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The entertainment industry has long been blamed for "corrupting" society. Films have been showing the public acts of violence for decades (and have received much blame for acts of "random" violence - particularly in the USA). More recently, however (in the last 20 years) the public have moved their focus to the games industry.
Games are one of the most immersive of current entertainment forms. Mainly due to their interactivity, but also because of the fact that almost any real situation can be translated into game form. This makes them an attractive entertainment medium for millions of people. 1 in 5 people in the UK own a Sony PlayStation (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames")
Videogames are now less regarded as a minor form of entertainment, in fact they have grown up in a relatively short amount of time. ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association) state that game sales are 40 per cent higher than cinema ticket sales and 80 per cent higher than video rentals (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames") . Videogames have yet to overtake the music industry; however this is likely to be only a matter of time. Estimated sales of videogames in the USA and Europe are expected to hit $17 billion a year by 2003. (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames"). You can see by these figures that games are big and are likely to grow more.
Returning to the subject of violence in games; we can see that this has increased greatly over the years. As computer hardware has become more powerful and cheaper - the "realism" and complexity of videogames has followed closely. Mild videogame violence is acceptable (such as 1978s "Space Invaders" by Taito Corp. - in which you control a space ship and you must destroy wave after wave of approaching alien craft). It was in the early 90s where people started complaining that videogames had gone too far. Acclaim's "Mortal Kombat" allowed players to control a digitised human character and senselessly disperse a barrage of punches and kicks until their opponent was semi-paralysed and they were asked to "Finish Him!". You would then press a combination of buttons (often nicknamed a "combo") which would then play a particularly graphic annihilation of the enemy player. This drew the attention of the tabloid media who boldly stated that such videogames were desensitising people and making acts of extreme violence more acceptable.
The media soon realising that their protests only seemed to have the backing of a minority soon fell dormant on the subject. Only to be awoken in 1998 with the release of DMA's "Grand Theft Auto". This game offered the player the experience of stealing cars, committing crimes and injuring/killing gangsters and pedestrians. A player could drive about and run people over. Or get out and start shooting at anything (including people). This caused quite a public outroar. Many people wanted to see this "spawn of the devil" banned. However, the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification) saw this as unnecessary and labelled it with an "18" certificate. Less friction was encountered with the release of GTA2 and more recently GTA3.
Another game that pushed the element further was Xatrix's (Now known as "Greymatter") "Kingpin". This game was one of the goriest and most graphic ever seen, featuring extremely vulgar language to "complement" the visuals. Although this game found its way into media focus, it soon vanished as its gameplay didn't feature the vigour that had obviously gone into the "shock content".
With the exception of the last case, most of these games sell because of their controversial content. Grand Theft Auto, for example was promoted by PR Guru, Max Clifford. Who approached the newspapers prior to the game's release and posed as a disgusted "insider"with the words of :
"This game is coming out where you nick cars and run policeman down...I think it could be put across as being disgusting, what do you think?"
The tabloid newspapers all agreed so and launched a story which they believed would shock their readers into getting the game banned (and of course help sell their newspapers). Only, it seems that it wasn't to work out that way. In fact, despite annoying politicians and other morally sensitive people - it only seemed to turn the game into a best seller.
So far we have seen that violence in videogames receives the attention of the public quite easily. We should ask the question of what real life consequences are there of such games? Below are three examples of games content being the inspiration for real life tragedy :
29 November 2001, San Joaquin (California, USA)
Two boys, one aged 8 and the other 12 had just finished playing the videogame "WinBack : Covert Operation" and the younger of the boys (Jose) decided he wanted to play a more realistic version of the game. He discovered his father's semi-automatic hand-gun kept inside a box on the topshelf of a bookshelf. It was without a clip, but unknown to the boys there was one round in the chamber. The older of the boys knew that the weapon was dangerous and snatched it from his younger brother. Unfortunately, doing so he accidently shot his younger brother in the chest. Jose died.
Investigators stated that it was indeed a tragic accident, however they pointed out that the boys had gained their curiosity from playing the videogame. Can we agree?
Apart from the fact of the children being allowed to play a game rated for teenagers - there also happened to be a loaded firearm in the house. The children were left to play unsupervised and so this is surely gross ignorance on the part of the parents.
From a different perspective we can say that the videogame did inspire the Jose to experiment with real weapons. We can say that the videogame suggested such activities were normal. However, we should remember that the cause of this was the parents allowing their children to play a game that wasn't suited for them.
This is one of the reasons why games are given ratings. To give parents enough information to make an informed decision. All videos, music media and videogames are clearly marked with insignia that state the age required to use the product.
In the UK, official ratings are issued by the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification). Products are marked with:
U (Suitable for all ages)
12 (For ages 12 and above)
PG (May feature mild offensive material, sexual references),
15 (May feature some sexual swearing, quite frequent violence, encouragement of the use of alcohol/tobacco and sexual suggestions)
18 (May feature frequent swearing/sexual swearing, nudity, sexual activity, sexual violence, violence against human-like or animal characters. Hatred towards ethnic, religious or racial stereotypes, use of drugs)
ELSPA. ( European Leisure Software Publishers Association) also rate games. Games are generally marked with an ELSPA mark - but may display a B.B.F.C. mark if ELSPA are not satisfied with rating the game themselves. The ELSPA system is similar to that of the B.B.F.C.
