Games = Violence ?!

[goodman528]

At a recent social gathering, I mentioned that I like to play computer games, and the guy next to me reacted with a disgusted look, followed by the remark: "so you like pumping a bullet into someone's head and watching it explode?" He wasn't joking. I was shocked that video games basically means violence to him. At the same time I found it very hard to explain how anyone who isn't violent could enjoy blowing someone's head off on a regular basis and think it's an achievement. Interestingly I only really play strategy games these days, and haven't shot a gun in a long time, but still I felt the need to defend all of gaming from a point of view a total non-gamer could understand.

So basically I said something like this: "Yes. I'm a very straight forward guy, if you upset me then you are gonna know about it. I think that's a lot better than people who are all nice and smiling on the surface but then try all sorts of devious things to get one over their fellow men."

Have you encountered this kind of prejudice before? And more interestingly, to some degree what he said is true! Right? How can you enjoy perpetrating this level of violence against human face? Part of the reason why I don't play much FPS or even RPGs any more is because yes, I do find the level of violent in those games unsettling.

 

[Mysterious Username]

I've got a few sarcastic remarks stored up for such an occasion.
My favorite is, "My preferred method for murder is jumping on things."

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Man am I glad I've never run into anything like that. I live in redneck central, and I've never even run into the fabled "all anime is porn" stereotype, let alone "all videogames are violent." I did once run into "R-rated movies are shameful," and I'll occasionally run in to a middle aged or older individual (like my mother, unfortunately) who thinks I'm too old to be playing videogames. Or watching cartoons. Or reading comic books.

That said, even around here, the younger generation is more forgiving. You'd be amazed how many anime fans and gamers I know in an area where you'd think the most fun to be had would be cow tipping. I guess most of us would rather watch anime and play videogames than do the really stupid rednecky stuff that makes up the majority of what there is to do around here.

 

[Kordie]

I prefer to fight ignorance with ignorance. Just find something the other person likes and say something equally ignorant about it. In most cases they say something along the lines of "no, not every fan of x likes y thats stupid". Some times they get offended in which case I mention "Oh I guess not ever fan of X likes Y eh?" in either case it tends to get the point across.

 

[BeeGeenie]

On some level he's kind of right. Not because video games are violent, but because human beings are violent and they express it through their entertainment.
Little boys play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, etc. They play with toy soldiers: GI Joe, Transformers, TMNT, etc. Think about it, what's more Interactive than your imagination? But it's not considered harmful because it lacks the graphic viscera of the real thing.

People have been making war movies for almost a century and old TV westerns had plenty of violence, though the level of graphic violence has varied over the years.
All of these are also ways in which people depict violence, but it's not usually considered as harmful because it's non-interactive.

I lost my taste for FPSs quite a while ago, they just don't hold any appeal to me, but is there that much difference in a RPG, or a strategy game where you send faceless minions to do your killing for you? Not really, but that's beside the point.

Violence is part of human nature, and video games reflect that. However, they could stop trying to make the violence so "hyper-realistic."

 

[WinstonJEC]

I find it kind of insulting that he would judge you so harshly based on a stupid stereotype that has been formed recently. In my opinion I think all of it is preference. Some people like sports games, RPGs, strategy games, fps, etc... But it doesn't make someone violent because they play video games. There has been cases where kids go on a grand theft auto kind of thing in real life but even if the game had something to do with it, it definitely wasn't the main reason they did those things on top of the fact that just because you play one violent game, that doesn't make you a violent person. I really hate when people stereotype you on false grounds when they know nothing about the subject. But like I said that's just my opinion.

 

[gunny1993]

Sounds like old ignorance from a world that didn't grow up with the internet and mother's word was the truth. If everyone was more objective and not so one sided all the time the world would be so much less annoying.

 

[In Search of Username]

Heh. My dad once said something to me about Grand Theft Auto just being mindless, pointless violence - while he was watching Die Hard. Was funny.

 

[kyogen]

Your acquaintance has apparently neglected to read any of the major Greek tragedies such as Oedipus Rex (as in--bad pun incoming--"Oedipus wrecks his own face"...on stage).

 

[Garrett]

In cases when someone's judging me based on no knowledge I try to respond while being as close to his wrong image as I can (being sarcastic prick and all). So in this case I would respond with something along this line: "Absolutely love it. Want to be my target practice in real life? I'll record it and send it to your family later so they will have a memento of your death. I can also add your eye as a bonus. But the second one I will keep for myslef. Looks nice in drinks. What do you say?"

In my country introducing yourself as a gamer gives more of a "Aren't yopu too old for video games?" response. And if you meet a gamer chances are at some point in conversation he will say "YOU'RE BUYING VIDEO GAMES?! O_O You do know you can download them for free, right?".

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

......The irony is, most of these "OMG GAMES ARE VIOLENT" people do stuff that could be BS'd to look bad too.

