So do you think RPGs like the BG series bring out violent attitudes in teens and young people?

Nope, I don't. I can understand how it people may think it can, but I personally believe that it is your upbringing, and something more "real" that has a larger influence (like films, for example).

Even if it does, I think it's a good thing. In today pussyfied world, you can't even have a good old fistfight anymore without causing 9 kinds of hell. We need something to help instruct us on how to be men. Wars and civil unrest/upheaval excepted, it could be argued that the world isn't nearly violent enough these days.

Sure you can, as long as the Law don't know about it. Ever heard of ultimate fighting, where everythin except eye gouging and jaw pulling is allowed. You can be a real man there, at least until someone kicks you in the marbles and make you whimper and cry. ;)

To the original question, anything as immersive as video/computer games are bound to effect you in one way or another. If it effects you enough for you to go out and kill someone is a whole different matter completely.

My video games do NOT make me violent. People who say things make me so mad and if they don't shut up about it I'll kill them.

LOL, Illumina! Personally, I think video games do the exact opposite of making us voilent. They are a good source to focus our anger and vent it in a calm and civilised way in which nobody is hurt.

EDIT: However, there are of course those few people who take everything too seriously, and who are obsessed with voilence. In those cases, they either have medical conditions or just need to grow up...

[ 04-09-2004, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: Jaradu ]

Surely games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor affect us in one way or another considering the realism in them, and they're all about running around and gunning down people.

Again, the vast majority of gamers doesn't kill people, but for a few unstable individuals it might, just might, trigger something deep inside their heads.

If violence videogame caused violence, wouldn't we see more videogame-like violence? Like folks going all Mario and jumping on others' heads..?

LOL, that's the beauty of Nintendo ;) ...

Actually, I would argue the opposite is true. There would not be violent games out there if there was not a demand for violence; if everyone wanted non-violent games, then the market would be flooded with them instead. Same thing with movies (getting more and more violent), television (ditto), etc. Does it have an effect? Sure. Seeing something over and over again desensitizes you to it, making it not as shocking, etc. But, those people that commit acts of violence after playing violent games were already heading down that path anyway, in most cases. But the big thing about the media is that it flows to where the consumers are, as do all businesses.