3+ (Suitable for all ages)
11+ (Product may contain some blood/gore, depictions of death, mild swearing, ethnic, religious and racial stereotypes and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
15+ (Product may contain sexual innuendo (or suggestions of sexual activity), some nudity. Sustained acts of violence and depictions of death, frequent swearing and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
18+ (Product may contain more excessive violence with greater level of blood/gore, sexual violence, sexual activity, violence towards vulnerable women and children and against race, religion and ethnicity.)
As you can see, both ratings are similar in format. Although products are not marked with this description the product will contain a logo containing one of the above ratings. ELSPA, however will sometime include a table that informs the consumer of possible content. A similar system also exists in many countries around the world (including the USA).This means that the parents of Jose had the information required to decide that this game was not suitable for their children. WinBack : Covert Operation was a game marketed towards older teenagers and adults.
Continuing the study of real life events that stemmed from a videogame...
December 1 1997, Heath High School (Kentucky, USA)
14 year old Michael Carneal shot eight of his classmates (three fatally). He was given a sentence of twenty-five years in prison. The parents of the dead children blamed both videogames violence (specifically id Software's DOOM and Quake) and films such as "The Basketball Diaries". They challenged the entertainment industry and were to try to sue, but failed due to insubstantial evidence.
Analysing this, we can again say that a child was exposed to entertainment that was not suitable for his age. DOOM and Quake are rated 15, although only being one year younger he still does not qualify for use of the product. However, looking at the straightforward method employed by the youth we can see that he was not mentally developed enough to fully understand what he was doing. He walked in to the classroom, primed the weapon and fired; just as he had in playing the aforementioned videogames. The only difference is that in the games he was shooting at threatening demons, but in reality he was firing upon human beings. This tells us that he was not able to effectively distinguish reality and fantasy. He may have had held aggressive feelings against his classmates, but if mentally developed enough he could suppress those feelings or vent them through less extreme reactions.
Moving on to our third example...
20 April 1999, Columbine High School, USA
This was the venue of the infamous massacre that shocked the world. 13 people died in the incident. Two students of the same school were responsible. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. It was later discovered that they also intended to kill a further five-hundred people, hijack an airliner and crash it into New York. The victims’ families against many companies launched a $5 billion lawsuit and id Software was one of the companies named. Although the case continues it is likely to follow the Kentucky case.
It seems that the public need retribution for such tragic events and will blame that which seems to be the cause, but is often only indirectly. Although it was revealed that the killers were players of DOOM and similar such games, it was their mental disposition, which drove them to execute this act.
To defend this statement, we only need to look at the popularity of such games. Unreal Tournament and Quake III Team Arena are two very popular videogames that feature violent activity. The majority of adults can play these games purely for the "buzz" that it gives them to fight and survive a virtual war. Although these games contain hand weapons and projectile weapons and a degree of gore, mentally sound adults can disseminate between that which is real and that which is fantasy. It bears relation to the way in which we are able to watch a film or "movie". When the film has finished - we are able to walk away with the memory of that film without being inspired to do all that we have seen.
All of the above examples show that these human minds were not developed enough to be discriminative in their interpretation of what they were viewing whilst playing the videogame. Someone who lacks the intelligence to categorize events and interpret them is not fit to be exposed to such material.
Just as censorship protects minors from inappropriate language, sexual content and offensive material it is also used to mask violence. To re-emphasize what was said earlier :
Ratings exist to give adults and parents enough information to decide whether a product is suitable for the person who shall be using it.
Perhaps if the two Californian boys were not exposed to " WinBack : Covert Operation" they would not have been inspired to try a more realistic scenario. Maybe if Michael Carneal, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had not played similar games. Perhaps they would not have killed senselessly. Who can say? If they had not played the games; chance are they would have seen a violent film.
The film "American Psycho" shows a seemingly typical American; who happens to posses a darker side to his character. The film's intense scenes of graphic murders are enough to shock anyone, but someone without feeling. Another such film is "A Clockwork Orange" features violence, rape and robbery amongst other things.
Showing that the individuals concerned could have had access to this sort of material as well.
So what actual evidence is there of this sort of material affecting the judgment of individuals? In 1995, 60 children aged between seven and eight took part in a study to try to answer this. Those that had been playing games that featured acts of aggression displayed the same emotion themselves. The others, who played a game that did not contain aggressive elements. This shows an obvious link between the children and the videogame. However, as children get older the results are harder to analyze. Similar studies applied to 8-14 year olds showed that violent videogames didn't lead to aggression.
Whether the children were more mentally developed (due to being older) or whether they had greater self-control - it is hard to say. The clear element, though is that the older the children - the better their ability to not exhibit violent behaviour. A study of 84 children aged 10 to 11 showed that whilst boys showed no increase in aggression, the girls; surprisingly showed quite a substantial increase.
Videogames are often used as a method of releasing aggression rather than creating it. Just as running and other athletic exercise will relieve the body of aggressive tendencies a videogame can have the same effect. "Shoot 'em ups" (Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Half-Life, Soldier of Fortune) "Beat 'em ups" (Mortal Kombat, Tekken) and driving games (GTA, Driver) all relieve the body of stress. The normally unacceptable acts can be turned into entertainment that is safe and morally just. Why should it matter if you run over a few pedestrians or gun down some scumbags? Its not real. Nobody gets hurt and more importantly; nobody dies.
So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the devil? You decide.
