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In light of the terrible terrorist attacks on America this month, many have blamed the film industry for encouraging mindless violence. Indeed it seems like NewYork is the number one city that film makers love to trash, from King Kong to AI (Spielbergs latest sleep inducing blockbuster) NewYork always seems to be on the recieving end. Could the film industry be to blame? Possibly, but my point is that perhaps in some way the entertainment industry as a whole is to blame for encouraging violence without showing the consequences of violence... and that means the game industry to!
For me very few games show the consequences of violence, and to make things worse in to many games progress is achieved simply by mindless killing. Meanwhile you get seemingly infinite continues, allowing you a luxury that can alienate you from reality.
Its true that this is a generalisation, some games do show the consequences of violence, which can itself be disturbing. I remember the finihing the game Silent Hill for the first time only to find out I had died in a car crash, this was shocking for me as up until then I had never really seen death represented in such detail in a game...it hit home.
In the future I think that games should try where possible to show the consequences of violence, perhaps then the world will be a better place!
For me very few games show the consequences of violence, and to make things worse in to many games progress is achieved simply by mindless killing. Meanwhile you get seemingly infinite continues, allowing you a luxury that can alienate you from reality.
Its true that this is a generalisation, some games do show the consequences of violence, which can itself be disturbing. I remember the finihing the game Silent Hill for the first time only to find out I had died in a car crash, this was shocking for me as up until then I had never really seen death represented in such detail in a game...it hit home.
In the future I think that games should try where possible to show the consequences of violence, perhaps then the world will be a better place!
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You have a number of good point Bodgemeister, I agree that not all games should have to show the consequences of violence as that could make the genre boring. Just imagine Tekken Tag Tournament with realitic consequences, the player with the first hit would win!
However I think that games that dont show the consequences of violence should perhaps get a higher age rating so as not to corrupt impressionable youths!
Where games can be more realistic this should be worked towards.
However I think that games that dont show the consequences of violence should perhaps get a higher age rating so as not to corrupt impressionable youths!
Where games can be more realistic this should be worked towards.
Your calls for the industry to take greater care in showing the consequences of violence are well-noted, though I feel perhaps that your reasoning is a little misguided.
Games, films, books, music - all popular forms of media within which many aspects of life are portrayed, including the violent ones. But as was previously pointed out, deranged people are deranged before they encounter one of these forms of entertainment, not BECAUSE of them.
To deny ourselves these mediums is to deny ourselves the very substance of what makes us human. I do not believe, however, that you were planning on getting rid of the entire games industry.
But even violence can be entertaining. It may seem sick but it is human nature; children love to hear about how witches get shoved into fires and dragons are slaughtered with swords, and it is this mental outlook that pervades our adult lives.
We live in a society which takes risks. We risk getting killed in the real world by someone who copies the fictional one, because we deem the imagination something worth taking the risk for.
Not every game should have to portray the consequences of violence because there is a tiny risk someone might go out and copy what they've seen on a screen. It should be up to the developer to decide what could be an interesting slant on a game idea; what could cause people to think; what could make a good game a better one. It should not be compulsory. It should be just one of the many options developers can consider.
Games, films, books, music - all popular forms of media within which many aspects of life are portrayed, including the violent ones. But as was previously pointed out, deranged people are deranged before they encounter one of these forms of entertainment, not BECAUSE of them.
To deny ourselves these mediums is to deny ourselves the very substance of what makes us human. I do not believe, however, that you were planning on getting rid of the entire games industry.
But even violence can be entertaining. It may seem sick but it is human nature; children love to hear about how witches get shoved into fires and dragons are slaughtered with swords, and it is this mental outlook that pervades our adult lives.
We live in a society which takes risks. We risk getting killed in the real world by someone who copies the fictional one, because we deem the imagination something worth taking the risk for.
Not every game should have to portray the consequences of violence because there is a tiny risk someone might go out and copy what they've seen on a screen. It should be up to the developer to decide what could be an interesting slant on a game idea; what could cause people to think; what could make a good game a better one. It should not be compulsory. It should be just one of the many options developers can consider.
People generally have a "Not in my back yard" approach to violence. They acknowledge it's existence, and are happy to watch it unfold, as long as they are not directly involved in it.
The people who actually partake in the violence aren't the people who like to watch it.
The people who actually partake in the violence aren't the people who like to watch it.
Mankind has a fixation with violence. Sad but true. From the Bible to the latest blockbuster. On the big screen and in games we laugh at violence seeing it as fun. In real life we are mostly appalled by violence. Is there a double standard here? On the one hand we glamourize violence turning it into cheap thrill entertainment, and on the other hand we denounce it. Fictional violence, factual violence - is the line in the sand becoming blurred?
Mentally unbalanced people are dangerous without the presence of games and movies.
I don't know any hardcore gamers that are capable of terrorism. The ability to be a terrorist is a part of you long before any game or movie can influence you.
