By Daniel Rutledge
RadioLive host Michael Laws has slammed the release of record-breaking videogame Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and made a homophobic attack on the chief censor.
He talked about the game during the opening editorial of his radio show last Thursday – specifically, the controversial segment in which players go undercover to infiltrate a terrorist group and carry out an attack on civilians at an airport.
An outraged and misinformed Mr Laws exclaimed: "Gamers are a very unusual group of people. If mass murder was ever to be committed in this country, it would be committed by a gamer."
Despite
acknowledging the game was restricted as an R18 item, Mr Laws asked his listeners: "Is this what we want for our kids? A glorification of the killing of innocent people by terrorists?"
Mr Laws questioned New Zealand's chief censor Bill Hastings' decision to allow the game to be sold in New Zealand and made special mention of his sexual preference.
"I know the gay guy we've got at the moment who is the Chief Censor Bill Hastings is a liberal sort of guy," said Mr Laws.
"I don't care if he lets gay sex through because, well, that's what he enjoys watching in a darkened room somewhere and thinks everybody else of his ilk should be able to do so as well."
3 News contacted gaming website NZgamer.com to get a response to Mr Laws' comments from New Zealand's gamer community.
"To answer Mr Laws question: No. This is not what we want for our kids - that's why Modern Warfare 2 has an R18 rating," says NZGamer.com site manager Aaron Scott.
"NZGamer.com has many reviewers, who play games on a regular basis. The last time we checked none are mass murderers, they know their right from wrong - just like most other Kiwi gamers do."
An online debate on the subject the took place on the RadioLive website, feel free to leave comments there or in the box below.
3 News