Politiks

Bob Frankenberry · Sat May 12, 2007 11:16 pm Violence in Video Games

As it can be safely assumed that at least one other person in this forum has touched a video game at some point in their life, I believe this topic is a suitable one for discussion.

The official title of this is “Violence in Video Games: Who Does it Effect, and What Can We Do About It?”

Every so often, especially in the wake of a tragedy centering around “young people” [people who are between 5 and 20] there is always at least one individual who declares that video games are the primary cause of the events that just occurred. More often than not that person is Jack Thompson a Miami attorney and anti-video game activist. There are other people, amidst those saying it's rampant atheism and homosexuality, that agree with him.

But are those people right? If they are correct, what is that can be done to stop these kinds of things from happening again?

Studies in general have found that there is an increased risk of desensitization and other things by people who play games in a “marathon” sense—that is, people who sit for multiple hours, often upwards of 12, and play a single video game. These games are also often highly violent, like the modern adaptations of Grand Theft Auto series by Rockstar Entertainment. These people, it suggests, are altered by the game's perpetual violent presence (the idea of being able to inconsequentially kill a hooker or police officer is consistently brought forward in these arguments, though the statement is false and I will touch upon that if brought out by another person) to the point where they no longer understand the difference between right actions and “wrong” actions.

Mr. Thompson also blames the early 1990's video game Mortal Kombat, as well as video games like id Software's DOOM. And it is because of these video games in particular that the first instance of control was brought upon the video game industry.

1993 saw the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (or the ESRB if you didn't get the hint from the bolding). This was created as the result of hearings from congress featuring people such as Joe Liberman, Tipper Gore, et al. As such, these individuals demanded that the video game industry begin motions to regulate itself, or the government would regulate it.

As an aside:

The ESRB features several distinct levels of video game ratings.

EC - “Early Childhood”
E - “Everyone”
E 10+ - “Everyone Ages 10 and Up”
T - “Teen”
M - “Mature”
AO - “Adults Only”

These ratings are designated to a video game after it goes through various screenings to determine what is most appropriate. The label is printed clearly, along with descriptors that allow the buyer to understand the details of the game itself. [e.g.: “Mild Violence”, “Strong Sexual Content”, “Animated Blood and Gore”]

These are all in place, and they are used. It is against ESRB policy, and the law in some states, to sell an M rated game to a person under 17 [as “Mature” suggests “17 and over”].

What further measures can and should be done to help eliminate threats? Would an increased censorship be better? Would simply improving who sells the video games be better?

Tell me what you think.

Also, elaboration on any point can be given upon request.

Redneck · Sun May 13, 2007 12:54 am

I dont think video games have anything to do with these killing sprees. if you look at the people who do most these killing sprees they are outcast who have no other place to turn than to video games. I think even if these games didn't exist these same people would probably go crazy and kill people.

I absolutly cannot stand this whole thing in society today were we don't want to accept that we're the problem, so we pawn it off on something else. people are nothing more than violent, evil, nutcases. and that goes for each and every one of us. we kill because killing is part of being human. we're a violent group of living beings, from the first day of humanity one person has always wanted to, or has killed another human. thats why these games are addiciting, we all have a deep down desire to kill these games just allow us to unleash it without hurting someone. there are those who can't disassociate reality from fake and those people are the ones who go crazy. but those people have always existed, yet most people today live with their heads in the sand and don't want to accept it.

Matt · Sun May 13, 2007 2:22 am

Video games might desensitize, but then so might CNN. I support keeping the age restrictions and so on more or less the way they are. If a kid's at the point where a video game can push him over the edge, even if you take the game away something else will tip him over.

Bob Frankenberry · Sun May 13, 2007 2:36 am

Matt wrote: Video games might desensitize, but then so might CNN. I support keeping the age restrictions and so on more or less the way they are. If a kid's at the point where a video game can push him over the edge, even if you take the game away something else will tip him over.

Should there be consequences for a vendor who sells to a person under the age suggested by the ESRB, though? Because, certainly allowing access to the media is part of the problem.

Bob Frankenberry · Sun May 13, 2007 2:38 am

Redneck wrote: [snipped]

I agree that the inability to discern reality and fantasy is a big problem. I also think those people shouldn't be allowed access to violent media until they're able to figure it out.

Maximus Vigilus · Mon May 14, 2007 12:40 am

"Violence in Videogames" is quite simply put, a scapegoat for far larger issues.

Bob Frankenberry · Mon May 14, 2007 12:55 am

Maximus Vigilus wrote: "Violence in Videogames" is quite simply put, a scapegoat for far larger issues.

What do you mean?

Dark Blaze · Tue May 15, 2007 11:48 pm

It's easy to say "Oh he played GTA for 12 hours so that's what gave him the urge to kill" instead of something saying that "The guy was nuts".

This arguement has gone on long before video games with other targets such as movies and music. Remember when Eminem was blamed for his lyrics making people want to kill others?

I have The Warrios for my PSP - you know the game based on the 70's movie about gang violence. You know what you can do in that game? Beat up cops, mug hobos, take "flash", steal radios, beat up random people in the street, promote graffiti and has suggestions to sex.

Am I doing any of that stuff cause I feel I have too? Cause I want to emulate all the things I saw from a game? No.

Again - it's easier for someone to say "I did this cause I played a video game that made/taught me how to do it."

Like a comedian once said - "The angry spirit of Mario is not talking to me and asking me to jump on people's heads to watch a coin pop out of their ass".

Bob Frankenberry · Thu May 17, 2007 12:22 am

Dark Blaze wrote: It's easy to say "Oh he played GTA for 12 hours so that's what gave him the urge to kill" instead of something saying that "The guy was nuts".

Well, generally speaking, professional people in the field of studying these effects have found that it's insane people who play Grand Theft Auto for 12 hours that end up killing people. The instability is usually just tucked away because Mr. Thompson doesn't like that.

Quote: This arguement has gone on long before video games with other targets such as movies and music. Remember when Eminem was blamed for his lyrics making people want to kill others?

And Ozzy Osbourne is perpetually blamed for the suicide of youths. It's true that the media, in general, is a scapegoat for incomprehensible actions like this.

Quote: I have The Warrios for my PSP - you know the game based on the 70's movie about gang violence. You know what you can do in that game? Beat up cops, mug hobos, take "flash", steal radios, beat up random people in the street, promote graffiti and has suggestions to sex.

Am I doing any of that stuff cause I feel I have too? Cause I want to emulate all the things I saw from a game? No.

See, that's one of the things I'm talking about. You have an obvious understand of reality and fantasy--something that these people lack, to a certain extent.

This also goes into my sub argument--people younger than you can get a hold of The Warriors, people who, in that instance, should not be allowed to have that game.

Little Johnny 8-year-old shouldn't have that game, it's M rated. We have these ratings and they need to be enforced. This is part of the problem.

Quote: Again - it's easier for someone to say "I did this cause I played a video game that made/taught me how to do it."

Like a comedian once said - "The angry spirit of Mario is not talking to me and asking me to jump on people's heads to watch a coin pop out of their ass".

But GTA is not Super Maro Bros.. While I agree that it's an easy cop-out, and shouldn't be as abused, it is a problem, and we need to help curb the problem as best we can.

People will play video games, and as technology advances, we're going to reach a point where the graphics on a video game will look almost identical to real life. And when little Johnny 8-year-old pops in Halo 6 or whatever, and starts blasting things, he's gonna have a harder time disassociating from that than he would, say, Halo or Halo 2.

While it's not a world-threatening issue, it's something that needs to be taken care of. And we need to enforce the ESRB ratings.