Games are one of the most immersive of current entertainment forms. Mainly due to their interactivity, but also because of the fact that almost any real situation can be translated into game form. This makes them an attractive entertainment medium for millions of people. 1 in 5 people in the UK own a Sony PlayStation (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames")
Videogames are now less regarded as a minor form of entertainment, in fact they have grown up in a relatively short amount of time. ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association) state that game sales are 40 per cent higher than cinema ticket sales and 80 per cent higher than video rentals (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames") . Videogames have yet to overtake the music industry; however this is likely to be only a matter of time. Estimated sales of videogames in the USA and Europe are expected to hit $17 billion a year by 2003. (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames"). You can see by these figures that games are big and are likely to grow more.
Returning to the subject of violence in games; we can see that this has increased greatly over the years. As computer hardware has become more powerful and cheaper - the "realism" and complexity of videogames has followed closely. Mild videogame violence is acceptable (such as 1978s "Space Invaders" by Taito Corp. - in which you control a space ship and you must destroy wave after wave of approaching alien craft). It was in the early 90s where people started complaining that videogames had gone too far. Acclaim's "Mortal Kombat" allowed players to control a digitised human character and senselessly disperse a barrage of punches and kicks until their opponent was semi-paralysed and they were asked to "Finish Him!". You would then press a combination of buttons (often nicknamed a "combo") which would then play a particularly graphic annihilation of the enemy player. This drew the attention of the tabloid media who boldly stated that such videogames were desensitising people and making acts of extreme violence more acceptable.
The media soon realising that their protests only seemed to have the backing of a minority soon fell dormant on the subject. Only to be awoken in 1998 with the release of DMA's "Grand Theft Auto". This game offered the player the experience of stealing cars, committing crimes and injuring/killing gangsters and pedestrians. A player could drive about and run people over. Or get out and start shooting at anything (including people). This caused quite a public outroar. Many people wanted to see this "spawn of the devil" banned. However, the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification) saw this as unnecessary and labelled it with an "18" certificate. Less friction was encountered with the release of GTA2 and more recently GTA3.
Another game that pushed the element further was Xatrix's (Now known as "Greymatter") "Kingpin". This game was one of the goriest and most graphic ever seen, featuring extremely vulgar language to "complement" the visuals. Although this game found its way into media focus, it soon vanished as its gameplay didn't feature the vigour that had obviously gone into the "shock content".
With the exception of the last case, most of these games sell because of their controversial content. Grand Theft Auto, for example was promoted by PR Guru, Max Clifford. Who approached the newspapers prior to the game's release and posed as a disgusted "insider"with the words of :
"This game is coming out where you nick cars and run policeman down...I think it could be put across as being disgusting, what do you think?"
The tabloid newspapers all agreed so and launched a story which they believed would shock their readers into getting the game banned (and of course help sell their newspapers). Only, it seems that it wasn't to work out that way. In fact, despite annoying politicians and other morally sensitive people - it only seemed to turn the game into a best seller.
So far we have seen that violence in videogames receives the attention of the public quite easily. We should ask the question of what real life consequences are there of such games? Below are three examples of games content being the inspiration for real life tragedy :
29 November 2001, San Joaquin (California, USA)
Two boys, one aged 8 and the other 12 had just finished playing the videogame "WinBack : Covert Operation" and the younger of the boys (Jose) decided he wanted to play a more realistic version of the game. He discovered his father's semi-automatic hand-gun kept inside a box on the topshelf of a bookshelf. It was without a clip, but unknown to the boys there was one round in the chamber. The older of the boys knew that the weapon was dangerous and snatched it from his younger brother. Unfortunately, doing so he accidently shot his younger brother in the chest. Jose died.
Investigators stated that it was indeed a tragic accident, however they pointed out that the boys had gained their curiosity from playing the videogame. Can we agree?
Apart from the fact of the children being allowed to play a game rated for teenagers - there also happened to be a loaded firearm in the house. The children were left to play unsupervised and so this is surely gross ignorance on the part of the parents.
From a different perspective we can say that the videogame did inspire the Jose to experiment with real weapons. We can say that the videogame suggested such activities were normal. However, we should remember that the cause of this was the parents allowing their children to play a game that wasn't suited for them.
This is one of the reasons why games are given ratings. To give parents enough information to make an informed decision. All videos, music media and videogames are clearly marked with insignia that state the age required to use the product.
In the UK, official ratings are issued by the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification). Products are marked with:
U (Suitable for all ages)
12 (For ages 12 and above)
PG (May feature mild offensive material, sexual references),
15 (May feature some sexual swearing, quite frequent violence, encouragement of the use of alcohol/tobacco and sexual suggestions)
18 (May feature frequent swearing/sexual swearing, nudity, sexual activity, sexual violence, violence against human-like or animal characters. Hatred towards ethnic, religious or racial stereotypes, use of drugs)
ELSPA. ( European Leisure Software Publishers Association) also rate games. Games are generally marked with an ELSPA mark - but may display a B.B.F.C. mark if ELSPA are not satisfied with rating the game themselves. The ELSPA system is similar to that of the B.B.F.C.
3+ (Suitable for all ages)
11+ (Product may contain some blood/gore, depictions of death, mild swearing, ethnic, religious and racial stereotypes and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
15+ (Product may contain sexual innuendo (or suggestions of sexual activity), some nudity. Sustained acts of violence and depictions of death, frequent swearing and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
18+ (Product may contain more excessive violence with greater level of blood/gore, sexual violence, sexual activity, violence towards vulnerable women and children and against race, religion and ethnicity.)
