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I've just counted up all the games I currently own, plus all the ones I've owned in the past, and I've come up with a simple statistic:
74 out of the 91 games involve killing.
Now is this fact disturbing, or is all video game violence just harmless fun.
"HARMLESS FUN" I here you yell, and I agree: gaming violence does not make you more violent in real life (unless of course you are 'already' slightly deranged). This has been discussed a million times before and there's no need to venture down that road again.
So the question I want to ask is this: WHY DO WE SEEMINGLY ENJOY VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE SO MUCH?
I don't think I'm alone in saying that I am disappointed when the violence/killing in a game is executed in a weak manner. The more graphic, realistic, gratuitous and stylish the modus operandi of the killing is, the better.
Some will answer the above question by stating: "I enjoy killing in games because I like to do things in video games that I can't do in real life".
But when you think about it, is this response not just a little bit strange.
I mean, as a male I cannot give birth to a baby in real life, but neither do I want to give birth to a baby in a video game. Some things that I cannot do in real life, I certainly do not want to do in a video game.
But when it comes to killing, all I can say is "bring it on" - preferably with bells on.
Look at your game collection: how many of them have killing as an integral part of the gameplay? I suspect (like me) over 75% of them, unless of course all the games you own are Racers. Even cutesy platformers involve killing in some form or other.
So why are we so fixated with violence, killing and generally wasting the bad guys with big guns? From The Bible to the latest action-packed blockbuster to the most wanted video game, violence plays a starring role; it has an undeniable charisma.
We are (and should be) appalled by real life violence, but in video games/films etc, we are intrigued and entertained by it. Can I smell hypocrisy here? Or am I just probing too deeply into an irrelevant contradiction?
74 out of the 91 games involve killing.
Now is this fact disturbing, or is all video game violence just harmless fun.
"HARMLESS FUN" I here you yell, and I agree: gaming violence does not make you more violent in real life (unless of course you are 'already' slightly deranged). This has been discussed a million times before and there's no need to venture down that road again.
So the question I want to ask is this: WHY DO WE SEEMINGLY ENJOY VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE SO MUCH?
I don't think I'm alone in saying that I am disappointed when the violence/killing in a game is executed in a weak manner. The more graphic, realistic, gratuitous and stylish the modus operandi of the killing is, the better.
Some will answer the above question by stating: "I enjoy killing in games because I like to do things in video games that I can't do in real life".
But when you think about it, is this response not just a little bit strange.
I mean, as a male I cannot give birth to a baby in real life, but neither do I want to give birth to a baby in a video game. Some things that I cannot do in real life, I certainly do not want to do in a video game.
But when it comes to killing, all I can say is "bring it on" - preferably with bells on.
Look at your game collection: how many of them have killing as an integral part of the gameplay? I suspect (like me) over 75% of them, unless of course all the games you own are Racers. Even cutesy platformers involve killing in some form or other.
So why are we so fixated with violence, killing and generally wasting the bad guys with big guns? From The Bible to the latest action-packed blockbuster to the most wanted video game, violence plays a starring role; it has an undeniable charisma.
We are (and should be) appalled by real life violence, but in video games/films etc, we are intrigued and entertained by it. Can I smell hypocrisy here? Or am I just probing too deeply into an irrelevant contradiction?
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I've just counted up all the games I currently own, plus all the ones I've owned in the past, and I've come up with a simple statistic:
74 out of the 91 games involve killing.
Now is this fact disturbing, or is all video game violence just harmless fun.
"HARMLESS FUN" I here you yell, and I agree: gaming violence does not make you more violent in real life (unless of course you are 'already' slightly deranged). This has been discussed a million times before and there's no need to venture down that road again.
So the question I want to ask is this: WHY DO WE SEEMINGLY ENJOY VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE SO MUCH?
I don't think I'm alone in saying that I am disappointed when the violence/killing in a game is executed in a weak manner. The more graphic, realistic, gratuitous and stylish the modus operandi of the killing is, the better.
Some will answer the above question by stating: "I enjoy killing in games because I like to do things in video games that I can't do in real life".
But when you think about it, is this response not just a little bit strange.
I mean, as a male I cannot give birth to a baby in real life, but neither do I want to give birth to a baby in a video game. Some things that I cannot do in real life, I certainly do not want to do in a video game.
But when it comes to killing, all I can say is "bring it on" - preferably with bells on.
Look at your game collection: how many of them have killing as an integral part of the gameplay? I suspect (like me) over 75% of them, unless of course all the games you own are Racers. Even cutesy platformers involve killing in some form or other.
So why are we so fixated with violence, killing and generally wasting the bad guys with big guns? From The Bible to the latest action-packed blockbuster to the most wanted video game, violence plays a starring role; it has an undeniable charisma.
We are (and should be) appalled by real life violence, but in video games/films etc, we are intrigued and entertained by it. Can I smell hypocrisy here? Or am I just probing too deeply into an irrelevant contradiction?
74 out of the 91 games involve killing.
Now is this fact disturbing, or is all video game violence just harmless fun.
"HARMLESS FUN" I here you yell, and I agree: gaming violence does not make you more violent in real life (unless of course you are 'already' slightly deranged). This has been discussed a million times before and there's no need to venture down that road again.
So the question I want to ask is this: WHY DO WE SEEMINGLY ENJOY VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE SO MUCH?
