Videogame Violence- etc.

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:04 am

well, doing a report on the stuff (yay!). I'm looking for some articles and opinions etc. on videogame violence- and whether it makes people in real life violent. I've already gotten the bulk of the report- so this isn't one of those "do my homework" things- this basically is the QA portion. I want to do a 'real world' test of some of the arguments that will come about- so when it comes time to give my speech and do the grilling QA portion- I come out better equiped either way.

Let's get started : )

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:16 am

Violent games eat children.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:42 am

To get anywhere near the real issue video games would have to be the subject of a paragraph of a larger report, after the war on drugs and metal, but before an analysis of Rudy Giuliani's post-9/11/01 career.

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:50 am

Videogames are just a way to spend energy, and violence is merely a "fan service" in this context. People who go shoot other guys because they saw it in GTA are mental patients in the first place.

Also, watch kittens fight: it's a part of their natural play; it may look violent, but they don't become violent because of it. They become violent if you treat them bad.

D · Post by D » Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:32 pm

Acid King wrote:Violent games eat children.

I think this sums it all up.
I guess in some cases violent video games can increase violence
I guess in some cases violent video games can reduce violence
I think on a whole violent games do more good than bad.
It is a way for people to let of steam.
Nobody ever dares to attack Holywood. A while ago it was music. Now games. I guess bad parents are always looking for excuses.

Did you ever hear that case about the monopoly board game playing psychopath?
Probably because those acts seemed unrelated to the board game and...probably because I made it up, but you do get the point

bkk · Post by **bkk** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:47 pm

Arvandor · Post by **Arvandor** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:57 pm

When you consider how many millions of people play video games (violent ones at that), and how few of them have violent tendencies, it's hard for any rational mind to come to the conclusion that it is in any way related to the video games.

I won't deny the possibility that games might further screw up an already demented mind (though most things in life could just as easily accomplish this as video games), but video games are by no means the cause.

It's like blaming gun crimes on guns. Switzerland (or was it Sweden?) has proven that more guns =/= more crime.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:59 pm

I'd answer yes.

I think its been proven in the Columbine shootings. However, I also think its a combination of things with violent videogames being some of it.

Bad parenting
Violent TV
Bullying
Bad Environment
Peer Pressure
Mental Illness
Drug Use/alcohol abuse
Copycat criminal behavior

One or a combination of the above could cause one to snap.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:04 pm

JoshF wrote:To get anywhere near the real issue video games would have to be the subject of a paragraph of a larger report, after the war on drugs and metal, but before an analysis of Rudy Giuliani's post-9/11/01 career.

Have you been reading my old blog again?

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:09 pm

An unholy marriage of politics and shmups. Actually I was trying to sound smart like Rando or Ed or something.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:20 pm

I'd say it would make someone more violent if they're susceptible to it. Young children tend to imitate stuff they see, and if they see ppl beating the crap out of each other, they are likely to try it. Though, we shouldn't be letting the young ones and mental near the mature games in the first place.

I don't think anyone with enough sense (most healthy adults) will become a killing machine just from playing a game.

Post by **system11** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:30 pm

ROBOTRON wrote:II think its been proven in the Columbine shootings. However, I also think its a combination of things with violent videogames being some of it.

Crazy people who would use a videogame as inspiration for shooting up a school, would have just found another catalyst anyway.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:39 pm

Shinobi (and, later, Samurai Shodown) was certainly a contributing factor in my decision to pursue the ninja arts as my career of choice, so yes. I do make a point of defending the innocent, however.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:01 pm

I think that most people can discern the difference between what they're playing in video games and what's right and wrong in real life. Those few who can't, and act out the violence they see in video games are not the responsibility of the video game industry.

Of course, part of what goes into this is parental discipline. But parents in this country, at least, seem to think that it's everyone else's job to raise their kids, and it burns me to see that politicians are going along with this. I won't buy certain games because of the content in them, but that's SELF censorship; and that's what's needed-not government censorship. The video game industry does an excellent job of policing itself-how much more specific do parents and politicians really want the ESRB to get then "comic mischief"?! Parents who aren't involved in their kid's lives will never be satisfied.

Part of the problem, though, goes back to our culture of relativism. If there's no absolute truth, 2+2 can really equal 5 for a student, and we're all really just animals, then maybe it's OK to have sex with a prostitute and then kill her, etc.

At any rate, I don't see a clear connection, and my favorite quote on the matter (to paraphrase) was someone on Gamefaqs who said that "playing Super Mario Bros. doesn't make me want to jump up and hit my head on the ceiling."

