Gaming Fatality

[Charles]

Total revenues for video games topped 7.7 billion dollars last year, eclipsing Hollywood box office receipts for the second year running. As a matter of fact, GameCube's American lauch garnered $100 million dollars, selling higher than Harry Potter's $90 million, in it's opening weekend. As video games have taken their place in American Culture as a mass market form of entertainment, the industry has increasingly been criticized for the sometimes violent antisocial nature of games.
Violent video games have received a tremendous amount of press in recent years, especially following the Columbine High School massacre of April 1999, when anowed Doom fans Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 15 people with ruthless efficiency. Although, the Columbine incident certainly served to bring videogame violence to the forefront of national debate, the issue has been a topic of dispute almost since the inception of gaming.
As video games today achieve a higher calibur of realism than ever one has to wonder, what effects the detailed depictions of decaption and death have on the people who play them. Recent games like Grand Theft Auto 3, while a blast to play, push the envelope in destructive behavior. Is it just a matter of time now, before a child high jacks a vehicle and starts blowing people away? The releases Mortal Kombat 5 and DOOM 3 will no doubt lend in reigniting, this age-old controversy. Seeing as how this effects anyone in society, and not just gamers, I find myself asking the question: Where do you stand on the issue? Would toned-down video games make you feel safer in public? Some will say it's the parents' fault. Do you think that govenment needs to take the responsibility that so many parents have neglected?
So, what

[Treble]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crazy White Boy [/i]
[B]Total revenues for video games topped 7.7 billion dollars last year, eclipsing Hollywood box office receipts for the second year running. As a matter of fact, GameCube's American lauch garnered $100 million dollars, selling higher than Harry Potter's $90 million, in it's opening weekend. As video games have taken their place in American Culture as a mass market form of entertainment, the industry has increasingly been criticized for the sometimes violent antisocial nature of games.
Violent video games have received a tremendous amount of press in recent years, especially following the Columbine High School massacre of April 1999, when anowed Doom fans Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 15 people with ruthless efficiency. Although, the Columbine incident certainly served to bring videogame violence to the forefront of national debate, the issue has been a topic of dispute almost since the inception of gaming.
As video games today achieve a higher calibur of realism than ever one has to wonder, what effects the detailed depictions of decaption and death have on the people who play them. Recent games like Grand Theft Auto 3, while a blast to play, push the envelope in destructive behavior. Is it just a matter of time now, before a child high jacks a vehicle and starts blowing people away? The releases Mortal Kombat 5 and DOOM 3 will no doubt lend in reigniting, this age-old controversy. Seeing as how this effects anyone in society, and not just gamers, I find myself asking the question: Where do you stand on the issue? Would toned-down video games make you feel safer in public? Some will say it's the parents' fault. Do you think that govenment needs to take the responsibility that so many parents have neglected?
So, what [/B][/QUOTE]

Heh this is an interesting topic.The choice I choose "its a free country, and anyone should be able to play violent video games."
Now my opinion is when a kids plays a violent game and see all the violence stuff in the game they'll probaly think its cool.But I don't think it influence the kid,since they'll probaly know most of the stuff in the violence game is just impossible like how can you throw fire out of your mouth and turn someone into a skeleton or just ripp off a persons head,to me its just entertaining.I wouldn't blame it on the parents i think it should be blamed on the kids that are influence themselves because its their own actions.

Now if they toned down in videogames or if an government takes action,then gamers will miss out on some great imagination games that could've been good that may involves some violence in the game.So to me i don't think government should take action if parents don't want their own child to be doing violence stuff then don't buy the game or console for them,don't even let them buy it thereself if they have the money.

[Kuja]

[SIZE=3][FONT=century gothic][COLOR=crimson]well it is up to the parent to let them get the game... if they do get the game oh well if not there lose i mean i play a lot of stuff from pokemon to diablo... and i am still sane... it is all in the parenting... if you look all the bad things... are well... where the kid moves from place to place never feels loved... ya know that sorta thing... so live and let live... and be good to your kids :)[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]

[Charles]

It's kind of interesting that not many people seem to have any thoughts on this issue whatsoever. It does effect each of us as gamers, after all. I personally think that violent video games do have a negative impact on children's behavior becuase a lot of parents don't take the time to sit their children down and explain the facts of life to them.
Anyway, I think that the V Chip in the Xbox is a good idea. But once again, if the parents don't take the time to utilize it, what good is it?

[James]

[color=crimson][size=1]There are a number of studies which have been done on this issue in the past few years, however, there is no evidence that violent games invoke violent reactions in children.

I often hear about how "playing Doom gave the kids ideas about killing people" etc etc.

