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We've discussed the reality of games. We've discussed violence in games (boy, have we discussed that topic) but what about morality?
At the moment there seems to be a lot of problems in this country with morals. Some children don't seem to appreciate the idea of helping others or looking up to their elders. Obviously, when their elders or authority figures are not worth looking up to it's a different story, but for the most part there seems to be no respect. Also, there is a lack of respect for the 'rules' of society, both in youngsters and in older people. More crime, more vandalism and more violence against old people is the trend this country is following (seemingly, after America) where as the rest of Europe still has a lot more respect and the morality of their countries is much greater than here in the UK.
Can games help with this issue (ah, you wondered, perhaps, when I'd get around to talking about games!) by providing morals to the story or re-enforcing the basic morals of society. Do they harm our morals, for instance in war games or with more recent games where you play as the bad guy? Games seem to be following films, there has been a recent trend in films where the focus is on the bad guy as the anti-hero, films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and many others have influenced society and perhaps games as well.
There is no doubt that playing the bad guy in a game can be just as fun. Take Driver or Grand Theft Auto as examples. But do these games eat at our fragile morals or make no difference at all? Why, then, can't we have more games that focus on helping people and respect for others? Some RPGs take this as part of their story, although there is even a trend in these to portray an anti-hero as the main character of late. Phantasy Star Online was designed for people to help each other, but no sooner was it launched than unscrupulous people decided to take advantage of the system and provide items for real world money. Do war games that distance you from the action and pit you against other countries give us disrespect for other cultures and religions? Perhaps the world is getting darker all by itself, a frightening prospect, but maybe we can do something about it too.
So there are no answers here, yet. But perhaps it bears thinking about that the media in general affect our judgement and morality, even if they don’t make our society more violent or abusive by themselves, they may be able to re-enforce the good in people instead of the bad.
At the moment there seems to be a lot of problems in this country with morals. Some children don't seem to appreciate the idea of helping others or looking up to their elders. Obviously, when their elders or authority figures are not worth looking up to it's a different story, but for the most part there seems to be no respect. Also, there is a lack of respect for the 'rules' of society, both in youngsters and in older people. More crime, more vandalism and more violence against old people is the trend this country is following (seemingly, after America) where as the rest of Europe still has a lot more respect and the morality of their countries is much greater than here in the UK.
Can games help with this issue (ah, you wondered, perhaps, when I'd get around to talking about games!) by providing morals to the story or re-enforcing the basic morals of society. Do they harm our morals, for instance in war games or with more recent games where you play as the bad guy? Games seem to be following films, there has been a recent trend in films where the focus is on the bad guy as the anti-hero, films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and many others have influenced society and perhaps games as well.
There is no doubt that playing the bad guy in a game can be just as fun. Take Driver or Grand Theft Auto as examples. But do these games eat at our fragile morals or make no difference at all? Why, then, can't we have more games that focus on helping people and respect for others? Some RPGs take this as part of their story, although there is even a trend in these to portray an anti-hero as the main character of late. Phantasy Star Online was designed for people to help each other, but no sooner was it launched than unscrupulous people decided to take advantage of the system and provide items for real world money. Do war games that distance you from the action and pit you against other countries give us disrespect for other cultures and religions? Perhaps the world is getting darker all by itself, a frightening prospect, but maybe we can do something about it too.
So there are no answers here, yet. But perhaps it bears thinking about that the media in general affect our judgement and morality, even if they don’t make our society more violent or abusive by themselves, they may be able to re-enforce the good in people instead of the bad.
Games have no influence on me(to make me go out and kill anyone at-least).I just like to play.
Eh? I thought it was for Princess Daisy!
No, Mario teaches you that you can fly if you eat strange mushrooms. Dubious.
No, Mario teaches you that you can fly if you eat strange mushrooms. Dubious.
Mario saved the world for a cake.
Parents or guardians have a lot to do with the bringing up of youngsters. There is always the arguement, however, of nurture vs nature, which basically means that you either believe people are inherently going to behave in one way from birth or are taught by their upbringing to behave in a certain way.
I don't believe anyone is inherently evil and everyone should be given a chance, but the media in general, not just TV, does change the way we think, even to some small extent and the media ever increasingly includes games.
I'm not really argueing whether games so much cause the trouble as being able to play a part in helping to re-enforce the ideals. Of course, this relies on an agreed set of ideals in the first place. Just what is right and what is wrong anyway? With corrupt polititions and even people like doctors in places of power, what chance do we have for a better society? As gaming becomes more of a social activity, perhaps we can help with this, or perhaps not.
I don't believe anyone is inherently evil and everyone should be given a chance, but the media in general, not just TV, does change the way we think, even to some small extent and the media ever increasingly includes games.
I'm not really argueing whether games so much cause the trouble as being able to play a part in helping to re-enforce the ideals. Of course, this relies on an agreed set of ideals in the first place. Just what is right and what is wrong anyway? With corrupt polititions and even people like doctors in places of power, what chance do we have for a better society? As gaming becomes more of a social activity, perhaps we can help with this, or perhaps not.
Music and TV is enough to make kids like they are now!
Videogames aren't the problem! They may help encourage but it's the TV and music that starts them off!
Videogames aren't the problem! They may help encourage but it's the TV and music that starts them off!
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For Password and Ship collection details, mail:
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I've also seen lots of ads for planets from Planetarion and EmpireQuest for sale on Ebay Auctions under the Real Estate section, so there's no limit to the profits you can make in gaming if you're good enough.
But then I'm amoral by nature anyway.
Wasn't the guy you played in Driver an undercover cop who saved the President of the USA in the end?