They like to watch football? "Oh, you like to see big hunky men dogpile each other?"

They like to drink? "Oh, so you like getting shitfaced and doing stupid stuff?"

They like to drive? "Oh, so you like to kill the planet and waste gas driving around doing nothing?"

And it goes on and on.

So that's why I try not to judge others.

I mostly get the "why are you still playing games at 24?" question, personally.

It's especially funny with my grandma. I'm there playing Terraria, and she's all like "Isn't this too young for you? (referring to the colorful and cute graphics)". Then, later, I'm playing Sanctum (A Sci-fi Tower defense FPS) and as I'm firing my giant artillery grade shotgun into aliens, she's all "How can you play this?! This is making you CRAZY! No wonder all the young people are so crazy!". I can't imagine her reaction to me playing...I dunno, Unreal Tournament or Amnesia or something. XD

 

[Fappy]

Heh. My dad once said something to me about Grand Theft Auto just being mindless, pointless violence - while he was watching Die Hard. Was funny.

Well I mean... John McClain is a true American hero after all. Can't deny that.

 

[Wayneguard]

I won't pretend that I do not enjoy violent entertainment and neither should you. Violence and conflict create drama and drama is the heart of entertainment.

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

Had the same problem with my grandma. Then I bribed her to sit down and play Portal 2.

She beat it before I did...

/headwall repeat

 

[thesilentman]

I had my Dad pissed at me for playing Portal 2. Cue me angry for two minutes and laughing my ass off after that as he watched a military documentary right after that. I get a lot of adults who think that every gamer is the stereotypical 12 year old playing COD and swearing on Xbox Live. (Is it 'cause I'm 15?)

It really depends on the game I'm playing at the time. People like them don't care if I play something graphically shitty (Minecraft, Mario) but they put their Moral Guardian hat on as I'm playing something graphically attractive like Assassins' Creed II or Just Cause 2.

Games do not equal violence, and since I'm interested (most of the time) in NOT starting a flame war, I usually say 'actually play (insert idealistic game that has killing; I run with ACII), and then tell me that it teaches us only to kill just cause.'

 

[Palmerama]

The annoying one I get when I tell someone I play video games is "so you play Call of Duty?" NO! The last Call of Duty game I owned was Call of Duty 2!
It used to infuritate me but now it just depresses me as the majority of people who don't know games wil just think of Call of Duty. I preferred it when it was Halo, or back in the old days when it was Mario or Sonic or Tetris. At least then there was variety to the generalisation!

 

[Windcaler]

I have, and I dont really associate with those kinds of people anymore. For me its usually the fallacy that Im to old for games (being 32) but I often counter with a bunch of game titles and why I think they are better then their book or movie equivilent. Im a very reasonable and pretty educated person so it usually ends there.

Sometimes it goes on though. If that happens Im content with severing ties with the person. I dont associate myself with anyone that adds needless stress to my life because of my hobbies. Im a gamer, I have been since I was 6 years old and I always will be. If a "friend" cant deal with that and take me for who I am then they arent really my friend and they have no place in my life.

 

[Palademon]

Man am I glad I've never run into anything like that. I live in redneck central, and I've never even run into the fabled "all anime is porn"

Funnily enough it seems that people actually need SOME experience with anime in order to say that, because otherwise they'd just assume it's like western cartoons. Experience like maybe accidentally finding some pictures on the internet. I've only had one person ask me that, and that was from secondary school where we had nothing left to cover in a maths class and one of my friends suggested watching Azumanga Daioh...to the whole class. They didn't take the idea seriously. They jsut thought it was a joke response.
Other friend on table: "What's that?"
Friend: "It's an anime"
Other friend: "Anime? Isn't that cartoon"
Me: "No!...That's Hentai"
Other friend: "Oh..."

Other people just assume it's all for kids because it's animated.
I actually have a friend who's a bit of an outcast, a gamer, and recently became a brony, and he still won't give anime a chance, and finds it reasonable to generalise all of it as cutesy stupidity. Please tell me this counts as irony, because I need a word for it, because it's delicious.

OT: Yes, I have experienced it. No one ever seems to see the ridiculousness in their own hobbies, such as sports, or movies. I had one of those moments where a perosn started laughing at me calling me crazy because I said wearing a uniform with someone else's name on it makes it a costume, and was saying if I wore cosplay everywhere people would think I'm weird, but wouldn't care about sport related costumes. They then proceeded to do that childish, primary school thing of aksing someone else's opinion to clarify, as if being the majority makes you right. They then went "Thank God, the world hasn't gone mad"
And I was like "No no no! YOU don't get to do that! YOU can't affirm sanity by being part of the majority. It's ME who has to find someone else to ensure I haven't gone insane!".

 

[FalloutJack]

No, because all my friends are gamers and my family is a bit more understanding. It helps that I'm a repeated advocate for how violent games are theraputic. Gaming equals fun. Anything else is someone looking for trouble.