As you can see, both ratings are similar in format. Although products are not marked with this description the product will contain a logo containing one of the above ratings. ELSPA, however will sometime include a table that informs the consumer of possible content. A similar system also exists in many countries around the world (including the USA).This means that the parents of Jose had the information required to decide that this game was not suitable for their children. WinBack : Covert Operation was a game marketed towards older teenagers and adults.
Continuing the study of real life events that stemmed from a videogame...
December 1 1997, Heath High School (Kentucky, USA)
14 year old Michael Carneal shot eight of his classmates (three fatally). He was given a sentence of twenty-five years in prison. The parents of the dead children blamed both videogames violence (specifically id Software's DOOM and Quake) and films such as "The Basketball Diaries". They challenged the entertainment industry and were to try to sue, but failed due to insubstantial evidence.
Analysing this, we can again say that a child was exposed to entertainment that was not suitable for his age. DOOM and Quake are rated 15, although only being one year younger he still does not qualify for use of the product. However, looking at the straightforward method employed by the youth we can see that he was not mentally developed enough to fully understand what he was doing. He walked in to the classroom, primed the weapon and fired; just as he had in playing the aforementioned videogames. The only difference is that in the games he was shooting at threatening demons, but in reality he was firing upon human beings. This tells us that he was not able to effectively distinguish reality and fantasy. He may have had held aggressive feelings against his classmates, but if mentally developed enough he could suppress those feelings or vent them through less extreme reactions.
Moving on to our third example...
20 April 1999, Columbine High School, USA
This was the venue of the infamous massacre that shocked the world. 13 people died in the incident. Two students of the same school were responsible. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. It was later discovered that they also intended to kill a further five-hundred people, hijack an airliner and crash it into New York. The victims’ families against many companies launched a $5 billion lawsuit and id Software was one of the companies named. Although the case continues it is likely to follow the Kentucky case.
It seems that the public need retribution for such tragic events and will blame that which seems to be the cause, but is often only indirectly. Although it was revealed that the killers were players of DOOM and similar such games, it was their mental disposition, which drove them to execute this act.
To defend this statement, we only need to look at the popularity of such games. Unreal Tournament and Quake III Team Arena are two very popular videogames that feature violent activity. The majority of adults can play these games purely for the "buzz" that it gives them to fight and survive a virtual war. Although these games contain hand weapons and projectile weapons and a degree of gore, mentally sound adults can disseminate between that which is real and that which is fantasy. It bears relation to the way in which we are able to watch a film or "movie". When the film has finished - we are able to walk away with the memory of that film without being inspired to do all that we have seen.
All of the above examples show that these human minds were not developed enough to be discriminative in their interpretation of what they were viewing whilst playing the videogame. Someone who lacks the intelligence to categorize events and interpret them is not fit to be exposed to such material.
Just as censorship protects minors from inappropriate language, sexual content and offensive material it is also used to mask violence. To re-emphasize what was said earlier :
Ratings exist to give adults and parents enough information to decide whether a product is suitable for the person who shall be using it.
Perhaps if the two Californian boys were not exposed to " WinBack : Covert Operation" they would not have been inspired to try a more realistic scenario. Maybe if Michael Carneal, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had not played similar games. Perhaps they would not have killed senselessly. Who can say? If they had not played the games; chance are they would have seen a violent film.
The film "American Psycho" shows a seemingly typical American; who happens to posses a darker side to his character. The film's intense scenes of graphic murders are enough to shock anyone, but someone without feeling. Another such film is "A Clockwork Orange" features violence, rape and robbery amongst other things.
Showing that the individuals concerned could have had access to this sort of material as well.
So what actual evidence is there of this sort of material affecting the judgment of individuals? In 1995, 60 children aged between seven and eight took part in a study to try to answer this. Those that had been playing games that featured acts of aggression displayed the same emotion themselves. The others, who played a game that did not contain aggressive elements. This shows an obvious link between the children and the videogame. However, as children get older the results are harder to analyze. Similar studies applied to 8-14 year olds showed that violent videogames didn't lead to aggression.
Whether the children were more mentally developed (due to being older) or whether they had greater self-control - it is hard to say. The clear element, though is that the older the children - the better their ability to not exhibit violent behaviour. A study of 84 children aged 10 to 11 showed that whilst boys showed no increase in aggression, the girls; surprisingly showed quite a substantial increase.
Videogames are often used as a method of releasing aggression rather than creating it. Just as running and other athletic exercise will relieve the body of aggressive tendencies a videogame can have the same effect. "Shoot 'em ups" (Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Half-Life, Soldier of Fortune) "Beat 'em ups" (Mortal Kombat, Tekken) and driving games (GTA, Driver) all relieve the body of stress. The normally unacceptable acts can be turned into entertainment that is safe and morally just. Why should it matter if you run over a few pedestrians or gun down some scumbags? Its not real. Nobody gets hurt and more importantly; nobody dies.
So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the devil? You decide.
Really sorry, I quoted your whole post by accident.
Brew wrote:
> So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the
> devil? You decide.
Games are good, and I don't see why a few wakos should spoil it.
If someone is that unstable they are going to be set off anyway.
Games are the new thing to blame, just like movies in the last decade.
In ten years time it will be something else I tell you.
> So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the
> devil? You decide.