I agree with the gist of the post by the way, it's just that the subject of modern day morality is kinda meaningless. It's just a case of there's a lot more bad people in the world because there are a lot more people in the world, and the baddies have more technology on their side now to do bad things with than ever before.
Only as society changes will we see changes in gaming. Until society changes, games will continue to 'feed the dark, competitive' side of our natures, because that is what we enjoy. As long as the activities stay on the console that's fine, it's only when we reenact gameplay in the real world that problems start.
Society has to change first, not he consoles.
For Password and Ship collection details, mail:
[email protected]
I've also seen lots of ads for planets from Planetarion and EmpireQuest for sale on Ebay Auctions under the Real Estate section, so there's no limit to the profits you can make in gaming if you're good enough.
But then I'm amoral by nature anyway.
Wasn't the guy you played in Driver an undercover cop who saved the President of the USA in the end?
I agree with the gist of the post by the way, it's just that the subject of modern day morality is kinda meaningless. It's just a case of there's a lot more bad people in the world because there are a lot more people in the world, and the baddies have more technology on their side now to do bad things with than ever before.
Only as society changes will we see changes in gaming. Until society changes, games will continue to 'feed the dark, competitive' side of our natures, because that is what we enjoy. As long as the activities stay on the console that's fine, it's only when we reenact gameplay in the real world that problems start.
Society has to change first, not he consoles.
Excellent post pb.
You are perfectly right in Conker, Conker killed an entire race of cavemen in order to get what he wants. He only helped people in return for money if there was no offer he wouldn't help!
But games like Zelda Majora's mask is also different. Link could of gone home and left the alternate dimension but he wanted to help these people so he stayed.
Link should be the role model for kids opposed to Conker but Conker is an adult game so children shouldn't be effected by this. What developers need to do is if characters aren't like lets say Link then they should make them adult games.
Here's to the future
Dringo
You are perfectly right in Conker, Conker killed an entire race of cavemen in order to get what he wants. He only helped people in return for money if there was no offer he wouldn't help!
But games like Zelda Majora's mask is also different. Link could of gone home and left the alternate dimension but he wanted to help these people so he stayed.
Link should be the role model for kids opposed to Conker but Conker is an adult game so children shouldn't be effected by this. What developers need to do is if characters aren't like lets say Link then they should make them adult games.
Here's to the future
Dringo
We've discussed the reality of games. We've discussed violence in games (boy, have we discussed that topic) but what about morality?
At the moment there seems to be a lot of problems in this country with morals. Some children don't seem to appreciate the idea of helping others or looking up to their elders. Obviously, when their elders or authority figures are not worth looking up to it's a different story, but for the most part there seems to be no respect. Also, there is a lack of respect for the 'rules' of society, both in youngsters and in older people. More crime, more vandalism and more violence against old people is the trend this country is following (seemingly, after America) where as the rest of Europe still has a lot more respect and the morality of their countries is much greater than here in the UK.
Can games help with this issue (ah, you wondered, perhaps, when I'd get around to talking about games!) by providing morals to the story or re-enforcing the basic morals of society. Do they harm our morals, for instance in war games or with more recent games where you play as the bad guy? Games seem to be following films, there has been a recent trend in films where the focus is on the bad guy as the anti-hero, films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and many others have influenced society and perhaps games as well.
There is no doubt that playing the bad guy in a game can be just as fun. Take Driver or Grand Theft Auto as examples. But do these games eat at our fragile morals or make no difference at all? Why, then, can't we have more games that focus on helping people and respect for others? Some RPGs take this as part of their story, although there is even a trend in these to portray an anti-hero as the main character of late. Phantasy Star Online was designed for people to help each other, but no sooner was it launched than unscrupulous people decided to take advantage of the system and provide items for real world money. Do war games that distance you from the action and pit you against other countries give us disrespect for other cultures and religions? Perhaps the world is getting darker all by itself, a frightening prospect, but maybe we can do something about it too.
So there are no answers here, yet. But perhaps it bears thinking about that the media in general affect our judgement and morality, even if they don’t make our society more violent or abusive by themselves, they may be able to re-enforce the good in people instead of the bad.
At the moment there seems to be a lot of problems in this country with morals. Some children don't seem to appreciate the idea of helping others or looking up to their elders. Obviously, when their elders or authority figures are not worth looking up to it's a different story, but for the most part there seems to be no respect. Also, there is a lack of respect for the 'rules' of society, both in youngsters and in older people. More crime, more vandalism and more violence against old people is the trend this country is following (seemingly, after America) where as the rest of Europe still has a lot more respect and the morality of their countries is much greater than here in the UK.
Can games help with this issue (ah, you wondered, perhaps, when I'd get around to talking about games!) by providing morals to the story or re-enforcing the basic morals of society. Do they harm our morals, for instance in war games or with more recent games where you play as the bad guy? Games seem to be following films, there has been a recent trend in films where the focus is on the bad guy as the anti-hero, films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and many others have influenced society and perhaps games as well.
There is no doubt that playing the bad guy in a game can be just as fun. Take Driver or Grand Theft Auto as examples. But do these games eat at our fragile morals or make no difference at all? Why, then, can't we have more games that focus on helping people and respect for others? Some RPGs take this as part of their story, although there is even a trend in these to portray an anti-hero as the main character of late. Phantasy Star Online was designed for people to help each other, but no sooner was it launched than unscrupulous people decided to take advantage of the system and provide items for real world money. Do war games that distance you from the action and pit you against other countries give us disrespect for other cultures and religions? Perhaps the world is getting darker all by itself, a frightening prospect, but maybe we can do something about it too.
So there are no answers here, yet. But perhaps it bears thinking about that the media in general affect our judgement and morality, even if they don’t make our society more violent or abusive by themselves, they may be able to re-enforce the good in people instead of the bad.