First and foremost, this is a serious and sensitive topic, but it’s worth talking about when it comes to the blowback. There was a recent shooting in a Philippine school by two minors. One of the angles they are looking at that caused the two boys to do the shooting is violent video games. It is said that the boys were playing a game called Gorebox.
Why was GoreBox banned in the Philippines?
The game was banned solely because investigators found out that the boys were playing the game. A title like that would definitely give people who aren’t into gaming a bad image. The word GORE is there, so people would assume it is that violent. The game is or was available for iOS and Android devices for free. The one on STEAM has to be paid for, but regardless, all versions are now banned.
What is GoreBox all about?
Despite the title, the violence isn’t up to an extreme level. There is blood, but the game’s graphics resemble those of Roblox and even Minecraft. Those games are child-friendly, but GoreBox does have something that might make people think the wrong way. The game is an open-world sandbox editor. You can tinker with the game’s assets and play however you want. Personally, the game isn’t that impressive but not entirely bad.
Is the ban a good idea?
We’re not contesting or arguing with the ban; it is what it is. However, part of it is really silly. They’re banning a game that not many Filipinos played and care about. On top of that, they aren’t really focusing on the important things outside of the game. The game itself has an 18+ age warning, so it’s entirely the parents’ responsibility to keep track of what their children do.
Another bad idea was that the Philippine government actually asked the developers to come to the country for an inquiry. Thankfully, the developer didn’t want to come, and why would they? It’s not their fault for what happened, and realistically, they have no legal repercussions. People are afraid because what if other games are banned, whether they were involved or not.
Closing of Pisonets
A pisonet (pesonet) is something similar to an internet cafe mixed with an arcade cabinet. What happens is that you put a coin of a specific denomination. You can then unlock that unit that will allow you to play on a PC. However, nowadays, there are those that allow players to use phones or tablets. It is believed that those shooters have used such places. This is another stupid move because a lot of those pisonet owners invested in those businesses, got permits and licenses, only to be shut down without any compensation.
Final Thoughts
It is sad what indeed happened, but banning a game is just stupid. They’ve been blaming violent video games since the 90s for all of those school shootings. A lot of energy should also be directed towards the students’ mental health, and more time should be devoted by the parents. It all starts at home, and what happens outside those walls will be reflected in the home itself.
