Violence & Videogames

[Gangrell]

No way, saying that video games causes violence is a load of crap. I say they're the best way to let you take out your anger rather than going out and getting into a lot of trouble just because you lose your temper. I find laying the Smackdown on Brock Lesnar on a Ps2 to be quite relieving [img]tongue.gif[/img] So yea, I agree with Timber on this.

Just let me say, for the record, I do not care who you are, you can play games until you put a foot into your grave. If or when you get the idea when you're playing GTA or some other game and think to yourself, "Gee, I think I'll go on a killing spree and steal a few cars while I'm at it," you're insane to begin with.

[Ehrys]

Hmmm... this is an interesting topic... and one that has been vacillated over for hundreds of years in one form or another. A couple of thoughts:

Human beings by their very nature has always been driven by conflict (i.e., they need conflict inorder to thrive as a society). You can see this throughout history in relation to progress. Social pressures and violence drive humans to "struggle beyond their limits" inorder to survive. Therefore, it has been argued that violence is engrained within our very beings.

Ancient Romans and other civilizations used violence to soothe/ distract the masses (gladitorial combat) while "absorbing" other cultures/ civilizations by conquering them. Get the people to support you, give them what they want: violence... for some reason they love it. It holds shock value.

Today's world: sports. The more violent it is, the more attraction it has. Boxing. Wrestling. Hockey. Football (American). Rugby. Kickboxing. They are all very aggressive contact sports. Examine people's reactions when they're spectating. Interesting, no?

Violent TV or cartoons. Certainly desensitization mediums for the teeming masses. Although *we* know it's not "real," the effects on us are the same. However, what is different is each person's mental affinity.

Violent games: how much of an effect do you feel this has on us as a society, when you think about the aforementioned from an integrated perspective? Violent games are used by the military to desensitize soldiers and teach them strategy. Violent games are used to excercise aggression and stress from people. People *want* more thrill/ shock value... thereby seeking out levels of increased violence to overcome their desensitization (to continue to *feel* alive).

Extension: guns and cars. A gun is categorized as a weapon. A car is not. They serve two different purposes when created. However, driven or used by a human, whose very nature is engrained in violence and whose actions are dictated by their mental and psychological state... gives the gun and car the increased potential as mediums towards violence.

So... in the end, I think the question we must all answer is: when is enough, truly enough, or are we destined to expose ourselves to increasing violence towards saturation or extinction?

Yawn... time to go to bed.

[The Hierophant]

Videogames affect your beliefs and your desires. Well, at least the good, immersive ones do. Just the way a good book or film can change your outlook or beliefs, videogames have the potential to do the same.

Now, people who are naturally predisposed toward violence are more likely to act upon their fantasies garnered by simulated butchery present in most computer games. Even games such as Baldur's Gate which try their best to promote a moral dilemma and define between good and evil still force the player to hack, stab, shoot and slice their way through a myriad of opponents in order to progress.

Now, individuals who find it difficult to differentiate between reality and fantasy (paranoid schizophrenics, narcissistic sociopaths etc) are more likely to have this simulated violence affect their actions in the real world in a negative fashion. However, MOST people are able to switch off their mind's suspension-of-belief, fantasy mode when they stop playing the games and return to behaviour that is acceptable in the 'real' world. It is the few who are unable to leave game behabviour in the gaming world that give other game-lovers a bad name.

[SomeGuy]

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

So like... if that happened... would coins pop out of there asses? Seriously though, games doesn't cause violence. It's the idiots out there who can't seem to take the blame that society is messed up and have to blame it on someone else. It's pretty much OUR fault why violence is so big.

[Arledrian]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: Videogames affect your beliefs and your desires. Well, at least the good, immersive ones do. Just the way a good book or film can change your outlook or beliefs, videogames have the potential to do the same. Now, people who are naturally predisposed toward violence are more likely to act upon their fantasies garnered by simulated butchery present in most computer games. Even games such as Baldur's Gate which try their best to promote a moral dilemma and define between good and evil still force the player to hack, stab, shoot and slice their way through a myriad of opponents in order to progress. Now, individuals who find it difficult to differentiate between reality and fantasy (paranoid schizophrenics, narcissistic sociopaths etc) are more likely to have this simulated violence affect their actions in the real world in a negative fashion. However, MOST people are able to switch off their mind's suspension-of-belief, fantasy mode when they stop playing the games and return to behaviour that is acceptable in the 'real' world. It is the few who are unable to leave game behabviour in the gaming world that give other game-lovers a bad name.

Exactly right.

[DragonSlayer25]

Deos anybody have any problems with me quoting them in a research paper. I will not be using your real name, just your screen name, unless you say otherwise.

[Zuvio]

There's violence in videogames? What.... aggressive pixels?

[Timber Loftis]

Um.... I've noticed that Ninja Gaiden makes me violently aggressive toward my poor little controller. [img]graemlins/erm.gif[/img]

[Xen]

They do affect us. But the question here is in what way? BG series and even better Planscape:Torment is about using your own brain. Based on that you can learn to look things from diffrent wiew and gain wisdom. It also makes your vocabulary better. Movies? IMO movies are similar. It`s all about how you choose to see it. For example:American History X or better Training day is a "violent" film(s). But it makes your beliefes diffrent if not better. You can really learn a lot from this particluar film. It makes a lot of truth of how it is in today`s social system and problems in society.
Also you might want to look at this thread started by me:Games (and violence).

[ 04-13-2004, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Xen ]

[pritchke]

What about Bugs Bunny?

[ 04-13-2004, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]