Video game violence, is it really a big deal?

[Fierce Omen]

Yes we all hate Jack Thompson, but he's not what I'm focusing on here. The truth is, his thoughts on gaming and the affect it has on communities and their children has blown so out of proportions that it's got the government involved. There is an obvious simplicity to all this. But before I get to that I want to rant on about how stupid I really think these parents against media based violence are. Let's face it. We like violence, I admit it I like to see someone who really deserves a butt kicking to get a really huge butt kicking. But I'm I a violent person? NO! I wouldn't hurt a fly! (My fly-swatter does that). My point however is that I don't even have a traffic ticket. I've done nothing wrong in the real world where as, on the contrary, I've done nameless and countless sins on the basis of playing video games. Shooting, hacking, sawing, the lot. The majority of our population sees violence as a normal basis for day to day life. And it's because we are race of people who've been living it for millenniums. It doesn't mean that because I played GTA IV I'm going to go out and steal somebody's Porsche. It's not because I lobbed somebodies head off I'm going to grab a machete and find some random dude and hack him to bits. I'll be lucky if I get off my butt to go socialize in real life. (Which I do, I'm just pointing to the hardcore gamers). My point is this. There are these things, with movies and video games, they are called ratings. LEARN THEM. If you don't want you're kid playing games that promote violence then take an obligation as a parent or guardian and be responsible by learning these rating systems, they are not hard. The government doesn't have to hold everyone's goddamn hand. I get so tired of hearing these stories of how certain countries ban games because of what parents say about their content. And while I know there is a fine line between what kind of games are made, (such as running over pregnant women and watching the baby fly out, yes, they actually have a game out that did that), my synopsis is this. If it happens in daily life, then get used to it being used as a media option for plot or story influence. I don't care if it's drugs, blood, gore, sex. There is a rating system that these mothers and Jack Thompson for all he's worth to get used to. I think it's really funny that parents point fingers at the gaming industry for allowing little kids get away with purchasing a M+ rated game when it's the parents responsibility to keep track of what their children are doing. Any way, I jotted this up because a 4th grade teacher got on my nerves about it over gamespot when I replied to a relatively civil discussion about a similar issue.

[Admin Nigel]

I agree. The government has no need or right to say what is or is not allowed. However, I do feel like the rating system is lacking. There are games out there that don't fit well into today's very broad categories, and I can see parents having a problem with that. However, generally what you hear about on the news is parents ignoring the ratings and the warnings, or being too ignorant to realize that they exist, and buying these games for their children. Then they blame the gamers and the game studios for unrelated violence.

Sure, there are people in this world who are affected by the violence in video games, and some of them have done horrible things, but there are an equal number if not more that have done just as horrible things on the basis of the music they listen to, or the movies they watch. However, we see far less "public" outcry about these media types. What about the guy who rapes and beats an innocent woman after listening to *certain* rap (not all rap condones this, however it's a stereotype I'm using as an example). Or what about all the violence and unrealistic expectations/situations in movies? If video games are going to be blamed, in all reason, we must also consider these genres.

And like these genres a video game is a piece of art. Some person/persons spent a lot of time, and poured a lot of their heart and soul into developing that game, whether the reasons be for money, or for fun, they did. Just as any painter, or musician, or movie director. The government shouldn't (and most the time (as per my experience) doesn't) censor art.

That's my two cents.

[Fierce Omen]

I know! What a lot of parents are misunderstanding is that the content within a video game may appeal to people who are older. Because a lot who was there during development may fall around the same age group. Me personally? I don't care if it's an E rated game, if it's good and follows my taste I'll buy it. But I know the rating system, and have since I was a kid. And as always I always needed a parent available when I wanted a game that I couldn't get because of how old I was. When RE4 came out for the gamecube I had my step father there to get it for me. I see so many industries out there trying to get people in the know about the rating system because parents have made such a BIG DEAL about it, you know? It's ridunkulous. People may be influenced by things, but it doesn't make a difference because it was there decision to do it. What I'm trying to say is it's like the chain of events. If somebody did this, it's because somebody did that, and so it's that who is at fault. It's just like when they say it was because of Dooms map creator that a kid was able to recreate a mimic of a school and shoot up later in real life. NO! The kid decided to shoot up a school. That's what's at fault. He could have accessed any material he wanted over the web and pulled off the same scheme. To be honest, the internet is a lot scarier then anything put together because of it's access to every media system that we talk about, games, music, video, etc. It's all there on an easy access browser, and yet the hype about games and there content seems to be more of a concern to parents then that? I bet you I could look up bomb and come up with a couple of sites that will give you the knowledge you need to build one. It's out there. And I think it's bull that people need to be so blind as to look into one thing and see it for it's flaws rather then to have a more open mind about things, you know? It's an all too common to see people tackling video games because of their 20 years of success. Like you said, it's an art. And people only want to see it as something worse.

[Admin Nigel]

That's precisely true. If someone is going to / wants to do something, they're going to do it, whether there's a video game / song / movie depicting it or not. People are going to use the tools available to them, to do whatever they want. That doesn't mean it's the tool's fault.

If someone kills another person with a wrench, you don't blame the wrench. I hate to make this transition, but I feel like it poignant. The same thing applies to guns. As the saying goes, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." People will use whatever tools available to kill each other. To be honest, if I were to be murdered. I think I'd rather be shot, than be beaten to death by a wrench.

The way I see it, it's the parents are realizing they don't like the content THEY BOUGHT for their children, and trying to pass the buck and claim that they're not the ones at fault.

[Fierce Omen]

I think you are on the same page. lol. But yeah video games are awesome, and I don't think even the hand of god can stop their reign over the media industry.

[Admin Nigel]

I agree, there's really no stopping it, but it would be nice if all the idiots in the world would stop bitching about stuff.

[Fierce Omen]

Undoubtedly. But in it's unfortunate grand view the world is nothing but full of idiots. If only there was a cure for this on-spreading disease...

[Admin Nigel]

If only... but then the issue would be how you compared to Hitler. Just instead of jews, stupid people, and frankly, I think there are likely to be a lot more stupid people than jews....

[Fierce Omen]

Are you kidding? Stupid people could be anyone, that's how unorthodox it is. It couldn't even be you or me, granted, I think we are both far from ever incurring such a parasite as stupidity. Fortunately for us, it isn't to hard to mimic it's symptoms. In fact it's rather easy considering, which is probably why most people are stupid in the first place, because more times then not they are often lazy too. haha.