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When video games first appeared in the 1970s, not many people thought that they are going to become one of the most important sources of entertainment a decade or two later. Many just thought that computer games were something of a craze that is very likely to die out.
Since the very first video games systems, like Atari or ZX Spectrum, the games industry has rapidly grown and both quality of games consoles and games themselves has improved at an outstanding rate. Nowadays the games consoles allow users to gain access to high quality standard of gameplay and superb sound and graphics. Certain consoles like Sega Dreamcast offer users to access Internet in order to play against other human opponents on the World Wide Web. Sony has already announced plans for producing a hard drive which will enable owners of Playstation 2 to access the Internet for the same purposes.
So, why do games provide such good entertainment for teenagers? Well there are a few reasons:Games
-· Let the player feel a sense of challenge, control and, in time, mastery.
-· Gauge their level of difficulty to the player’s ability.
-· Provide immediate and continual reinforcement.
-· Provide an escape from the complexity and unpredictability of real relationships and interactions
Playing computer games seems a very innocent action but in the past few years the companies who produce video games have faced many criticisms coming from psychologists and the society
These people are confident that certain video games affect the way teenagers behave. We are talking about video games (i.e. 3-D shooters and action/adventure games), which apparently encourage teenagers to act in a violent manner after being influenced by the images portrayed in these games. Researchers warn that violent video games could be more harmful than violent TV or movies because they are interactive, and require the player to identify with the aggressive character
Even though people get more worried about the kind of influence violent video games have on the younger audience, 3-D shooters are still the most popular games out there today, maybe just losing out to sport simulations. One of the most important factors behind the popularity of these games is that the player can control the violence.
Many researches suggest that the video games can be a negative or a positive form of entertainment. Many game developers have been trying to approach the younger audience with games which could actually have a positive effect on them. Many unviolent games like Myst or Moses Prince of Egypt kids entertainment AND try to teach them something which could be useful for them in the future. Many games try to encourage puzzle solving in youngsters and some let them interact with their favourite TV characters and carry out different tasks. These games could fall under the Educational category.
But unfortunately these games just fail to catch the attention of young players. More and more kids just want to play violent games because they are the best form of entertainment for them. The most terrifying thing is that children as young as six prefer playing gory video games and the number of young children preferring gory games to other games is increasing. Strangely enough some psychologists say that violent video games can have a positive effect on children-known as a catharsis effect. That means that by watching violence or being engaged in violent actions in games children get rid of their own aggression.
There have been a number of surveys and studies carried out over the past few years which tried to investigate whether there is any connection between violent behaviour and playing video games. The difficulty is that the results are very different: some do find the connection between the two factors, some of them find that games only affect the behaviour temporarily, and some do not find any connection. However it is interesting to see that the relatively older studies do not find the connection between the factors while more recent ones do. This might be due to the fact that more realistic games have been used in the more recent studies. So, it is not hard to notice that the more realistic the violence, the greater the influence. Therefore the influence of game violence will grow as game technology advances. The recent studies show that:
· The influence seems to be the strongest among children 8-11 years old.
· Violence in video games can make children immune to real violence. So they could behave more aggressively in the future because they will be used to violence.
· Frustration during playing video games can cause aggressive behaviour. It could stimulate violent behaviour in general. In the survey produced by the Dutch psychologist Marcel Kleij three groups of kids played a violent video game Mortal Kombat. One group played the game on the easier difficulty, the other played it on normal difficulty and the third played it on the hardest difficulty. Afterwards the last group was behaving more aggressively than the others because they have been frustrated the most.
It is very interesting to see that most children and parents do not actually feel that violent video games affect their behaviour in any way. Out of all people under 18 who admitted they play violent games 88% think that they are not affected by games. Out of all parents 75% think that their kids are not harmed when they play violent games. Psychologists say that this may be due to the fact that parents do not realise what sort of games their kids play
Despite all these views, it is a given fact that certain games could make the person act in a more aggresive way. But apparently many people are stimulated by the fast pace of action films and games, rather than violent content.
So, is there a way to solve the problem? Sometimes the games are so extremely violent that some people fear for their children’s mental condition after playing them. Lots of people think that the government must take countermeasures. However it is nearly impossible for the government to do something. It could ban certain games from the market but nowadays the illegal market is so extensive that even if a game is prohibited, it is not going to be a problem to get the game. Moreover, if a game is banned in one country, it will still be possible to get the game via the Internet from another country or people could just go to that country and get the game themselves. So if the government wants to prohibit a game, it has to be done before the game is released and the prohibition has to be worldwide. This is virtually impossible due to the fact that some countries may not find the game offensive or violent. Games could also be copied easily and fast due to the development of CD-Rewriters. Infact, the game is only going to get more popular due to the media attention if the government is going to take some action.
