That Time Bill Clinton Condemned Guilty Gear on Live TV

So did you know that during the video game moral panic in The United States, President Bill Clinton actually held up a poster of and condemned the original Guilty Gear (1998) on the PS1.

This was seen in a video clip from a live broadcast of The President holding up a magazine advertisement for the game.

The clip has been circulating around Twitter for the past couple of days due to a post from user @ALONEINFECTION.

i cannot believe this pic.twitter.com/hvJUMi7yA3

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Follow @GamerBraves

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— dandy (@ALONEINFECTION) January 12, 2022

“And here’s one with the most unbelievable, it says Kill Your Friends Guilt-free.”

This came out in the late 90s when the United States was undergoing a moral panic surrounding video games and their potential to cause aggression among children. The press conference in the video was specifically about how violence is used to market products to minors.

An article by the New York Times noted that Clinton said American children were receiving a “dependable daily dose of violence” and announced that the federal government would study the use of marketing strategies that are used to sell video games, movies, and television to younger audiences.

The magazine advertisement for Guilty Gear was held up by the then-president as an example of violent marketing.

“Don’t make young people want what your own rating systems say they shouldn’t have,” Clinton said to a small audience of supporters in the broadcast. “The time has come to show some restraint, even if it has a short-term impact on the bottom line.”

Thankfully, as of 2022, Clinton’s condemnation of the anime fighter didn’t have any serious impact on its’ sales or future, with the latest installment, Guilty Gear Strive winning Fighting Game of The Year at the 2021 VGAs.

Still, the fact that a game as niche as Guilty Gear briefly shared a screen with President Bill Clinton was kind of an achievement in itself even if it wasn’t for the best reasons.

Perhaps we should elect Chipp Zanuff for President to avoid future controversy.

Guilty Gear Strive

Publisher: Arc System Works

Developer: Arc System Works

Release Date: 2021-06-11

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam

Experience the thrill of battle with the in-depth mechanics and gorgeous animations of Guilty Gear -Strive-, the latest entry in the cutting edge Guilty Gear series! - Graphics so stunning they look like hand-drawn animation! Graphical advances make for a game so beautiful it could be mistaken for hand-drawn animation. The new generation of graphics are a delight for the eyes down to the tiniest detail! - The cutting edge of the fighting game genre! We set out with the goal to innovate the fighting game genre with this title. This game appeals to a wider audience, while maintaining the deep game mechanics that define the Guilty Gear series. The complex mechanics such as the dramatic new wall break system create opportunities for the mind games associated with fighting games. One clash after the next tells a story unique to each battle! - Their fates come to a conclusion! The story of Guilty Gear has been told over more than 20 years. At long last, each character's fate comes to a conclusion! What shocking truth awaits them? Content of the Ultimate Edition : - Guilty Gear -Strive- - Guilty Gear -Strive- : Season Pass 1 - Guilty Gear -Strive- : Soundtrack and Artbook - Guilty Gear -Strive- : Ultimate Edition Special Colours