Topic: Violence in Video Games

What are your thoughts on the subject? Are video games too violent? Do you think they have an affect on violence in the people playing them? To what degree? etc.

MY THOUGHTS
If you ask me, while I don't think games necessarily cause violent/aggressive behavior, I think there is a certain breed that can, and it's not just exclusive to video games. If someone watches a lot of ultra gory slasher flicks, I'd argue that it'd also impact their behavior. I think one problem video games have though is that "gory slasher flick" violence is far too common. Games like Mortal Kombat are huge, but the level of violence is absolutely insane. And if people become accustomed to that I think it's a problem.

Now I'm not saying that it makes people serial killers or that it should be banned, but I don't think we can just say all video games don't cause any violence and be done with it.

I think it depends on who plays them. Teenage males (like myself) will probably be violent no matter what media they're playing or watching.

...I have found that I don't like violent games where what I'm killing is other people... I got Borderlands for free, and played it for about five minutes (I had no idea what the game would be like before I started playing), and then when I had to start shooting at people, I got this horrible feeling and was sick to my stomach... and I had to turn the game off and haven't played since. ...if I'm fighting evil creatures, or monsters, or zombies or something like that, it doesn't affect me in any way... but I couldn't handle shooting even just virtual people...

I kind of feel the same way. But only to a degree. I don't mind playing a JRPG where you sometimes have to kill your enemies. But I don't like something like GTA where you play as a criminal and you kill innocent people.

But then again I'm also one of those crazy people who builds death parks in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Maybe I have a double standard....

While I can play those games if need be, as time goes on I've found that I tolerate it less and less. It's probably a small part why I'm so enamored with Splatoon - all the crazy mayhem and competition, but zero violence.

It's the primary reason why I'm so tired of the MMORPG genre - I love the virtual worlds they they provide, but I'm so sick of my primary interaction with them being killing things.

Any kind of media, be it visual art, literature, film, video games, etc., will have somekind of effect on people. Often, that is the point. In the case of violence for entertainment purposes, I believe it can have a negative effect on a person. However, as SkywardLink says, it depends on the individual. It's throwing gas on a fire rather than lighting one. The majority of gamers who play violent video games will never become overly aggressive or violent. They may find some exhileration in the act of playing those games and possibly in the recolection of that experience, but does it cause average Joe to suddenly take a baseball bat to the neighbors do? No. Someone who would do that, already had problems before they got to the violent game. The violence in video games have been a political tool by lawmakers to put a face to the cause of violence. No one wants to say that little Johnny was a sociopath his whole life. People are looking for answers that don't blame the individual. The human race has been brutal to each other before electricity was invented. Violent video games are this generations Rock'n'Roll.

That being said, I believe there was a study done that showed those who played racing games were found to be more aggressive while driving in real life. (Of course, I believe you can get any study to reflect what you want if you contorl certain variables.)

All I can say is DUH. It's not just racing video games, it's any closed racing course. When you go Go-Karting, you become a more aggressive driver because that course makes it safe, and it takes a while to scale back down that mentality after you finish.

My point was that, acording to the study, a video game had an effect on the player that was carried into the real world. The implication is that other games could also have a similar effect.

@ZB42 Yeah, I pretty much agree 100% with you on this one.

Also the other thing to remember that the effect will be different on different people — you can't take these sort of things away just because a few people somewhere will have a strongly negative reaction to it. You can't punish everyone for the problems of a few.

I think the question is obsolete

No, the question as posed by the news media is obsolete. But Violence in games as a whole is a much more complex question that many gamers disagree upon. I mean, we all agree that they shouldn't ban GTA, but do you think there should be an additional ESRB rating or that they should be incorporated into government regulation? What about responsibility? Is it okay for a parent to give their 10 year old MadWorld?

The ESRB does make the distincition between graphic violence and lesser versions. I would say that younger kids should not play these games. It isn't necessarily because they could become violent in the future. It's more that they would be unprepared to handle the imagery. Giving kids nightmares is probably a negative. I would also say that around 10, the idea of separating fantasy from reality is still being formed. What about with teens? Should teens play these kinds of games when their hormones are out of control?

It does come down to parenting. Parents should know exactly what their kids are playing and judge accordingly.

I personally approach it from the angle that our society is becoming to desensitized to violence, and that's a Very Bad Thing. Allowing children access to violent video games will only exacerbate the problem.

I love violence in video games and I absolutely hate when the game gets 18 and it is still CENSORED! Like my old eyes are too young to see little blood.

What should be done about it is not additional rating or whatever, but actually checking age of the buyer or parent that really know what is buying. In some countries it is the law and kids don't get the game, but "just in case" they still censor 18+ game, which should not take place at all - it didn't take the rating this high to be consored, right?

Alright you have me a bit curious. Doesn't the level of violence in the trailer for Mortal Kombat 10 kind of bother you? The idea that you are simulating the dismemberment of a human being? I'm not advocating it's ban or censorship, but I'm just curious about that sort of taste.

I think Waltzelf posted this really great article once that pointed out that video game violence isn't that bad but that the industry's reliance on M-rated human on human murderdeathbloodviolencerealism was creepy in how boring it has become.

I generally agree with the idea that violence in video games isn't usually a problem because it is too over-the-top and silly to compare to actual violence.

I hate unnessary amounce violence like that's why i never play mortal combat, Call of duty etc.

I'm OK with like cartoon/fantasy violence(mario, sonic, FE etc.)

And i only like blood when its like a cut. Not like when a sea of blood is all over my screen.

Actually, those bandits you shoot in Borderlands are not too far of from evil creatures or Zombies to be honest. And i believe you can turn of the gore (in 2 you can at least, its been a while since i played the first)

And eh there's a time and place for violence.

I looked it up and I don't know if I watched the thing you meant - is the trailer with Sub Zero vs Scorpion? If yes, than no, it doesn't bother me at all. It was like that in previous mortal kombat, right?
I liked what they did in Metal Gear Rising, I really like that in Ninja Gaiden 2 on 360... To me it's just a game and I don't look at it like "simulator" - just something to just have fun with. I don't take games seriously, because they are not suppoused to be taken seriously. It's just a game. To me it is satysfing to see enemy blow to pieces. Yeah, it is gruesome, but like I've said, it doesn't bother me. I'm not offended that easly.