View Single Post
# 15 24-04-2006 , 02:47 PM
arran's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 3,708
Personally I don't have too much of a problem with violence in video games - if the game is marked for a mature audience than it is up to parents to make sure that their children play suitable games and if they can't keep an eye on their children, well that's where my sympathy ends. The majority of games are made for adults and I don't see why we should suffer watered down products just because parents can't control their children.

I really don't buy the argument that games, films, or music make people commit violent acts, even if they do cite them as an influence. I am sure that there are other traits in their character that predisposes them to violence regardless of the music they listen to or the games that they play. As Marilyn Manson pointed out in Bowling for Colombine, no one blamed Clinton for bombing the hell out of Iraq on the day of the shooting. And I really don't see why the rest of us should suffer without, just because a very small minority cannot handle grown up material. To be quite frank, after spending the day dealing with crappy reality, if I couldn't blow up a few pixels, I just might buy a gun and shoot someone!

I don't think that children are more violent than in previous generations - I think that they can tell the difference between reality and a video game - we really need to give children more credit than we already do - and just because they spout a few swear words that they have heard, I really don't think that that makes them anymore corrupt. It's just language - that's all.

I think games get a bad rap. There are plenty of great innovative video games that involve the gamer and test their senses and instincts and a whole host of other facets of their personality every time they play - I can happily go from playing GTA to Katamary Damacy to Half Life 2 to Dance, Dance Revolution (my girlfriend makes me!) and I think that all of these games have something to offer. I get a little tired when I hear of people disparaging video games.

I tend to have more of a problem with games and movies that are based on 'real' conflicts, such as World War 2 shooters or some of the games based on present wars. I find this type of game far more insiduous and dishonest. My main problem with them is that they tend to rewrite history. And they also tend to have some very dodgy ideas about reality and violence. However, having said that, as a person that believes that people should be allowed to do whatever they please (as long as that doesn't hurt another individual), than I have to accept that despite my problems with these products, other people enjoy them.

Finally, on a side note, shortly after September 11th, my girlfriend pointed out to me that she had noticed that a lot of video game ads were being directly followed by ads for the army. I haven't really seen anything else written about this, but I did definitely notice this alarming trend for a while - so I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed this, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere?

Anyway, that's my two cents....user added image


arran3D

arran3D blog

Last edited by arran; 27-04-2006 at 09:48 PM.