Johnson has announced he’s ”delighted” that EA has shown up for the third year in a row to hold the London Games Festival. A 2006 Telegraph article would suggest otherwise.
Previously Boris Johnson had described computers games as ”rot” for the brain. He said people should have the ”guts” to admit their ”catastrophic effect” on society.
”Some children have it bad,” wrote Johnson in the Telegraph back in ‘06.
”Some are miraculously unaffected. But millions of seven- to 15-year-olds are hooked, especially boys, and it is time someone had the guts to stand up, cross the room and just say no to Nintendo.”
”It is time to garrotte the Game Boy and paralyse the PlayStation, and it is about time, as a society, that we admitted the catastrophic effect these blasted gizmos are having on the literacy and the prospects of young males.”
So what’s suddenly changed then? Well for one thing Boris is now Mayor of London and I’m sure the video games industry has some investment somewhere in the city. Not to mentioned the massive amount of revenue our ”catastrophic” product generates each day.
”I’m delighted that the London Games Festival is back in our city for its third year,” proclaims Mayor Johnson, present day.
”It demonstrates the creativity and range of the gaming industry, which, as an important part of London’s creative sector, makes a vital contribution to the economy as a whole. With events across the capital, the festival has something for everyone and illustrates the popularity of this thriving form of entertainment.”
”I am pleased to see EA’s BE THE ONE event is returning to Trafalgar Square. It was an undoubted highlight of last year’s festival, which reinforces London’s position at the centre of one the most fastest-growing creative industries in the world.”
Well at least now he’s ‘stuck’ supporting the industry, for a little while anyway, and not running more campaigns against it. Bring on the brain rot!
Source: VG247
