Do actual NONviolent videogames exist?

[Vitor Goncalves]

But isn't the idea of a competition like pong, where you're grinding your opponent into ping pong related dust and Tetris, which awards you for making blocks simply disappear still a form of violence?

And Machinarium has instances of violence in it. The player just doesn't necessarily perpetrate them...

well there are loads as violence requires use of force of any kind to inflict damage on a living creature. I think you are joining the concepts of violence and vandalization (the last one being damaging property).

 

[ottenni]

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiago.

WHERE!!!! Gah that game drove me mad.

 

[Ildecia]

I would say Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon.

 

[wildpeaks]

GUITAR HERO!

'Nuff said.

That's because the violence is outside the game, when you smash your guitar on the head of the winner

 

[Robert632]

All of those Brain age games , or whatever the hell they are called. I don't see much violence inmath .

 

[Downfall89]

FIFA?

 

[JEBWrench]

Now, I know this is a murky topic and all that, but I'm looking for some opinions from all of you out there. Is there such a thing as a truly nonviolent video game. And before anyone comes up with something like "Deal or no deal (now on PC)" I'd like to point out that I'm talking violence in quite a broad sense... And besides, that's not a game.

Myst. Though there is a ton of implied violence in the games. (And occasionally some actual violence.)

Spoiler

Brad Dourif taking out Atrus with a hammer is pretty awesome.

Been ninja'd on some of these, but...

- The entire city-building genre (except the ones with wargame elements like Caesar)
- The realistic simulation genre, games like Flight Simulator and RailWorks (including The Sims, which acts the part)
- Sports games...well, unless you think sports are violent. I suppose football and hockey dance around the line, but baseball, soccer, and basketball aren't violent sports.
- Puzzle games, as a general rule. Exceptions include Puzzle Quest and Portal.
- The tycoon genre, again, most of the time. Some tycoon-type games have light wargame elements (the Patrician/Port Royale series).

The above constitutes about 95% of my game collection. Really, except for Grand Theft Auto and Bethesda Game Studios' body of work, I don't play many traditionally-violent games.

May I please steal your game collection?

 

[Vinculi]

There are plenty of examples, and not just puzzle or sport games. Things like Flower, Endless Ocean, or many independent offerings fit the bill.

But the whole argument is pointless; once you start looking for violence in something like Phoenix Wright or Tetris I just get confused. You can argue that Pong is violent, but one if that definition of violence is applied to real life, how many people live non-violent lives?

 

[Tony2077]

i don't know that many since 80 or so percent of my collection is T-rated and M-rated games and the e-rated games have some violence in them

 

[Halceon]

But isn't the idea of a competition like pong, where you're grinding your opponent into ping pong related dust and Tetris, which awards you for making blocks simply disappear still a form of violence?

And Machinarium has instances of violence in it. The player just doesn't necessarily perpetrate them...

With so broad a definition, there is no action in the world, which isn't a form of violence.

 

[Borntolose]

Tetris. Very simple game, nothing gets killed. Also, Pong.

Damn, ninja'd.

What about the blocks that disappear?

OT: Well, uh, Bejeweled?

What about the gems that disappear?

Rhythm games are non-violent.

 

[Ekonk]

Dear Esther.

 

[JEBWrench]

What about the gems that disappear?

Rhythm games are non-violent.

Depends on 1) How competitive you are and 2) How drunk you are when swinging around plastic guitars and/or drumsticks.

 

[Erja_Perttu]

I once played an entirely puzzle solving game called Schizm. I think that counts.

 

[SimuLord]

Been ninja'd on some of these, but...

- The entire city-building genre (except the ones with wargame elements like Caesar)
- The realistic simulation genre, games like Flight Simulator and RailWorks (including The Sims, which acts the part)
- Sports games...well, unless you think sports are violent. I suppose football and hockey dance around the line, but baseball, soccer, and basketball aren't violent sports.
- Puzzle games, as a general rule. Exceptions include Puzzle Quest and Portal.
- The tycoon genre, again, most of the time. Some tycoon-type games have light wargame elements (the Patrician/Port Royale series).

The above constitutes about 95% of my game collection. Really, except for Grand Theft Auto and Bethesda Game Studios' body of work, I don't play many traditionally-violent games.

May I please steal your game collection?

You could hack my Steam account, but then I'd have to hunt you down and brutally murder you in your sleep, and it's probably better if you just spend the five or ten bucks a pop and buy those classic games yourself.

 

[JEBWrench]

I once played an entirely puzzle solving game called Schizm. I think that counts.

Schizm: Poland's revenge? That Schizm? The Sci-fi Mary Celeste story?

That game could be considered violent. From the rage of the puzzles in that bad boy.

You could hack my Steam account, but then I'd have to hunt you down and brutally murder you in your sleep, and it's probably better if you just spend the five or ten bucks a pop and buy those classic games yourself.

You keep your intelligent, well-reasoned suggestions out of this!

 

[Jandau]

Peggle!

 

[JEBWrench]

Portal

Not to contribute to the redefinition of violence, but Portal does have gun turrets and rocket launchers.