Matrix Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 A social media challenge has been blamed for the deaths What just happened? It appears that the renewed trend of demonizing video games is continuing. In Saudi Arabia, the government is set to ban 47 titles following the reported suicide of two children who killed themselves after taking part in a social media challenge. The Associated Press reports that the 12-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl participated in the Blue Whale challenge. The social media “game” has not reached the west, but there are reports of the phenomenon in Russia, Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries. The challenge, which is said to have resulted in over 100 deaths, gives players 50 days to complete a series of tasks. While they start off innocuously enough, such as watching specific movies, elements of self-harm are gradually introduced, culminating in a 50th task that asks players to kill themselves. In 2016, 21-year-old Russian national Philipp Budeikin claimed to have invented the game back in 2013. The former psychology student said he was “just having fun.” He was sentenced to three years behind bars in 2017 for “inciting Russian youths to kill themselves.” The Saudi General Commission for Audio-Visual Media announced the ban, though it did not confirm that it was a direct response to the children’s deaths. With no apparent link between the Blue Whale challenge and the video games, the agency says the bans are for unspecified violations of rules and regulations. Exactly how the commission chose the games is unclear. The list contains titles that can hardly be considered violent, such as Yo-Kai Watch and Okami, and while some franchises like GTA, God of War, and Resident Evil appear, only select entries from the series are considered worthy of a ban. The report follows last week’s news that most parents don’t pay attention to a game’s age rating, with 86 percent confessing that they simply don’t follow age restrictions for video games. Full list of banned games: Agents of Mayhem Assassins Creed 2 Attack on Titan 2 Bayonetta 2 Clash of the Titans Dante’s Inferno Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition Deadpool Deception IV: The Nightmare Process Deus Ex Mankind Divided Devils Third DmC – Definitive edition Dragon Age: Inquisition Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Draw to Death Final Fantasy Dissidia Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 God of War 1 God of War 2 God of War 3 Grand Theft Auto V Heavy Rain Hitman: Absolution (2012) Life is Strange Mafia 2 Mafia 3 Metro Redux Okami One Piece Burning Blood Past Cure Prison Architect Resident Evil 5 Resident Evil 6 Saints Row IV SplatterHouse Street Fighter V Street Fighter 30th Anniversary The Order 1886 The Saboteur The Witcher 3 The Nonary Game Thief Vampyr Watch Dogs Wolfenstein 2 Wolfenstein: The New Order YO-KAI WATCH source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duangkamol Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 This is a very good decision by Saudi Arabia Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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