Sunday Herald Sun, August 8, 2004

Parents are dumping children at internet centres to play violent games overnight. Youngsters are “locked in” to play computer games involving killing, taking hostages or detonating bombs.

In Victoria, at least one centre runs marathon overnight sessions and it plans to open another venue in central Melbourne. Many Victorian parents already use gaming centres during the day to baby-sit children during school holidays while they work or shop.

Community leaders fear the phenomenon of the overnight marathons will spread across Victoria, following a trend in other states.

Children as young as 12 are dropped off by parents for overnight lockins in Brisbane.

Acting Opposition Leader Phil Honeywood said the Government had not kept up with the rapidly growing industry and needed to regulate the system, perhaps introducing age limits. “There is a vast difference between a sleep over at a friend’s place and children being locked in overnight to play war style games,” he said.

“It is totally unhealthy to use these centres as baby-sitters. A real babysitter puts a child to bed instead of allowing them to stay up all night. “Parents should have cause for concern if young people are being locked in and encouraged to be awake overnight playing games that can have anti-social consequences.”

Australian Family Association spokesman Bill Muehlenberg said the Government should ban the lock in’s and 24 hour gaming venues. He condemned the “blood and guts” content of the games, which he said could create potential killers.

He said a UK teenager was facing a murder charge after allegedly killing a friend by copying a violent computer game.

“These games are graphic, violent and realistic and they (children) should not be locked up for 10 hours or more playing them,” he said.

But the manager of Bendigo’s Zone Adrenalin, John Lee, defended the venue’s monthly lock-ins and the firm’s plans to open another Centrex in Bourke St, Melbourne next month.

He said the lock-in from 7pm Saturday to 10am Sunday created a safe environment for 36 players – the youngest 13.

His venue had memberships so it was not treated as a “hangout”. The overnight sessions were staffed and the venue was locked to prevent gate-crashing.

Children paid $30 to play such games as war simulator Battlefield or Counterstrike, where players chose to be either terrorists, planting bombs and taking hostages or counter terrorists.

He insisted the teenagers knew the difference between reality and fantasy. Four 14 year olds who attended the latest overnight session last week said they did not confuse the violence in the game with real life. Mitch Charlton, Steve Slaviero, Seb Smith and Rory Lowden said the lock-in’s were “just fun.”

A government spokeswoman said advise would be sought about the lock-in’s.

“We urge parents to exercise caution when leaving their children in the care of others and to make sure they are satisfied with the supervision arrangements, she said.