Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force? We have a task force dedicated to internet crimes in the middle of Missouri? And they’re keeping the Internet safe by writing about Animal Crossing: City Folk? [Smacks forehead on desk]

For the uninitiated, the Animal Crossing series is by Nintendo (Of Mario and Zelda fame) where you live an idyllic life in a town.  That’s it.  There is no end goal to the game, no gigantic boss battles, no credits, nada.

The game is whatever you want to make of it. Go fishing, help your neighbors with chores, pluck weeds, furnish your house, go shopping, etc.  Think of it as Sims-light.

One component of the game, but not required to play, is the online component.  You can share messages, send gifts and visit other people’s cities. On the Wii version of the game you have to use friend codes.  Friend codes are unique to each Wii and allow you to connect with your friends in particular Wii games. These codes in turn must be shared in the real world or via some other form of communication outside of the Wii software.

According to officer Andy Anderson of the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force:

“There is no reason an adult should have [Animal Crossing: City Folk],”

Anderson says adults playing “Animal Crossing” and similar games are likely doing it for the wrong reasons.

What? Did I hear that right? It gets better. From Wired’s GameLife:

Before you gamers verbally assault Anderson and the Missouri police, please note that they almost have to focus on the Wii, as apparently it’s the only console they could get the funding to purchase. “The equipment is real expensive and we cannot afford to buy all of the systems and do not have the resources either to examine all of the possibilities,” Anderson said.

I’d like to link to the original artile at KMIZ (a local ABC affilate) but they’ve since removed it from their site.

In an updated statement, the task force reiderates thier concern:

The agency issued another statement urging parents to watch children who play the game, but stressed that all adults using the game or game system likely are not contacting children inappropriately.

That sounds a little more rational.

Since the original story broke there’s been a lot of further coverage of this blunder.  I can’t help but feel like this is all a misunderstanding, but something bothers me when the uneducated try to educated the uneducated.

Parents who don’t know what Animal Crossing is may read these reports, trusting of thier source and then go off acting suspicious of anyone playing the game.  It just doesn’t settle right with me.

My suggestion?  Hire someone like Ted or myself to help bring you guys up to speed.  Heck, pay my bus ticket and I’ll bring my gaming systems out to the ol’ HQ. I’ll answer any questions you may have about how the different current gen systems work ON THE INTERNET!

[via GamePolitics]

Photo by MrBeck (an adult!) – Licensed under Creative Commons