Games are good, and I don't see why a few wakos should spoil it.
If someone is that unstable they are going to be set off anyway.
Games are the new thing to blame, just like movies in the last decade.
In ten years time it will be something else I tell you.
The entertainment industry has long been blamed for "corrupting" society. Films have been showing the public acts of violence for decades (and have received much blame for acts of "random" violence - particularly in the USA). More recently, however (in the last 20 years) the public have moved their focus to the games industry.
Games are one of the most immersive of current entertainment forms. Mainly due to their interactivity, but also because of the fact that almost any real situation can be translated into game form. This makes them an attractive entertainment medium for millions of people. 1 in 5 people in the UK own a Sony PlayStation (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames")
Videogames are now less regarded as a minor form of entertainment, in fact they have grown up in a relatively short amount of time. ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association) state that game sales are 40 per cent higher than cinema ticket sales and 80 per cent higher than video rentals (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames") . Videogames have yet to overtake the music industry; however this is likely to be only a matter of time. Estimated sales of videogames in the USA and Europe are expected to hit $17 billion a year by 2003. (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames"). You can see by these figures that games are big and are likely to grow more.
Returning to the subject of violence in games; we can see that this has increased greatly over the years. As computer hardware has become more powerful and cheaper - the "realism" and complexity of videogames has followed closely. Mild videogame violence is acceptable (such as 1978s "Space Invaders" by Taito Corp. - in which you control a space ship and you must destroy wave after wave of approaching alien craft). It was in the early 90s where people started complaining that videogames had gone too far. Acclaim's "Mortal Kombat" allowed players to control a digitised human character and senselessly disperse a barrage of punches and kicks until their opponent was semi-paralysed and they were asked to "Finish Him!". You would then press a combination of buttons (often nicknamed a "combo") which would then play a particularly graphic annihilation of the enemy player. This drew the attention of the tabloid media who boldly stated that such videogames were desensitising people and making acts of extreme violence more acceptable.
The media soon realising that their protests only seemed to have the backing of a minority soon fell dormant on the subject. Only to be awoken in 1998 with the release of DMA's "Grand Theft Auto". This game offered the player the experience of stealing cars, committing crimes and injuring/killing gangsters and pedestrians. A player could drive about and run people over. Or get out and start shooting at anything (including people). This caused quite a public outroar. Many people wanted to see this "spawn of the devil" banned. However, the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification) saw this as unnecessary and labelled it with an "18" certificate. Less friction was encountered with the release of GTA2 and more recently GTA3.
Another game that pushed the element further was Xatrix's (Now known as "Greymatter") "Kingpin". This game was one of the goriest and most graphic ever seen, featuring extremely vulgar language to "complement" the visuals. Although this game found its way into media focus, it soon vanished as its gameplay didn't feature the vigour that had obviously gone into the "shock content".
With the exception of the last case, most of these games sell because of their controversial content. Grand Theft Auto, for example was promoted by PR Guru, Max Clifford. Who approached the newspapers prior to the game's release and posed as a disgusted "insider"with the words of :
"This game is coming out where you nick cars and run policeman down...I think it could be put across as being disgusting, what do you think?"
The tabloid newspapers all agreed so and launched a story which they believed would shock their readers into getting the game banned (and of course help sell their newspapers). Only, it seems that it wasn't to work out that way. In fact, despite annoying politicians and other morally sensitive people - it only seemed to turn the game into a best seller.
So far we have seen that violence in videogames receives the attention of the public quite easily. We should ask the question of what real life consequences are there of such games? Below are three examples of games content being the inspiration for real life tragedy :
29 November 2001, San Joaquin (California, USA)
Two boys, one aged 8 and the other 12 had just finished playing the videogame "WinBack : Covert Operation" and the younger of the boys (Jose) decided he wanted to play a more realistic version of the game. He discovered his father's semi-automatic hand-gun kept inside a box on the topshelf of a bookshelf. It was without a clip, but unknown to the boys there was one round in the chamber. The older of the boys knew that the weapon was dangerous and snatched it from his younger brother. Unfortunately, doing so he accidently shot his younger brother in the chest. Jose died.
Investigators stated that it was indeed a tragic accident, however they pointed out that the boys had gained their curiosity from playing the videogame. Can we agree?
Apart from the fact of the children being allowed to play a game rated for teenagers - there also happened to be a loaded firearm in the house. The children were left to play unsupervised and so this is surely gross ignorance on the part of the parents.
From a different perspective we can say that the videogame did inspire the Jose to experiment with real weapons. We can say that the videogame suggested such activities were normal. However, we should remember that the cause of this was the parents allowing their children to play a game that wasn't suited for them.
This is one of the reasons why games are given ratings. To give parents enough information to make an informed decision. All videos, music media and videogames are clearly marked with insignia that state the age required to use the product.
In the UK, official ratings are issued by the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification). Products are marked with:
U (Suitable for all ages)
12 (For ages 12 and above)
PG (May feature mild offensive material, sexual references),
15 (May feature some sexual swearing, quite frequent violence, encouragement of the use of alcohol/tobacco and sexual suggestions)
18 (May feature frequent swearing/sexual swearing, nudity, sexual activity, sexual violence, violence against human-like or animal characters. Hatred towards ethnic, religious or racial stereotypes, use of drugs)
ELSPA. ( European Leisure Software Publishers Association) also rate games. Games are generally marked with an ELSPA mark - but may display a B.B.F.C. mark if ELSPA are not satisfied with rating the game themselves. The ELSPA system is similar to that of the B.B.F.C.
