Bono Needs To Play More Socially Conscious Video Games
from the leave-the-man-alone dept
It seems that U2 lead singer Bono just can’t get out of the tech related news world lately. Last week there was talk about “drafting” him into the fight against the recording industry’s stupidity, but this week the controversy concerns his association with violent video games. The folks at Digg highlight the uproar over Bono’s association with the new video game we mentioned recently whose story line is about invading Venezuela. Bono, you’ll recall, became a celebrity venture capitalist a couple years ago. While we haven’t heard much about his actual involvement, the firm invested in a video game company last year — which leads to the connection people are now complaining about. Of course, this isn’t the first time Bono’s name has been linked to controversial video games. Earlier this year, a rumor started spreading that his VC firm, Elevation Partners, was also looking to invest in controversial Grand Theft Auto maker, Take-Two Interactive, leading everyone’s favorite lawyer, Jack Thompson, to write an open letter pleading with him to avoid the company. Once again, though, it seems like a case where people are simply using Bono’s name for publicity, and then suggesting what he should or shouldn’t stand for. Perhaps that’s what you get for being famous and active in certain causes, but it seems silly to drag him into this debate.
Comments on “Bono Needs To Play More Socially Conscious Video Games”
i think that bono should crawl under a rock for a year or two to give us all a break…
Re: Re:
In Ireland, Bono is not a popular fella.
I think we should leave him alone and let him live his own life….
Who Does He Think He Is?
Who does Bonobo think he is, and why does he think we should care? I’m tired of his antics, and his huge sunglasses. He tells us all to be free and love one another then turns around and kisses President Bush on the lips in front of a million African people. I wish celebrities would stop using their fame to make themselves more famous. Why doesn’t he work at a soup kitchen, like Jesus or Mohammed did? Then maybe when he opens his overly-large mouth we would crane forward to hear the gems that would fall from it. Just one (admittedly semi-retired) man’s opinion.
Re: Who Does He Think He Is?
That’s not an opinion, it’s a barely coherent rant. I’m half convinced it’s actually a brilliant satire of internet posts.
Back on topic, I think it’s worth pointing out that Bono hasn’t actually responded, so it’s probably premature to comment on his role in all of this. I’m more interested in the idea of a game being used to influence political opinion. Not that I think that’s happening in this case, but it is an interesting idea. What other games have faced such accusations? America’s Army, maybe? The underground games created by racist groups here in the US or religious fanatics worldwide?
Re: Who Does He Think He Is?
Well said, my man…I totally agree with you…More action and not so many superficial promises?, huh?
I played the first Mercenaries game, and it was great. If I recall, it also got some flak from upset countries, since it dared to show North Korea as a dangerous warzone run by a egotistical mad dictator with nukes…
Soup Kitchen
Ahhh yes, I believe the passage is from the book of Matthew, “and ye verily Jesus worketh’d in thine soup kitchen”…
What if Bono and Google joined forces?
Is there any global problem that they couldn’t solve? Fishes and loaves or parting of the Red Sea would look like child’s play compared to the peace and prosperity their combined powers of goodness and ubiquity could create!
But Anyway...
I think there are some people missing the point here. (News Flash!) The article is not as much about Bono as it is about Corportations & the Media using his name (or anyone else’s) where it doesn’t belong. I think that’s the real issue.
As a side-note, Bono doesn’t use his humanitarian work to bolster his celebrity – he doesn’t need to – he uses his celebrity to fuel & fund the humanitarian work. There is a difference.
Why
Is Jack Thompson still at large? We need the authorities to stop this menace, who threatens to destroy all humanity by spouting his nonsense and incorrect facts.
Bono....blah blah blah
Bono is and always will be a product of the corporation. And the corporation will always try to screw the consumer. Stop buying his goddamn albums and go check out some un-corporate bands on MySpace, such as Fruit of Choice or Freak. That is real music my friends! As far as what Bono does with his freetime….who gives a f**k!
Re: Bono....blah blah blah
Bono was a product of the Corporation (Island Records,….ect.) Make sure you know what your talking about. He is his own corporation now and what he does is of his own accord. As for Bono’s free time your absolutely right, why the fcuk should we care. I don’t give a siht about AIDS and finding a cure for that, I don’t give a rats ass about what genicide is going on in Africa. Hey as long as I can be closed minded and keep to my cyber world I just don’t give a fcuk.
On another note, Myspace is the garbage of the internet, I have seen to many of my relatives completely hose a pc becuase of this social society site. And this real music you so proclaim will enevitably give into the corporation. They all do if given the money and the contract , ask any artist. They don’t really want to but to get thier music out there and make more money they almost have to.
I think every public figure who pretends to have some moral stance before public opinion deserves public scrutiny over his / her doings, more so when your “message” goes beyond the actual role played on the public arena.
Bono’s and Geldof’s and Sting’s take-action-for-the-poor messages are essentially inmoral when compared to their style of life – not to say, when compared to the huge impact they have on revenues of the showbiz corporations they sign for.
You pray global peace over the TV, and associate with violent, politically motivated game designers? You ask for global social justice, and play and boast of high life luxury? You ask for global action to bring hope for the poor, and you associate with global capitalists to get richer? You call for an end to wars and slaughter, and ask britons to vote for the British man responsible for massive civil murder in Irak? Why don’t you start by preaching morals to yourself?
live and let live !
bono is symbol of peace!
Because he is who he is....
He can do (and will do) or stop doing whatever the heck he wants… You can dig as much as you want, but there is no other artist like him… while others talk stupidity, or buy SUVs, or spend zillions of dollars in lame things, he goes, and talks to anyone, not giving a damn if it’s the pope, if it’s Bush, if it’s Blair, if it’s Chirac? why? because he can… why? because they listen to him… Why? because through his entire career he has done nothing to be ashamed of… and a lot to be proud of…
Other artists, actors, and wannabes… they have long ways to go… to get to even a tenth of what he has done…
Who cares? I don’t.
eliminate bono website
Help Make Bono History.
http://www.eliminatebono.com
I find it to be hard to believe that many people don’t want to be seen as defenders of violent video games. Like it’s something to be ashamed of. It isn’t and I want to be seen as a defender of crazy violent video games. I like blood and gore. The gorier, the better and I love gorefest games more than almost anything in the world. I also don’t have a problem saying what I think about Jack Thompson. He is a liar and a pig. He attacks these innocent games for money and fame. He is a fraud and his case has to be destroyed and I will try everything I can to make that happen and poke holes in his case anyway I can.
People don’t play these games and then say, “That was fun. I think I’ll throw my life away now to act it out.” That doesn’t happen. People who think that it does are morons. These games aren’t dangerous at all and I am going to fight against the lies of anti-game activists until Jack Thompson loses his license to practice law and I hope that day comes soon. Doug Lowenstein is a great man and I am behind him in fighting Jack Thompson’s lies, and bogus case, one hundred percent.
This man is a liar and I hate him for what he does and what he tries to do. Jack Thompson is a liar and an ambulance chaser. He wants to put everything on video games; he blames violent video games for everything and he needs to SHUT UP!!!