Sky News presenter tells teenager to "go outside"

By Andrew RogersBBC Newsbeat

A newsreader has been criticised for saying a teenager who broke a Tetris record should "go outside" and "get some fresh air".

Willis Gibson, 13, from Oklahoma, became the first human to beat the original version of the 80s puzzler - a feat many thought was impossible.

But Sky News' Jayne Secker ended a live report about Willis' success by saying "beating Tetris is not a life goal".

BBC Newsbeat has contacted Sky for comment.

Willis' achievement on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) version of the game gained global attention because it wasn't thought possible for a human player to do it.

Jayne Secker was presenting a segment on Sky News showing the teen's stunned reaction as he reached Tetris's "kill screen" - the point where the game crashes and a player can go no further.

After showing the clip, she turned to the camera and said: "As a mother, I would just say step away from the screen. Go outside, get some fresh air. Beating Tetris is not a life goal".

Her on-air remarks were widely shared online and branded "disappointing" and "old-fashioned".

Taking on seemingly impossible challenges is a hugely popular part of gaming, and videos and streams of records being broken can get millions of views.

Nikolas, also known as Nikoheart on Twitch, is an online streamer and content creator whose recent challenges have included beating the massive RPG Elden Ring using a controller adapted from a DSLR camera.

Nikolas told Newsbeat he thinks part of the problem was a lack of knowledge on the presenter's part.

"I know, sometimes they're just looking at a prompt, and they're reading what it says," he said.

"And then they've got to try to formulate their own opinion in that moment. Sometimes it can come off as crass, or outdated."

He said he wanted presenters to take more time to understand why these record-breaking moments can mean so much.

"Each game always has a community that strives towards achieving greatness", he said.

"A person doing a challenge of this sort has dedicated not just time, but mental and physical energy.

"It's basically rocked the whole world of gaming and for somebody of such a young age to be able to achieve what nobody has been able to do? It's an incredible feat."

Ukie, which represents the UK games industry, said it was time the sector, which employs thousands of people in the UK, should get more respect.

Co-CEO Dan Wood told Newsbeat: "It's high time we throw out those outdated perceptions of video games and recognise that our thriving games industry is not only an economic powerhouse, but also a key cultural export for the UK."

"Not only can video games be a force for good, from helping people to relax to building communities, they are even helping people to develop skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

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