3+ (Suitable for all ages)
11+ (Product may contain some blood/gore, depictions of death, mild swearing, ethnic, religious and racial stereotypes and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
15+ (Product may contain sexual innuendo (or suggestions of sexual activity), some nudity. Sustained acts of violence and depictions of death, frequent swearing and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
18+ (Product may contain more excessive violence with greater level of blood/gore, sexual violence, sexual activity, violence towards vulnerable women and children and against race, religion and ethnicity.)
As you can see, both ratings are similar in format. Although products are not marked with this description the product will contain a logo containing one of the above ratings. ELSPA, however will sometime include a table that informs the consumer of possible content. A similar system also exists in many countries around the world (including the USA).This means that the parents of Jose had the information required to decide that this game was not suitable for their children. WinBack : Covert Operation was a game marketed towards older teenagers and adults.
Continuing the study of real life events that stemmed from a videogame...
December 1 1997, Heath High School (Kentucky, USA)
14 year old Michael Carneal shot eight of his classmates (three fatally). He was given a sentence of twenty-five years in prison. The parents of the dead children blamed both videogames violence (specifically id Software's DOOM and Quake) and films such as "The Basketball Diaries". They challenged the entertainment industry and were to try to sue, but failed due to insubstantial evidence.
Analysing this, we can again say that a child was exposed to entertainment that was not suitable for his age. DOOM and Quake are rated 15, although only being one year younger he still does not qualify for use of the product. However, looking at the straightforward method employed by the youth we can see that he was not mentally developed enough to fully understand what he was doing. He walked in to the classroom, primed the weapon and fired; just as he had in playing the aforementioned videogames. The only difference is that in the games he was shooting at threatening demons, but in reality he was firing upon human beings. This tells us that he was not able to effectively distinguish reality and fantasy. He may have had held aggressive feelings against his classmates, but if mentally developed enough he could suppress those feelings or vent them through less extreme reactions.
Moving on to our third example...
20 April 1999, Columbine High School, USA
This was the venue of the infamous massacre that shocked the world. 13 people died in the incident. Two students of the same school were responsible. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. It was later discovered that they also intended to kill a further five-hundred people, hijack an airliner and crash it into New York. The victims’ families against many companies launched a $5 billion lawsuit and id Software was one of the companies named. Although the case continues it is likely to follow the Kentucky case.
It seems that the public need retribution for such tragic events and will blame that which seems to be the cause, but is often only indirectly. Although it was revealed that the killers were players of DOOM and similar such games, it was their mental disposition, which drove them to execute this act.
To defend this statement, we only need to look at the popularity of such games. Unreal Tournament and Quake III Team Arena are two very popular videogames that feature violent activity. The majority of adults can play these games purely for the "buzz" that it gives them to fight and survive a virtual war. Although these games contain hand weapons and projectile weapons and a degree of gore, mentally sound adults can disseminate between that which is real and that which is fantasy. It bears relation to the way in which we are able to watch a film or "movie". When the film has finished - we are able to walk away with the memory of that film without being inspired to do all that we have seen.
All of the above examples show that these human minds were not developed enough to be discriminative in their interpretation of what they were viewing whilst playing the videogame. Someone who lacks the intelligence to categorize events and interpret them is not fit to be exposed to such material.
Just as censorship protects minors from inappropriate language, sexual content and offensive material it is also used to mask violence. To re-emphasize what was said earlier :
Ratings exist to give adults and parents enough information to decide whether a product is suitable for the person who shall be using it.
Perhaps if the two Californian boys were not exposed to " WinBack : Covert Operation" they would not have been inspired to try a more realistic scenario. Maybe if Michael Carneal, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had not played similar games. Perhaps they would not have killed senselessly. Who can say? If they had not played the games; chance are they would have seen a violent film.
The film "American Psycho" shows a seemingly typical American; who happens to posses a darker side to his character. The film's intense scenes of graphic murders are enough to shock anyone, but someone without feeling. Another such film is "A Clockwork Orange" features violence, rape and robbery amongst other things.
Showing that the individuals concerned could have had access to this sort of material as well.
So what actual evidence is there of this sort of material affecting the judgment of individuals? In 1995, 60 children aged between seven and eight took part in a study to try to answer this. Those that had been playing games that featured acts of aggression displayed the same emotion themselves. The others, who played a game that did not contain aggressive elements. This shows an obvious link between the children and the videogame. However, as children get older the results are harder to analyze. Similar studies applied to 8-14 year olds showed that violent videogames didn't lead to aggression.
Whether the children were more mentally developed (due to being older) or whether they had greater self-control - it is hard to say. The clear element, though is that the older the children - the better their ability to not exhibit violent behaviour. A study of 84 children aged 10 to 11 showed that whilst boys showed no increase in aggression, the girls; surprisingly showed quite a substantial increase.
Videogames are often used as a method of releasing aggression rather than creating it. Just as running and other athletic exercise will relieve the body of aggressive tendencies a videogame can have the same effect. "Shoot 'em ups" (Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Half-Life, Soldier of Fortune) "Beat 'em ups" (Mortal Kombat, Tekken) and driving games (GTA, Driver) all relieve the body of stress. The normally unacceptable acts can be turned into entertainment that is safe and morally just. Why should it matter if you run over a few pedestrians or gun down some scumbags? Its not real. Nobody gets hurt and more importantly; nobody dies.