So, since the government can not do much it is up to the parents to decide whether they want their kids to play games which are violent. The only sensible thing a government can do is to provide the parents with information about the games so they know what their kids are playing. This can be done by warnings on games and age labels.
What do you think? Thanks for reading
Since the very first video games systems, like Atari or ZX Spectrum, the games industry has rapidly grown and both quality of games consoles and games themselves has improved at an outstanding rate. Nowadays the games consoles allow users to gain access to high quality standard of gameplay and superb sound and graphics. Certain consoles like Sega Dreamcast offer users to access Internet in order to play against other human opponents on the World Wide Web. Sony has already announced plans for producing a hard drive which will enable owners of Playstation 2 to access the Internet for the same purposes.
So, why do games provide such good entertainment for teenagers? Well there are a few reasons:Games
-· Let the player feel a sense of challenge, control and, in time, mastery.
-· Gauge their level of difficulty to the player’s ability.
-· Provide immediate and continual reinforcement.
-· Provide an escape from the complexity and unpredictability of real relationships and interactions
Playing computer games seems a very innocent action but in the past few years the companies who produce video games have faced many criticisms coming from psychologists and the society
These people are confident that certain video games affect the way teenagers behave. We are talking about video games (i.e. 3-D shooters and action/adventure games), which apparently encourage teenagers to act in a violent manner after being influenced by the images portrayed in these games. Researchers warn that violent video games could be more harmful than violent TV or movies because they are interactive, and require the player to identify with the aggressive character
Even though people get more worried about the kind of influence violent video games have on the younger audience, 3-D shooters are still the most popular games out there today, maybe just losing out to sport simulations. One of the most important factors behind the popularity of these games is that the player can control the violence.
Many researches suggest that the video games can be a negative or a positive form of entertainment. Many game developers have been trying to approach the younger audience with games which could actually have a positive effect on them. Many unviolent games like Myst or Moses Prince of Egypt kids entertainment AND try to teach them something which could be useful for them in the future. Many games try to encourage puzzle solving in youngsters and some let them interact with their favourite TV characters and carry out different tasks. These games could fall under the Educational category.
But unfortunately these games just fail to catch the attention of young players. More and more kids just want to play violent games because they are the best form of entertainment for them. The most terrifying thing is that children as young as six prefer playing gory video games and the number of young children preferring gory games to other games is increasing. Strangely enough some psychologists say that violent video games can have a positive effect on children-known as a catharsis effect. That means that by watching violence or being engaged in violent actions in games children get rid of their own aggression.
There have been a number of surveys and studies carried out over the past few years which tried to investigate whether there is any connection between violent behaviour and playing video games. The difficulty is that the results are very different: some do find the connection between the two factors, some of them find that games only affect the behaviour temporarily, and some do not find any connection. However it is interesting to see that the relatively older studies do not find the connection between the factors while more recent ones do. This might be due to the fact that more realistic games have been used in the more recent studies. So, it is not hard to notice that the more realistic the violence, the greater the influence. Therefore the influence of game violence will grow as game technology advances. The recent studies show that:
· The influence seems to be the strongest among children 8-11 years old.
· Violence in video games can make children immune to real violence. So they could behave more aggressively in the future because they will be used to violence.
· Frustration during playing video games can cause aggressive behaviour. It could stimulate violent behaviour in general. In the survey produced by the Dutch psychologist Marcel Kleij three groups of kids played a violent video game Mortal Kombat. One group played the game on the easier difficulty, the other played it on normal difficulty and the third played it on the hardest difficulty. Afterwards the last group was behaving more aggressively than the others because they have been frustrated the most.
It is very interesting to see that most children and parents do not actually feel that violent video games affect their behaviour in any way. Out of all people under 18 who admitted they play violent games 88% think that they are not affected by games. Out of all parents 75% think that their kids are not harmed when they play violent games. Psychologists say that this may be due to the fact that parents do not realise what sort of games their kids play
Despite all these views, it is a given fact that certain games could make the person act in a more aggresive way. But apparently many people are stimulated by the fast pace of action films and games, rather than violent content.
