The Red Cross may be seeking to have the rules of the Geneva Convention applied to video games.
In what could possibly be some form of bizarre promotion of International Humanitarian Law (ITL,) the Red Cross investigated several games depicting modern warfare at the at the 31st meeting of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The small panel, convened to discuss videogames and the effects they have on the general public, examined whether the rules of the Geneva Convention should be applied to video game combat. These include Geneva Conventions governing protections for wounded soldiers, civilian non-combatants, and prisoners of war.
“While the Movement works vigorously to promote international humanitarian law (IHL) worldwide, there is also an audience of approximately 600 million gamers who may be violating IHL in the virtual world,” the description of the panel and discussion reads. “Exactly how videogames influence individuals is a hotly debated topic, but for the first time, Movement partners discussed our role and responsibility to take action against violations of IHL in video games.”
"Participants were asked: 'What should we do, and what is the most effective method?' While National Societies shared their experiences and opinions, there is clearly no simple answer. There is, however, an overall consensus and motivation to take action.”
There’s even a video to go with the discussion, which compares deaths in video games to points in sporting events.
This raises some interesting questions, however. If there was a Call of Duty style game where you were penalized for breaking the Geneva Conventions, would you play it? Could it possibly add to the game?
[Source: IFRC via The Escapist]