So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the devil? You decide.
Games are one of the most immersive of current entertainment forms. Mainly due to their interactivity, but also because of the fact that almost any real situation can be translated into game form. This makes them an attractive entertainment medium for millions of people. 1 in 5 people in the UK own a Sony PlayStation (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames")
Videogames are now less regarded as a minor form of entertainment, in fact they have grown up in a relatively short amount of time. ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association) state that game sales are 40 per cent higher than cinema ticket sales and 80 per cent higher than video rentals (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames") . Videogames have yet to overtake the music industry; however this is likely to be only a matter of time. Estimated sales of videogames in the USA and Europe are expected to hit $17 billion a year by 2003. (source : "trigger happy : the inner life of videogames"). You can see by these figures that games are big and are likely to grow more.
Returning to the subject of violence in games; we can see that this has increased greatly over the years. As computer hardware has become more powerful and cheaper - the "realism" and complexity of videogames has followed closely. Mild videogame violence is acceptable (such as 1978s "Space Invaders" by Taito Corp. - in which you control a space ship and you must destroy wave after wave of approaching alien craft). It was in the early 90s where people started complaining that videogames had gone too far. Acclaim's "Mortal Kombat" allowed players to control a digitised human character and senselessly disperse a barrage of punches and kicks until their opponent was semi-paralysed and they were asked to "Finish Him!". You would then press a combination of buttons (often nicknamed a "combo") which would then play a particularly graphic annihilation of the enemy player. This drew the attention of the tabloid media who boldly stated that such videogames were desensitising people and making acts of extreme violence more acceptable.
The media soon realising that their protests only seemed to have the backing of a minority soon fell dormant on the subject. Only to be awoken in 1998 with the release of DMA's "Grand Theft Auto". This game offered the player the experience of stealing cars, committing crimes and injuring/killing gangsters and pedestrians. A player could drive about and run people over. Or get out and start shooting at anything (including people). This caused quite a public outroar. Many people wanted to see this "spawn of the devil" banned. However, the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification) saw this as unnecessary and labelled it with an "18" certificate. Less friction was encountered with the release of GTA2 and more recently GTA3.
Another game that pushed the element further was Xatrix's (Now known as "Greymatter") "Kingpin". This game was one of the goriest and most graphic ever seen, featuring extremely vulgar language to "complement" the visuals. Although this game found its way into media focus, it soon vanished as its gameplay didn't feature the vigour that had obviously gone into the "shock content".
With the exception of the last case, most of these games sell because of their controversial content. Grand Theft Auto, for example was promoted by PR Guru, Max Clifford. Who approached the newspapers prior to the game's release and posed as a disgusted "insider"with the words of :
"This game is coming out where you nick cars and run policeman down...I think it could be put across as being disgusting, what do you think?"
The tabloid newspapers all agreed so and launched a story which they believed would shock their readers into getting the game banned (and of course help sell their newspapers). Only, it seems that it wasn't to work out that way. In fact, despite annoying politicians and other morally sensitive people - it only seemed to turn the game into a best seller.
So far we have seen that violence in videogames receives the attention of the public quite easily. We should ask the question of what real life consequences are there of such games? Below are three examples of games content being the inspiration for real life tragedy :
29 November 2001, San Joaquin (California, USA)
Two boys, one aged 8 and the other 12 had just finished playing the videogame "WinBack : Covert Operation" and the younger of the boys (Jose) decided he wanted to play a more realistic version of the game. He discovered his father's semi-automatic hand-gun kept inside a box on the topshelf of a bookshelf. It was without a clip, but unknown to the boys there was one round in the chamber. The older of the boys knew that the weapon was dangerous and snatched it from his younger brother. Unfortunately, doing so he accidently shot his younger brother in the chest. Jose died.
Investigators stated that it was indeed a tragic accident, however they pointed out that the boys had gained their curiosity from playing the videogame. Can we agree?
Apart from the fact of the children being allowed to play a game rated for teenagers - there also happened to be a loaded firearm in the house. The children were left to play unsupervised and so this is surely gross ignorance on the part of the parents.
From a different perspective we can say that the videogame did inspire the Jose to experiment with real weapons. We can say that the videogame suggested such activities were normal. However, we should remember that the cause of this was the parents allowing their children to play a game that wasn't suited for them.
This is one of the reasons why games are given ratings. To give parents enough information to make an informed decision. All videos, music media and videogames are clearly marked with insignia that state the age required to use the product.
In the UK, official ratings are issued by the B.B.F.C. (British Board of Film Classification). Products are marked with:
U (Suitable for all ages)
12 (For ages 12 and above)
PG (May feature mild offensive material, sexual references),
15 (May feature some sexual swearing, quite frequent violence, encouragement of the use of alcohol/tobacco and sexual suggestions)
18 (May feature frequent swearing/sexual swearing, nudity, sexual activity, sexual violence, violence against human-like or animal characters. Hatred towards ethnic, religious or racial stereotypes, use of drugs)
ELSPA. ( European Leisure Software Publishers Association) also rate games. Games are generally marked with an ELSPA mark - but may display a B.B.F.C. mark if ELSPA are not satisfied with rating the game themselves. The ELSPA system is similar to that of the B.B.F.C.
