UBB.Developers Forums General Discussion Chit Chat Violence in video games

Whilst reading this article http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,42856,00.html in wired today, I was struck by the feeling that the people who make these kind of statements don't actually play any video games. The particular comment that got to me was the mention of "guns and drugs in video games".. Now, I can't think of a single game that involves drugs.. Not one.. I could be missing something, but I really don't remember any video game that involves that. Oh, and apparently, video games also teach kids to shoot...?.. Yeah.. erm..

What I really hate is the implication that a video game somehow creates a monster out of a totally normal kid. If a kid is well adjusted, I can't see how playing ANY kind of video game would affect them in such a way as to turn them into a mass murderer. Sure, there's the possibility that a child with reality issues or some other mental instability might be adversely affected by a game, but given a child like that, almost anything they see or do is going to affect them, and possibly push them over the edge.
I think on the whole, video game manufacturers are pretty responsible. The scariest, goriest games I've seen and played really aren't that bad, not compared to say, your average hollywood movie. I'm pretty sure most children can tell the difference between a computer generated character and a real person.. I think movies are worse than games, at least in a game you see SOME consequences for your actions, and it doesn't appear quite as real.

But what do you all think on this issue? Does violence in video games propagate violence in schools? Does it have an effect at all? Should all violent videogames be banned?..

hmmm drugs in video games the only thing I can think is Mario had the Magic Shrooms that made him get big and Resident Evil had the Green, Red, and Blue "herbs" that gave you health

Some people would ban laughter if they could get away with it....... Id still like to slap Tipper Gore over those stupid "Parental Guidance" stickers that she forced on the music industry.......

If a violent video game could truly create a psychopath out of a normal person then im sure the US government would have aquired the technology and turned it into its latest top-secret weapons programme.......

Lol phil, entirely probable..

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Grand Theft Auto involve some kind of drugs?

Also, there's that "popular" game for Texas Instruments graphics calculators called Drug Wars or Drug Lord or something, where you get to play a big drug ring boss. But *please*! Anyone who actually thinks *that* is real should probably be locked up already.

Of course, as it was mentioned above, there is the reality factor. To use a classic parental scapegoat for my own purposes, anyone who mistakes DOOM's Imps for real people has problems.

Phil: yes, Tipper forced the music industry to have those labels. But do you know of any store that actually follows them? I've taken my little 12-year-old brother to Best Buy and several other music stores, and he's bought things like Disturbed and Papa Roach and Eminem (those are the two that I can remember from recently, I'm sure there have been others) stuff along that nature, and they've never looked twice at him before taking his money. It is, on paper, a really dumb idea. But in practice (just like communism), it just doesn't work because of non-enforcement. Same as the "Mature" ratings on video games, though those actually are being paid attention to by some chains now.

Grr... it seems like I had more to say than that, but I can't remember it right now. Maybe when I get home.....

---Skorpion

Violence is in videogames - yes.

Violence affects normal videogame players - no.

enough said.

Dunno about GTA, haven't played it..

In a recent Game Developer mag, they were talking about the mature ratings for games etc, I think K-mart, Walmart and Target are the ones following those now.. (or are supposed to be anyway)..

The only "bad" game I could think of recently, is Conker's Bad Fur Day or whatever it's called.. But that game has a mature rating (it features a squirrel that gets drunk and hits on women).

Man, that game rules!!!! That Squirrel is my new role model!!

Skorpion: Over here (Eire/Britain) it is, like the USA *i think* illegal to sell a game with an age rating to anyone under that age, but, like a lot of other laws (jaywalking, littering, to name a couple) it is very rarely enforced, and most game store employee's only enforce it when police are around or, if there manager is around (unless the manager himself ignores it, in which case the employees do aswell)

and yes, grand theft auto involved you trafficking drugs (only by car, and, if i remember correctly there are never any names of drugs mentioned, and its 2D so anyone who takes it seriously needs a head check)

A good editorial (froma gamers perspective) can be read on my web site: http://www.marz.org/editorials.html

Right to the article:
(Today's Violent games: Warping young minds)