However, the individuals who committed the horrible acts at Columbine High School were obviously already mentally disturbed. They went looking for violent games because those games fed their desire for violence.

If violent games didn't exist, they would have gone and searched for violent movies or books.

Also, it wasn't a case of "the violent game causing the violent reaction". Rather, it was a case of "the violent person seeking out the violent game".

I play violent videogames, yet I am an incredibly peaceful person in real life. I can see games for what they are -- fake.

It's up to parents to make sure that children can understand what is and isn't acceptable, but I think that we often blame the parents. For some reason, society is reluctant to actually hold the purpetrators of the crimes accountable.

Still, I know that censorship runs rampant in the United States...and I really hope that Australia never sees that level of censorship -- I think it's a barrier to understanding and acceptance.[/color][/size]

[RicoTranzrig]

Yeah, other countries rather than the U.S. don't have such harsh censorship laws...but I don't like it when games get modified just because someone thinks us American's can't handle it. Like Resident Evil, some scenes were taken out.

[Charles]

I do believe that violent images can effect the behavior of children IF their is no parental guidance. I mean, the Columbine killers had weapons stocked up and intricate plans, yet their parents were too careless to notice.

Well, let me rephrase this, and tell me if you agree. I think that with how realistic games look now, that children can become immune to the effects of killing. By playing enough video games depicting grizzly situations, they will not feel as much compassion. (or at least not until it's too late)

[Sephiroth]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=crimson][size=1]

I often hear about how "playing Doom gave the kids ideas about killing people" etc etc.

However, the individuals who committed the horrible acts at Columbine High School were obviously already mentally disturbed. They went looking for violent games because those games fed their desire for violence.

.[/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

those kids in that incident were indeed influenced by doom, or had an unhealthy addiction to it anyway, but I think they were definately mentally disturbed, if I remember correctly, one of their shotguns had the name "Arlene" carved on it, who is in fact, a character from the doom novels, I know this because I have read the books....

anyway, the old issue of video gaming violence, the way I see it, if parents let little 5 year old timmy play an 18+ rated game such as GTA for example, then its their own damn fault whatever he gets himself into, games have age ratings for a reason, and if your going to buy an 15/18+ game for your little child, then your putting them at risk, basically, its the same with films, although parents do seem to look at films better than games, in the fact that they wouldn't let little timmy watch an 18+ film for their safety, which is stupid considering they would let them play GTA or resident evil and not give a crap about it....

the way I see it, the media has no right to critisise what should and should not be in games, its a free country, and developers do know their limits, and if you look at most gaming cases its something like "my son has been traumatised by a game" but they wouldn't say what the game is, which is 10 times out of 10, is a game they shouldn't have been playing in the first place....

[Zidargh]

Well, I think that it's a free country. I mean ,GTA3 is 18 rated but I know of lil kids that have played it, and to illegalise playability for game ratings, tyhe gaming industries would roll downhill.

[shibatku]

i don't know why they wanted to ban violent video games from certain ages I mean its not like they won't see it on tv or somewhere else.

[Nimrod]

I think that games should just be bought by anybody no matter how violent (but maybe that' because I'm not 18 yet). I hate having to get my mom every time I want to purchase a violent game and she could care less. I'm still perfectly sane

[Kuja]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Nimrod [/i]
[B]I'm still perfectly sane [/B][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=century gothic][COLOR=crimson]that is what you wold LIKE us to believe isnt it... then when we dont watch you closely... u will go and spam our boards to death... hahaha... er wait this isnt intro... oh well... welcome here and i am your worst fear... a strict mod ;)[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]

[Nimrod]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by kuja [/i]
[B]

[SIZE=3][FONT=century gothic][COLOR=crimson]that is what you wold LIKE us to believe isnt it... then when we dont watch you closely... u will go and spam our boards to death... hahaha... er wait this isnt intro... oh well... welcome here and i am your worst fear... a strict mod ;)[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE] [/B][/QUOTE]


There's not really a need for a welcme. I've already been here quite some time under the name of Majin Gohan(I despise that name now and it was banned for a reason I'm not quite sure on. I hate changing names b/c nobody ever reads signatures and figures out they've been here a long time.).

[GotenksSSJ343]

You should have your right of what to play and if parents don't want there kids playing those games untill there older so be it

[Kuja]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Nimrod [/i]
[B]


There's not really a need for a welcme. I've already been here quite some time under the name of Majin Gohan(I despise that name now and it was banned for a reason I'm not quite sure on. I hate changing names b/c nobody ever reads signatures and figures out they've been here a long time.). [/B][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=century gothic][COLOR=crimson]either that or they have sigs turned off ;)[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]