Did you watch terminator 2 and think, yeah, I wanna blow upo a building and kill innocents? No. Did anyone you know think that way? I doubt it, certainly not seriously.
No. People who are capable of such atrocities have it in them without the "influence" of games and movies.
Anyone who seriously believes that watching movies is what makes people kill eachother is seriously misled.
-IB
I don't know any hardcore gamers that are capable of terrorism. The ability to be a terrorist is a part of you long before any game or movie can influence you.
Did you watch terminator 2 and think, yeah, I wanna blow upo a building and kill innocents? No. Did anyone you know think that way? I doubt it, certainly not seriously.
No. People who are capable of such atrocities have it in them without the "influence" of games and movies.
Anyone who seriously believes that watching movies is what makes people kill eachother is seriously misled.
-IB
I dont think we can say what influenced these terrorists, as far as I can tell from these news reports they were seemingly very normal people. One even studied at the Swansea Institute in South Wales.
What Im trying to say is perhaps games and movies can influence people and maybe even gave them ideas! You would still have to be mentally unbalanced to carry out the actions of films and games in real life though!
What Im trying to say is perhaps games and movies can influence people and maybe even gave them ideas! You would still have to be mentally unbalanced to carry out the actions of films and games in real life though!
TERRORISM EXISTED LONG BEFORE COMPUTER GAMES!!
People can blame games all they want, saying how our generation is tainted with violence. But it is utter rubbish.
How many wars have been started by computer game addicts? How many people, after watching some random action movie, decided to invade a country?
I tihnk you will find the numbers to be insignificantly small, if they exist at all.
The Taliban terrorists don't watch television. They don't play games on computers or consoles. Yet they killed thousands of people, and why? Because they don't like them.
It has in fact been well documented that the reverse is true of games and movies. Look at Japan. Pornography is easilly available, manga dipects sex and violence left right and centre to people of ANY age. Anime isn't much different. Sex everywhere, and a lot of the manga depicts sexual violence too.
What is the sex offence rate in Japan? It is extremely low. Why? Because they are given an outlet for any frustrations they might have. Sexually frustrated? Download some porn, or watch a couple of X-rated mangas.
Upset|angry? Play on an RPG for 12 hours and cool off.
People will always be concerned about exposure to violence leading to violence, but as far as I'm concerned, you can't kill anyone while you are sat watching a film, and you certainly can't while playing a game.
Terrorists are violent because they have been trained to be violent, and they also hold a very strong grudge against some system or other. They are also SUPPLIED with what they need to outlet their aggression on innocents.
A game soes not train you to be violent.
No film I've seen would give me reason to grudge a system.
AND CERTAINLY, BY DOING EITHER I WILL NOT END UP EQUIPPED TO MURDER THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ON A WHIM.
Play your computer games, watch your movies. If you're doing anything that sadistic scum like the taliban don't do, then in my opinion, that has to be a good thing.
Long live video games,
Long live movies.
-IB
People can blame games all they want, saying how our generation is tainted with violence. But it is utter rubbish.
How many wars have been started by computer game addicts? How many people, after watching some random action movie, decided to invade a country?
I tihnk you will find the numbers to be insignificantly small, if they exist at all.
The Taliban terrorists don't watch television. They don't play games on computers or consoles. Yet they killed thousands of people, and why? Because they don't like them.
It has in fact been well documented that the reverse is true of games and movies. Look at Japan. Pornography is easilly available, manga dipects sex and violence left right and centre to people of ANY age. Anime isn't much different. Sex everywhere, and a lot of the manga depicts sexual violence too.
What is the sex offence rate in Japan? It is extremely low. Why? Because they are given an outlet for any frustrations they might have. Sexually frustrated? Download some porn, or watch a couple of X-rated mangas.
Upset|angry? Play on an RPG for 12 hours and cool off.
People will always be concerned about exposure to violence leading to violence, but as far as I'm concerned, you can't kill anyone while you are sat watching a film, and you certainly can't while playing a game.
Terrorists are violent because they have been trained to be violent, and they also hold a very strong grudge against some system or other. They are also SUPPLIED with what they need to outlet their aggression on innocents.
A game soes not train you to be violent.
No film I've seen would give me reason to grudge a system.
AND CERTAINLY, BY DOING EITHER I WILL NOT END UP EQUIPPED TO MURDER THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ON A WHIM.
Play your computer games, watch your movies. If you're doing anything that sadistic scum like the taliban don't do, then in my opinion, that has to be a good thing.
Long live video games,
Long live movies.
-IB
Some fine points in there.
I think games should go back to the days of Treasure Island Dizzy!
Admittedly you played the part of an egg wearing boxing gloves, but it showed you in no uncertain terms that you only get one life and you should use it wisely!
That game taught me a lot about the importance of life.
I think games should go back to the days of Treasure Island Dizzy!
Admittedly you played the part of an egg wearing boxing gloves, but it showed you in no uncertain terms that you only get one life and you should use it wisely!
That game taught me a lot about the importance of life.
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