So, is there a way to solve the problem? Sometimes the games are so extremely violent that some people fear for their children’s mental condition after playing them. Lots of people think that the government must take countermeasures. However it is nearly impossible for the government to do something. It could ban certain games from the market but nowadays the illegal market is so extensive that even if a game is prohibited, it is not going to be a problem to get the game. Moreover, if a game is banned in one country, it will still be possible to get the game via the Internet from another country or people could just go to that country and get the game themselves. So if the government wants to prohibit a game, it has to be done before the game is released and the prohibition has to be worldwide. This is virtually impossible due to the fact that some countries may not find the game offensive or violent. Games could also be copied easily and fast due to the development of CD-Rewriters. Infact, the game is only going to get more popular due to the media attention if the government is going to take some action.
So, since the government can not do much it is up to the parents to decide whether they want their kids to play games which are violent. The only sensible thing a government can do is to provide the parents with information about the games so they know what their kids are playing. This can be done by warnings on games and age labels.
What do you think? Thanks for reading
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Since games have become just as much a valid adult entertainment media as say, movies, I don't see any problem with them being violent - so long as this fact is clearly stated on packaging and descriptions as it is with ELSPA and age ratings. Having said that, slapping an 18 cert on any game will always improve it's sales...
The difference with games though is that mostly this violence is presented in a comical or cartoonish way so isn't really disturbing. I've been playing games for maybe 15 years and even as a kid I never remember playing anything that disturbed or adversely influenced me in any way whatsoever.
Mind you, just the other day I torched a copper with a flamethrower before nicking his car and driving headlong into a school bus, then when I emerged from the wreckage I visited my local shopping precinct where I broke a TV set over a guys head and gunned down several dozen frenzied shoppers with a semi automatic machine gun. I reckon all those moronic Barney the Dinosaur videos are to blame.
The difference with games though is that mostly this violence is presented in a comical or cartoonish way so isn't really disturbing. I've been playing games for maybe 15 years and even as a kid I never remember playing anything that disturbed or adversely influenced me in any way whatsoever.
Mind you, just the other day I torched a copper with a flamethrower before nicking his car and driving headlong into a school bus, then when I emerged from the wreckage I visited my local shopping precinct where I broke a TV set over a guys head and gunned down several dozen frenzied shoppers with a semi automatic machine gun. I reckon all those moronic Barney the Dinosaur videos are to blame.
I was interested at this forum because as I was about to rent out a game I noticed that sometimes the suggestions for age of game are only that and nothing more, if u see what i mean. For example. A game which says "Elspa 11+" has no legal meaning which says only 11 + can buy it. I was wondering. If it says Elspa 15+ or 18+ (not BBFC or watever it is, but Elspa), does it logically mean a 5 year old could buy it.
P.S My PSE Teacher lets her 10yr old daughter play GTA3. She says it does no harm, except that vicious wound she got from a 10yr old and that damn kitchen knife! heh heh
P.S My PSE Teacher lets her 10yr old daughter play GTA3. She says it does no harm, except that vicious wound she got from a 10yr old and that damn kitchen knife! heh heh
It would be very difficult for any investigation carried out now to be conclusive. I dont know what kind of percentage of kids play games in the western world but is must be in the 75% plus bracket. The chances of looking through any mental patients past and finding that he has played some kind of violent game will therefore be very high and it would be easy to pin the blame there.
The only way to do a conclusive report would be to go back and compare records of patients pre video games.
The only way to do a conclusive report would be to go back and compare records of patients pre video games.
True.
As you say though, there is no stopping the blame on video games, and there wont be until a proper investigation is done.
As you say though, there is no stopping the blame on video games, and there wont be until a proper investigation is done.
There's no way of stopping this kind of thing though - the press will blame it on the game they were playing but if the guy had some kind of mental problem (which he obviously did) he would have done the same thing if he had lost playing marbles, battleships or badminton. It's the losing that flipped him not what he lost at.
This kinda backs up with what i was saying earlier in the topic, that to mimic things from a game you must be mental at first.
Anyway, just scanning across the internet i came upon and american web site, some type of local paper and there was a story of a young bloke, about 20 who was playing a game with his mate. They were playing a 2 player game which his mate won. Strangly the over bloke stood up, went into the kitchen and brought out a knife and....well you understand. The guy was dead and the other was sent to a mental prison.
