• Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    Defense: millions of other people who played the same game who didn’t choose to shoot anyone in real life.

    Culturally, gun manufacturer should bear more responsibility for gun violence, although legally, it’s a difficult argument. But moving the needle is a good thing.

    Facebook actually has the least defensible position here, given their record of institutionally repeating and spreading untrue and radicalizing statements.

    By adding Activision into the suit, however, the families have pretty much scuttled their own ship before it set sail.

    • machinin@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      It seems like your game defense also works for guns and Facebook?

      Things are rarely 100% causative. In all these cases, I think we have to ask if the trigger allows/pushes some percentage to an action. Then, is that percentage and action significant enough to act on. It’s the same way we deal with medicines and carcinogens.

      • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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        6 months ago

        Not really.

        Gun manufacturers specifically market guns and lobby for laws that make it easier for children to access guns.

        Activision does not.

        Meta does not.

        Meta publishes harmful, influential information without differentiating between fact and fiction.

        Activision does not.

        Both gun manufacturers and Facebook are historically, actively institutionally and directly culpable in ways that Activision is not.

        Medicines and carcinogens are a great example, since they are both heavily lobbied and the theoretical regulatory ideal you’re positing doesn’t exist. Pharmaceutical companies and food factories are responsible for many illnesses because they, like gun manufacturers, are directly marketing products that hurt people.

        • machinin@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          I don’t understand how your post refutes my argument. OP said millions play games, so if only one person screws up among those millions, it can’t be the games fault. The argument can just as well be applied to Facebook and guns. Only a small fraction of those users become mass shooters.

          I’m not saying there isn’t a problem with guns. I think America is mentally ill in it’s relationship with guns.

          In response to your comment, if Activision was found to be taking money from the gun or military industry to market weapons through their games, do you think they should be partially liable? If I understand the lawsuit correctly, that is what this case is about.

          • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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            6 months ago

            Yes, If Activision is taking money from the gun or military industry to market weapons through their games, they are partially liable. Maybe I missed that in the article?

            I just reread it, but I don’t see that argument. I see it saying that because the guns are in the game, it’s Activision’s fault that this kid shot people.

            It’s a matter of responsibility. Gun manufacturers market the guns and lobby for less restrictive gun regulations, the amount of guns in a country and their regulatory status is obviously correlated with gun violence.

            The manufacturers, marketers and lobbyists are the most responsible.

            Meta radicalizes extremists

            Less responsible, but a fairly easy line to draw with precedent(isis, Jan. 6th, Facebook manifestos from other shooters).

            Activision makes a game with guns that look real in them.

            Least responsible, easy to refute in multiple ways. What about a keychain company that makes realistic assault rifle keychains? Airsoft companies? New Line Cinema? Why aren’t they included in this suit if the depiction of a realistic gun is enough to drive certain people to violence ?

            The Activision claim as stated in the article is clearly the weakest link in the case and since it can be so easily disproved, tanks the case before the case is taken up.

        • Hegar@kbin.social
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          6 months ago

          Gun manufacturers specifically market guns and lobby for laws that make it easier for children to access guns.
          Activision does not.
          Meta does not.

          Activision and Meta are vital parts of how gun makers market guns to children, this suit alleges.

          If they are (which is definitely within the capabilities and inclinations of both those companies), then they should be held liable for their role in contributing to the epidemic of children killing people with guns.

          • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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            6 months ago

            Ah, yeah, definitely missed that part of the article. Not exactly the three-headed Hydra they’re talking about, since defining the role and responsibility of a representative weapon when there are so many other representative weapons not linked to violence, but I can see how they’d want to throw everything at the wall to see what stuck.

            Video game still does more harm than good in a suit where you have clearly responsible parties and then one vaguely responsible party with a very simple and strong defense.

            It’s like using 4x4s as posts for a cabin and then using a pool noodle instead of a 4x4 at the end.

            It fills in the volume a post should go into, but it doesn’t support anything.