3+ (Suitable for all ages)
11+ (Product may contain some blood/gore, depictions of death, mild swearing, ethnic, religious and racial stereotypes and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
15+ (Product may contain sexual innuendo (or suggestions of sexual activity), some nudity. Sustained acts of violence and depictions of death, frequent swearing and the use of alcohol/tobacco)
18+ (Product may contain more excessive violence with greater level of blood/gore, sexual violence, sexual activity, violence towards vulnerable women and children and against race, religion and ethnicity.)
As you can see, both ratings are similar in format. Although products are not marked with this description the product will contain a logo containing one of the above ratings. ELSPA, however will sometime include a table that informs the consumer of possible content. A similar system also exists in many countries around the world (including the USA).This means that the parents of Jose had the information required to decide that this game was not suitable for their children. WinBack : Covert Operation was a game marketed towards older teenagers and adults.
Continuing the study of real life events that stemmed from a videogame...
December 1 1997, Heath High School (Kentucky, USA)
14 year old Michael Carneal shot eight of his classmates (three fatally). He was given a sentence of twenty-five years in prison. The parents of the dead children blamed both videogames violence (specifically id Software's DOOM and Quake) and films such as "The Basketball Diaries". They challenged the entertainment industry and were to try to sue, but failed due to insubstantial evidence.
Analysing this, we can again say that a child was exposed to entertainment that was not suitable for his age. DOOM and Quake are rated 15, although only being one year younger he still does not qualify for use of the product. However, looking at the straightforward method employed by the youth we can see that he was not mentally developed enough to fully understand what he was doing. He walked in to the classroom, primed the weapon and fired; just as he had in playing the aforementioned videogames. The only difference is that in the games he was shooting at threatening demons, but in reality he was firing upon human beings. This tells us that he was not able to effectively distinguish reality and fantasy. He may have had held aggressive feelings against his classmates, but if mentally developed enough he could suppress those feelings or vent them through less extreme reactions.
Moving on to our third example...
20 April 1999, Columbine High School, USA
This was the venue of the infamous massacre that shocked the world. 13 people died in the incident. Two students of the same school were responsible. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. It was later discovered that they also intended to kill a further five-hundred people, hijack an airliner and crash it into New York. The victims’ families against many companies launched a $5 billion lawsuit and id Software was one of the companies named. Although the case continues it is likely to follow the Kentucky case.
It seems that the public need retribution for such tragic events and will blame that which seems to be the cause, but is often only indirectly. Although it was revealed that the killers were players of DOOM and similar such games, it was their mental disposition, which drove them to execute this act.
To defend this statement, we only need to look at the popularity of such games. Unreal Tournament and Quake III Team Arena are two very popular videogames that feature violent activity. The majority of adults can play these games purely for the "buzz" that it gives them to fight and survive a virtual war. Although these games contain hand weapons and projectile weapons and a degree of gore, mentally sound adults can disseminate between that which is real and that which is fantasy. It bears relation to the way in which we are able to watch a film or "movie". When the film has finished - we are able to walk away with the memory of that film without being inspired to do all that we have seen.
All of the above examples show that these human minds were not developed enough to be discriminative in their interpretation of what they were viewing whilst playing the videogame. Someone who lacks the intelligence to categorize events and interpret them is not fit to be exposed to such material.
Just as censorship protects minors from inappropriate language, sexual content and offensive material it is also used to mask violence. To re-emphasize what was said earlier :
Ratings exist to give adults and parents enough information to decide whether a product is suitable for the person who shall be using it.
Perhaps if the two Californian boys were not exposed to " WinBack : Covert Operation" they would not have been inspired to try a more realistic scenario. Maybe if Michael Carneal, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had not played similar games. Perhaps they would not have killed senselessly. Who can say? If they had not played the games; chance are they would have seen a violent film.
The film "American Psycho" shows a seemingly typical American; who happens to posses a darker side to his character. The film's intense scenes of graphic murders are enough to shock anyone, but someone without feeling. Another such film is "A Clockwork Orange" features violence, rape and robbery amongst other things.
Showing that the individuals concerned could have had access to this sort of material as well.
So what actual evidence is there of this sort of material affecting the judgment of individuals? In 1995, 60 children aged between seven and eight took part in a study to try to answer this. Those that had been playing games that featured acts of aggression displayed the same emotion themselves. The others, who played a game that did not contain aggressive elements. This shows an obvious link between the children and the videogame. However, as children get older the results are harder to analyze. Similar studies applied to 8-14 year olds showed that violent videogames didn't lead to aggression.
Whether the children were more mentally developed (due to being older) or whether they had greater self-control - it is hard to say. The clear element, though is that the older the children - the better their ability to not exhibit violent behaviour. A study of 84 children aged 10 to 11 showed that whilst boys showed no increase in aggression, the girls; surprisingly showed quite a substantial increase.
Videogames are often used as a method of releasing aggression rather than creating it. Just as running and other athletic exercise will relieve the body of aggressive tendencies a videogame can have the same effect. "Shoot 'em ups" (Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Half-Life, Soldier of Fortune) "Beat 'em ups" (Mortal Kombat, Tekken) and driving games (GTA, Driver) all relieve the body of stress. The normally unacceptable acts can be turned into entertainment that is safe and morally just. Why should it matter if you run over a few pedestrians or gun down some scumbags? Its not real. Nobody gets hurt and more importantly; nobody dies.
So there you go, videogames – safe outlet for tension or spawn of the devil? You decide.