My condolences go to the person who committed suicide due to the horrors he faced.

Last edited by Cleverhardy (She/Her); Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:39pm

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Originally posted by eclipse:

(Rant warning, sorry, I just need to get this whole thing off my chest)

Gimme a damn break. There are warnings on the official website, there are warnings on the Steam Store, there are warnings every time you boot up the game. It is not targeted towards kids in the slightest. In any situation where a kid is playing a game not made for kids and their parents aren't monitoring their child's computer usage, you can't blame the developers. If parents would give a single damn about the ratings on games, were more concerned about how their kids indulge in entertainment, we wouldn't have this issue. The struggle for the old generation to get with the new is seriously creating some problems.

Back in the early days of video games, this same argument on games being unsuitable for kids happened for a legitimate reason. Long story short, the ESRB was created for adults who were concerned about what content their kids are seeing, because parents just bought whatever their kids wanted off the shelves and then whined about their kids seeing bad stuff when they didn't use better judgement by the title, cover art, and back description.

Free games go under the radar these days, they don't need an official rating because they're not being sold for profit, since most are distributed through Steam, or on official download sites. That's why Team Salvato made several of their own warnings. Adults across the world made such a huge stink out of slapping ratings on games, and now, nobody even cares to look at the ratings and warnings anymore, do they? It's as irrelevant as End User License Agreements, because nobody reads them anymore. Again, parents just buy whatever off the shelves for their kids like the ESRB doesn't even exist. But the media somehow still spins this as video games being a bad influence for kids and that they should be censored. We had this argument years ago, adults have nobody to blame now except themselves. Do we need the ratings and warnings to take up the entirety of a video game box, or every inch given to a game on a Steam Store page?

Take a look at the rating and save yourself the trouble. Maybe your kid won't suicide because of your ignorance. It literally takes a few moments to check the box through and through, or see what your kid wants to buy on the Steam Store, and judge whether or not your kid should play it. Maybe a "This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed" is vague, but use common sense with that warning. Teenage years are the most vulnerable times of a child's mind. Maybe those parents didn't know what was going on with them. Maybe the kid was so good at hiding whatever was going on underneath. But I don't think a video game should be blamed for the prior mental health of a player. Don't be like those parents. Be responsible, it's your job as a parent to keep your child safe, happy, and stable, until they can support themselves completely as adults. Socialize with your child as much as you can, make sure they get the help they need when they need it. That's your job.

P.S. Edit: I'm just ranting, I know this is a super long thing to read but I'm tired of seeing media scrutinize games when the warning signs are glaring right in their faces. And they don't even see it. Parents are becoming more and more aware of what games their kid should be playing and that's good. But not every parent, because we still have this happening, we still have the FPS sqeakers and GTA V toddlers, for example. It's getting worse as the old generation fades actually, modern parents might actually care less about this than older parents do.

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Showing 1-15 of 34 comments

Alaskan Catfish Hike Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:44pm

So what warning should have been followed exactly? it doesn’t matter what is portrayed in the game, he still did it in real life. Whether you want to call it victim blaming or calling them on their behavior, I’ll let you decide.

Mikasa Ackerman Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:46pm

media blaming videogames for an incident that happened
whats next ? "breaking news that water is wet" or what

Radene Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:47pm

It's easy to have an opinion about someone who's no longer here to tell their own side of the story. Basically, your opinion will go unchallenged.

Cleverhardy (She/Her) Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:48pm

Originally posted by Tessa P. DeHart:
So what warning should have been followed exactly? it doesn’t matter what is portrayed in the game, he still did it in real life. Whether you want to call it victim blaming or calling them on their behavior, I’ll let you decide.

Good idea. The parents and a coroner are arguing that the game led to suicide. And I can see why. Psychological horrors can scar vulnerable people for life.

Squidbob Spongepants Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:49pm

I'd never heard of this game until just now.

Also, BBC can be politically bias but let's not get into that; if you allow politics to get into this discussion it will get very heated very quickly so be mindful of that.

My condolences to the victim and his loved ones.

Though I doubt that game would be the sole cause of suicide, for someone to reach that point there has to be a lot going on in their lives. It's likely just an unfortunate coincidence, and a good cover story for what else may have been going on in their lives.

Leoandoreosmom Jun 30, 2018 @ 5:51pm

My condolences go out to the family of the person who committed suicide. I do not know anything about the game, so I cannot comment on it. The game did not cause the victim to do what the victim did. The victim was already struggling....and anything may have triggered the victim to take his/her life.