I don't think I'm alone in saying that I am disappointed when the violence/killing in a game is executed in a weak manner. The more graphic, realistic, gratuitous and stylish the modus operandi of the killing is, the better.
Some will answer the above question by stating: "I enjoy killing in games because I like to do things in video games that I can't do in real life".
But when you think about it, is this response not just a little bit strange.
I mean, as a male I cannot give birth to a baby in real life, but neither do I want to give birth to a baby in a video game. Some things that I cannot do in real life, I certainly do not want to do in a video game.
But when it comes to killing, all I can say is "bring it on" - preferably with bells on.
Look at your game collection: how many of them have killing as an integral part of the gameplay? I suspect (like me) over 75% of them, unless of course all the games you own are Racers. Even cutesy platformers involve killing in some form or other.
So why are we so fixated with violence, killing and generally wasting the bad guys with big guns? From The Bible to the latest action-packed blockbuster to the most wanted video game, violence plays a starring role; it has an undeniable charisma.
We are (and should be) appalled by real life violence, but in video games/films etc, we are intrigued and entertained by it. Can I smell hypocrisy here? Or am I just probing too deeply into an irrelevant contradiction?
It's sort of like an extreme sport in a way.
Wars can be seen (as long as you cloud out the realism) as pretty exciting.
Two teams fighting using gun accuracy and tactics.
Hero's go against the odds in order to bring down an evil alliance.
Killing can be seen as a sport, only in real life, it's absolutely horrible. A whole life, just wasted.
In a game however, you get the excitement, the fun, and the thrill without the sicken realism that wouldsome with it.
Killing games are basically exciting...
... until some mental punk copies it, and then everyones fun is ruined...
Wars can be seen (as long as you cloud out the realism) as pretty exciting.
Two teams fighting using gun accuracy and tactics.
Hero's go against the odds in order to bring down an evil alliance.
Killing can be seen as a sport, only in real life, it's absolutely horrible. A whole life, just wasted.
In a game however, you get the excitement, the fun, and the thrill without the sicken realism that wouldsome with it.
Killing games are basically exciting...
... until some mental punk copies it, and then everyones fun is ruined...
Well violence in video games never did me any harm, infact the 12 years in the mental institute made me the chicken casserole i am today...........woof wooof, kaplonk, dunk dunk.....tulip!!!
But really, the scarey thing about these violent video games is not only how realistic in-game characters are getting but how real it can be to kill them ala soldier of fortune.
Also does anyone remember syphon filter on psx where you had to kill unarmed scientist, and when youd have them cornered the would curl up and start crying "please dont kill me" but you had to do it to complete the level, that was pretty desturbing.
But really, the scarey thing about these violent video games is not only how realistic in-game characters are getting but how real it can be to kill them ala soldier of fortune.
Also does anyone remember syphon filter on psx where you had to kill unarmed scientist, and when youd have them cornered the would curl up and start crying "please dont kill me" but you had to do it to complete the level, that was pretty desturbing.
N64 -
-CBFD (lots)
-Zelda:MM (lots)
-Zelda:OoT (lots)
-Banjo-Tooie (quite a lot)
-Banjo-Kazooie (quite a lot)
Umm..can't remember many more...
-Episode 1 Pod Racer (none)
-Goldeneye (lots)
-Perfect Dark (lots)
Really..getting stuck for games I own..
- Pokemon Stadium (main part of game)
-Umm...ARRGGHHH well thats off the top of my head!! :-D
-CBFD (lots)
-Zelda:MM (lots)
-Zelda:OoT (lots)
-Banjo-Tooie (quite a lot)
-Banjo-Kazooie (quite a lot)
Umm..can't remember many more...
-Episode 1 Pod Racer (none)
-Goldeneye (lots)
-Perfect Dark (lots)
Really..getting stuck for games I own..
- Pokemon Stadium (main part of game)
-Umm...ARRGGHHH well thats off the top of my head!! :-D
bald head slick wrote:
>Also does anyone remember syphon filter on psx where you had to kill unarmed scientist, and when
> youd have them cornered the would curl up and start crying "please dont kill me" but you had to do it to complete the level, that was pretty desturbing.
It would have been refreshing if the player could have had pity on this scientist. There could have been an option to not kill him, but claim to your in-game superiors that you had. I suspect though that even if this option was available, most would still just blow him away.
>Also does anyone remember syphon filter on psx where you had to kill unarmed scientist, and when
> youd have them cornered the would curl up and start crying "please dont kill me" but you had to do it to complete the level, that was pretty desturbing.
It would have been refreshing if the player could have had pity on this scientist. There could have been an option to not kill him, but claim to your in-game superiors that you had. I suspect though that even if this option was available, most would still just blow him away.
Black & White (killing involved)
Cossacks (hah European WARs)
Sims (you CAN kill them)
Driver 2 (You can't run over the stupi pedestrains who made the flippin game anyway?)
ARGGH toooooEarly brain deactivated!!
Cossacks (hah European WARs)
Sims (you CAN kill them)
Driver 2 (You can't run over the stupi pedestrains who made the flippin game anyway?)
ARGGH toooooEarly brain deactivated!!
I think even the games that you think don't have any killing, have killing, many games try to hide it, but deep down want lots of blood to fill their game, hmmm.
with big guns!!!!!! ala the rail gun from quake 3
mmmmm.... Very Interesting N_S, you should be a lawyer, I don't know why, but someting in that post just made me think LAWYER! Don't mind me, it must be the pills kicking in.
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