Sad, but true. Its seems more apparent that if you dont ave a stable mind, you will be effected in some way.
But this seems to only be in the vast minority.
Anyway, just scanning across the internet i came upon and american web site, some type of local paper and there was a story of a young bloke, about 20 who was playing a game with his mate. They were playing a 2 player game which his mate won. Strangly the over bloke stood up, went into the kitchen and brought out a knife and....well you understand. The guy was dead and the other was sent to a mental prison.
Sad, but true. Its seems more apparent that if you dont ave a stable mind, you will be effected in some way.
But this seems to only be in the vast minority.
nh you must be a good parent because you feel that you should know what your kids get up to. Unfortunately this doesnt happen very often. Think about people who leave for work early and come back from work late. I mean they dont have a clue what their kids are doing. And it aint just about video games or films. Their kids copuld eb taking drugs for all they know...
I personallyy think that by playing violent games, people are able to get rid of all the aggression they have. It is only when they start getting frustrated with a game (for example when they cant kill a boss or something) that they are more likely to do something stupid. But then its because they are either rubbish at games or cannot control their aggression properly.
I personallyy think that by playing violent games, people are able to get rid of all the aggression they have. It is only when they start getting frustrated with a game (for example when they cant kill a boss or something) that they are more likely to do something stupid. But then its because they are either rubbish at games or cannot control their aggression properly.
There's some very valid points here but at the end of the day I am a parent of two younguns and I feel that the resposiblity should lie with parents. Parents should be more informed about what their kids are up to, what they are watching and playing and they should make the decisions over what they can and cant do based on their own knowledge of their own children. A mate of mine has two boys, one a teenager - his favourites are the Resi games and he plays them with his boys, the younger one feels happy when his dad his there but wont play it otherwise.
If you have a good enough relationship with your kids and they want to play GTA3 when they are only 14, you as a parent could then go and buy it for them knowing that your kids are responsible and sane human beings. If you want to know what the game is like play it by yourself or with them. easy enough.
Censorship can go to extremes - Last week on half term my girls bought the Cinderella 2 Video - It states on the back that parents should sit with young children while watching it !!! It's Disney and It's Cinderella why would I want or need to sit with them to watch it? Madness ..
If you have a good enough relationship with your kids and they want to play GTA3 when they are only 14, you as a parent could then go and buy it for them knowing that your kids are responsible and sane human beings. If you want to know what the game is like play it by yourself or with them. easy enough.
Censorship can go to extremes - Last week on half term my girls bought the Cinderella 2 Video - It states on the back that parents should sit with young children while watching it !!! It's Disney and It's Cinderella why would I want or need to sit with them to watch it? Madness ..
Pro Evo wrote:
> I think if someone does
> copy something from say GTA 3 then they were mentally ill before hand.
Exactly
> I think if someone does
> copy something from say GTA 3 then they were mentally ill before hand.
Exactly
Pro Evo wrote:
> The Exterminator wrote:
> Well Triple_H, where the hell did you get it
> affected young minds.Im 11 ive
> played some of the goriest games there are
> and it hasnt affected me one
> bit,from gta3,doom,Max Payne,silent hill 1
> and 2.So there it doesnt affect
> anyone.
There has been mass
> investigations and even actions taken against developers about the fact that it
> is 'believed' that games can effect some players mental stability and cause them
> to take action that has been done in a game. Most people in the gaming industry
> deny this, and personally i dont think it does too.
I think if someone does
> copy something from say GTA 3 then they were mentally ill before hand.
I agree strongly there. They have to have a certain level of mentatlity of be mentally ill in some way to not be able to draw the line between realism and games. If they're mentally ill, their parents shouldn't let them play these games.
> The Exterminator wrote:
> Well Triple_H, where the hell did you get it
> affected young minds.Im 11 ive
> played some of the goriest games there are
> and it hasnt affected me one
> bit,from gta3,doom,Max Payne,silent hill 1
> and 2.So there it doesnt affect
> anyone.
There has been mass
> investigations and even actions taken against developers about the fact that it
> is 'believed' that games can effect some players mental stability and cause them
> to take action that has been done in a game. Most people in the gaming industry
> deny this, and personally i dont think it does too.
I think if someone does
> copy something from say GTA 3 then they were mentally ill before hand.
I agree strongly there. They have to have a certain level of mentatlity of be mentally ill in some way to not be able to draw the line between realism and games. If they're mentally ill, their parents shouldn't let them play these games.
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