That's pure gold!

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:25 pm

I'm going to be a Pokemon trainer when I grow up!

Please count the following:
- Number of violent crimes during the last x years where violent video games are said to be a contributing factor
- Number of violent crimes during the last x years where violent video games are not said to be a contributing factor
- Number of violent video games sold in the last x years

It's a load of crap and idiots love jumping to conclusions. Add that to being inherently statistically inept. From these three things alone you could actually draw an observation that not buying violent video games is co-related with violent crime.
Furthermore, co-relation is not causation. You cannot make a claim that violent video games cause violence with any statistical significance.

Tempest · Post by **Tempest** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:12 pm

In capitalist America, personal responsibility takes you!

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:15 pm

JoshF wrote:Actually I was trying to sound smart like Rando or Ed or something. :lol:

Welcome to the club!

But I agree, Rudy's career is one of the great tragedies of the nation post-9/11

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:46 am

http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/ ... olence.php

Haha- so they create 3 test groups. 1st one- rewarded for killing pedestrians. 2nd one- punished for it. 3rd- no pedestrians. And...HOLY SHIT- the ones that got rewarded for killing pedestrians-killed...more..pedestrians?

Wading through all this mess is painful. At least this article isn't as bad as the hundreds of "the 13 yr old who plays GTA will kill people someday" trash that's littered out there.

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:04 am

I'll say no.

The Columbine shootings didn't really demonstrate that violent games push someone to commit real-life atrocities. Sure, the killers were fans of Marilyn Manson and Doom. However, they already HAD violent tendencies before the shit hit the fan. Even without access to violent media, they still would've done something very heinous. What video games did the Zodiac Killer play?

Those who go out and emulate a violent act from a video game in real life are already messed up to start with.

CHANNEL 5 BREAKING NEWS
"High school student goes on a Denjin Hadoken rampage, electrocuting 5 classmates. We interview a survivor, who escaped by parrying all hits of this heinous attack and then used a Ryuukoranbu to subdue the perpetrator until the police arrived. Lawsuit being filed against Capcom by victims' parents. Get the full story on the Channel Five News at 5."

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:12 am

gameoverDude wrote:CHANNEL 5 BREAKING NEWS
"High school student goes on a Denjin Hadoken rampage, electrocuting 5 classmates. We interview a survivor, who escaped by parrying all hits of this heinous attack and then used a Ryuukoranbu to subdue the perpetrator until the police arrived. Lawsuit being filed against Capcom by victims' parents. Get the full story on the Channel Five News at 5."

Legendary.

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:41 am

I don't think kids should play overly violent video games. Over the age of 17 or so, I don't think they should affect you much.

s/m

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:16 am

Everyone play devil's advocate and vote yes.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:54 am

Pixel_Outlaw wrote:Everyone play devil's advocate and vote yes.

I'm afraid I did my knee-jerk reaction and voted 'no.'

I immediately regretted it, of course.

I wonder if people writing papers on this issue actually use polls on Forums to defend their theses, or if these supposed authors aren't just anti-games campaigners trolling for a reaction?

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:04 am

I wonder if people writing papers on this issue actually use polls on Forums to defend their theses, or if these supposed authors aren't just anti-games campaigners trolling for a reaction?

Lol..I wish I was that smart (to troll). I'm not neccesarily using the poll itself- the FBI has some good stuff I'd rather use- but I might make mention of this poll in my speech- and grab a few of the good posts out of this and see.

If you're really bored- I have a word doc of my speech if you want to proof read it : )

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:07 am

I didn't mean to accuse you of that, since I know you're a member in good standing. I was really just reminiscing about the 'good old days' on ForumPlanet when "researchers" posted video game violence topics at least once a week for a while.

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:40 am

haha- I know- no harm no foul. I don't frequent GameFaqs for that reason : P

I'm actually considering posting my speech here anyways after I present it- if nothing else, you guys can probably poke a little fun at it : )

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:21 am

People make people violent !!

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:25 am

When we were kids, me and my chums used to play SFII on the snes, and then beat each other up, trying our best to emulate the moves. I seem to remember I was always Chun-Li.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:49 am

Michaelm wrote:People make people violent !!

People who can't control themselves are violent ;)

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:53 am

I seem to remember I was always Chun-Li.

I believe thats possibly a whole other debate of its own.

shmups.system11.org

Videogame Violence- etc.

Violent videogames make violent people?

Videogame Violence- etc.