22nd February 2006, 7:30 PM
That is an interesting point. Nintendo in fact said that was the EXACT reason they have done such limiting as this. Here's the deal though. I'm pretty sure that the news does not share the same kiddy ideals about Nintendo that the gaming community does. If any game, any VIDEO GAME, is suddenly targetted as the source of stalking, you have a major story fed everywhere. It has already happened with MMOs it seems.
If someone stalks and kills someone using the voice chat feature of the XBox, you can BET it'll be a major news story for at least an entire week. And they are more likely to say "are your KIDS safe?" not "are YOU safe?".
So then, the problem as I see it is likely Nintendo just doesn't want to be first in line when the media targets some sicko.
I think the matter is simple though. Nintendo merely need point out that logically it is the responsiblility of the parents to teach their kids to NEVER reveal personal information to strangers online, and that logically the blame has to lie with the stalker alone for the actions the stalker took. You can't blame Scotch if their tape is used for some dark purpose. The DS isn't a tool used to hurt people, it is a device to instigate FRIENDSHIP and LITERALLY GENERATE MAGICAL RAINBOWS.
If someone stalks and kills someone using the voice chat feature of the XBox, you can BET it'll be a major news story for at least an entire week. And they are more likely to say "are your KIDS safe?" not "are YOU safe?".
So then, the problem as I see it is likely Nintendo just doesn't want to be first in line when the media targets some sicko.
I think the matter is simple though. Nintendo merely need point out that logically it is the responsiblility of the parents to teach their kids to NEVER reveal personal information to strangers online, and that logically the blame has to lie with the stalker alone for the actions the stalker took. You can't blame Scotch if their tape is used for some dark purpose. The DS isn't a tool used to hurt people, it is a device to instigate FRIENDSHIP and LITERALLY GENERATE MAGICAL RAINBOWS.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)