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Knife City - It's Not A Game |
Listed in: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, MMORPG, Nintendo DS Tags: Jonathan L. Freedman
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The London (U.K.) Metro Police recently released this video implying that violent gaming can cause violent behavior. Interestingly, the website doesn't actually make this claim - but the video can certainly be taken as an indictment of gaming. Is this fair? It's an issue that seems to come up again and again. The question is always a variation of "do the ways people act out online cause them to act out in the 'real' world?" The main concern seems to be that of violent games (which is nearly all of them) causing violent behavior.
Of course, we cannot single out gaming. The media in general is saturated with violence, of which gaming is only a part. Certainly, the kinds of violent images that have become so common in our society during the last 30 or so years have had a desensitizing effect (which is a whole other rant). But is there a direct correlation?
There are many problems, both logistical and ethical, in conducting a valid scientific study of this issue. According to Canadian psychologist Jonathan L. Freedman, there have been few studies of this phenomenon, and a scientifically rigorous study would require years, assigning test subjects to play certain games, then determining how to measure the effects - if any.
Dr. Freedman makes one interesting statement, however. He suggests that perhaps it is not the violence of games that cause people to act in aggressive ways, but rather that people already predisposed to violence find these games particularly attractive.
In my personal experience, I have found a moderate amount of "acting out" in a virtual world to be quite therapeutic, allowing me to "blow off steam" at certain prominent political figures, whom I have modeled in Sims 2. (I'll leave the "who" and "what" to your imagination).
The one issue that remains a mystery is why, if society is so concerned about violence in the media, does it allow violence to be taken for granted while holding a rigidly Puritanical neurosis about media sexuality (as happened during E3 2006)?
Is it not better to make love than war?
In any event, check out this video clip and decide for yourself.
Download: [Knife City]
Via UC Center For Cultural Policy
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Wanted cheat activated
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In relevant news, I'd like to point out two things that I keep particularly close by whenever I hear about videogame violence as a stimulant for violent activity.
One, (and it has been quoted before) is that violence shouldn't necessarily be considered a purely negative aspect of a videogame. Violence is a natural part of human interaction and society itself, and to neglect to portray that actuality is to neglect realism in itself. No, our concern shouldn't be to abolish violence in games, instead, we should be more adamant about the way we represent such violence, and about what impact violence has on ourselves and others.
Secondly, as it has been posted by the casually-sophisticated-yet-insightful magazine "The escapist" (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/35/9), history has naturally proven that even great societies fall to the problematic widespread acceptance of violence. It can be very well speculated, and with good reason, that the Roman gladiatorial "games" could have very well allowed the people to believe that "killing other humans [is] acceptable".
It's easy to forget that what's happening here and now is actually becoming a part of history, that "America" too is a society and a culture, and societies rise and fall with the rest of them.
Of course, gaming was and never should be the shepherds of moral decision. If games stopped providing violent content, people would inevitably seek it elsewhere.
More or less, it's just newscasters trying to find what I call "sensational media" and people who are too frightened to take responsibility for their own actions, in turn labeling the videogame industry as a scapegoat.
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whats next? This is your brain, this is your brain on GTA?
give me a break!
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Thank you.
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try getting run over in reality, i can tell you it doesn't just make your hands vibrate a little... (that's the controller vibration function by the way)
but then, in the usa so many people have guns and things, and they're like 'i have the right to protect myself'... but do they realise that they'd be taking someone's life? it just means burglars or muggers have to step it up and be willing to take their victims' lives, otherwise they may not live through it...
it's crazy, those videogame-violence activists shoudl asses their country as a whole before pinning any problems on games, sure it's hard to say that videogames have absolutely no effect, but couldn't they also be working the other way? i mean, if you get to go kill as many people as you like in the comfort of your living room why walk out the door and do the same?
is there any way of telling whether violent instincts can be satiated with videogames. i mean it's clear we have them as games which pander to wanton murderous rage are doing very well.
bah, what's the point? in the end a bunch of people who know nothing about videogames are goign to decide their 'fate'... and we'll all whine about it, then just roll over and do as we're told.
go democracy.
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They are filled with so much hate, violence, war, genocide whatever that it makes me sick. My 4 year old allready knows the difference between make believe on tv and the real world. Why does he know? because I have taught him. You see, I am his father, so he is MY responsibility. NOT the media.
Tootles
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but it is still linking popping out and killing someone with having been 'brainwashed' by videogames.
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p.s. Down with Chavs
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Go to Arizona where it is legal to walk around with a gun strapped to your hip. Maybe people would be less inclined to hurt someone else if they see someone with a gun to protect themself.
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Judge: Another dumbass ok well lets try and sue Rockstar games
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