Microsoft responds to Turkey investigating violence in Minecraft

Minecraft is likely one of the last games you would expect to come under fire for violent content but that is exactly what has happened over in Turkey. The country's Family and Policies Minister, Aysenur Islam, has launched an investigation in to the game under the impression that it promotes aggressive tendencies and even depicts violence against women.

The investigation could result in a nationwide ban of Minecraft. With Minecraft being a sandbox game, there is an element of combat in survival mode, in which you need to fight genderless creatures in order to survive (mostly at night) and gather materials. However, there are other game modes that remove combat entirely and purely focus on building.

Since this news broke, Microsoft has responded, defending the game: “Minecraft is enjoyed by many players in a wide variety of ways. Many enjoy the creative freedom that's presented by Minecraft and its tools, some are more interested by the opportunity to explore a landscape without boundaries and to go on exciting adventures with friends.”

The statement goes on to say that the game actively encourages you to co-operate with others in order to succeed, whether that be through building, exploring or adventuring.

“The world of Minecraft can be a dangerous place: it's inhabited by scary, genderless monsters that come out at night. It might be necessary to defend against them to survive.”

The company then sends out a reminder that if combat is an issue for you, then you can play in creative or peaceful mode and cut out the combat entirely.

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KitGuru Says: The idea that Minecraft promotes violence towards women or aggression is ridiculous. There are combat elements in the game but the creatures are fictitious and genderless, the graphics are also very unrealistic. If combat is really an issue, then it can be turned off. It is honestly one of the most family friendly games around today and often promotes younger players to think and use their imaginations. What do you guys think of this? Is Turkey's investigation completely uncalled for? Do you think Minecraft could cause aggression or promote violence towards women?

Source: Gamespot

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