Gun obsession in video games

[Zachary Unkle]

"Guns don't kill people,people kill people. The gun just helps..."
Quotes aside,it's probably just because it puts them in a situaton of power and dominance that they normally wouldn't be in. I mean,can you say that you're a 7-foot tall super soldier from 500 years in the future fighting an army of aliens? Are you really a member of an elite British Task Force that goes on death-defying missions?

 

[teebeeohh]

a kitchen knife is also a tool that can be used to kill just like a gun since we all know(thanks NRA) that guns are not made to kill people but are only there to defend yourself

 

[OCAdam]

I actually find it not as enjoyable with games because they don't simulate weaponry all that well in games. Especially sniper rifles. Until you've fired a M91/30 (or just about any gun, but I felt like giving an example) and actually manage to grasp the finesse needed to have a well placed shot instead of a twitch reaction like in games (seriously... jerk shots like those you probably are doing in games are not even gonna hit the paper most of the time), then you won't know the feeling of actually making a good group.

As for fear of weapons... I may be odd to some, but the only reason I had a bit of fear when I first held a gun was because not that I was fearful of the weapon's power, but rather... it wasn't mine, so I didn't want to break it. Yeah, fat chance of that, but I still did have that in my mind.

Just always remember: no matter what, act like the weapon is loaded and any and all safeties are off, even if you know otherwise. Others may not know it. It's also good practice anyways. Safety first!

 

[LetalisK]

Being scared of a dormant gun is both irrational and unsurprising. We are scared of anything that has significant consequences when we are met with it for the first time, and perhaps a few times thereafter. But as we get more comfortable with whatever it is, especially with the reality of it instead of the fantasy of it, the fear goes away. Dating, losing ones virginity, skydiving, first job, etc can all inspire similar anxiety the first time around because we are treading into the unknown with nothing more than our fantasies, both good and bad.

As for the original question, it's because it's usually the fastest method of making the pixelated enemy dead.

 

[hutchy27]

I don't love gun I like seeing them nice points stack up. >
I held a real gun before, not load though, however I been paintballing.

 

[Heathrow]

a kitchen knife is also a tool that can be used to kill just like a gun since we all know(thanks NRA) that guns are not made to kill people but are only there to defend yourself

But that implies that defense is best attained by the removal of life? Is that philosophy no cause for concern, is it not better to forge a world in which no entity will have reason to be your enemy?

 

[LetalisK]

a kitchen knife is also a tool that can be used to kill just like a gun since we all know(thanks NRA) that guns are not made to kill people but are only there to defend yourself

But that implies that defense is best attained by the removal of life? Is that philosophy no cause for concern, is it not better to forge a world in which no entity will have reason to be your enemy?

That question implies that the fault of having enemies always lies solely on the shoulders of the person with enemies. This is not reality.

 

[deathspa202]

There was an extra credits episode that talked about this very thing, it was something about non-combat games if i remember correctly. However to digress I'm an avid hunter and my family owns lots-o-guns (not by my choice) but i hate shooters, i think maybe it has something to do with the fantasy of it all, everyone wants to be a hero or a gun totin' badass, in the same way every one wants to be a rockstar and thats one of the reasons that Rock Band and other rhythm games so popular.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Exactly. You already said why people like shooters, they get to do things they can't or wouldn't do in real life.

 

[Baby Tea]

After all, a gun is the culmination of the very worst aspects of human nature...

Well I completely disagree with THAT sentiment.
A gun is a tool as much as a hammer or a car. All can be wielded to deadly results.

While a firearm is designed to kill, so is a mouse trap. Also the worst of human nature?
I use firearms to hunt animals for food. I don't consider my shotgun a weapon. It's a tool designed for a tool's purpose. There isn't anything sinister about it, and certainly isn't the culmination of 'the very worst aspects of human nature'. That's a disgusting misrepresentation of firearms.

Knives have been misused by millions. Would you tie that in the same vein with firearms?
Cars kill thousands upon thousands every year. Both accidentally, and purposely.
People have been murdered with screw drivers, icepicks, nail guns, and pillows.

None of those things are weapons until they are used like one.
The same goes for firearms.

But just like any powerful tool, like a car, truck, nailgun, or power drill, education and proper care is always needed when using firearms. Any dumb-ass behind the wheel is just as dangerous as a dumb-ass with a gun. Calling firearms 'the culmination of the very worst aspects of human nature' is objectively wrong.

The tool isn't to blame for the wielder's evil, ignorance, or neglectful attitude.

 

[teebeeohh]

a kitchen knife is also a tool that can be used to kill just like a gun since we all know(thanks NRA) that guns are not made to kill people but are only there to defend yourself

But that implies that defense is best attained by the removal of life? Is that philosophy no cause for concern, is it not better to forge a world in which no entity will have reason to be your enemy?

even if there is no reason for anyone to be each others enemies people will still be cruel and kill each other.

 

[nuba km]

I'd say probably for the same reason violent crime has gone down over the last decade. People are using shooters to help releve stress and frustration, better to take out your anger on a computer game than someone in real life. This is just my personal opinion though, I have no reliable facts to back that up

I would agree with you but even though shooters are good to get your stress out games like prototypes which makes you a god amongst men is better for such purposes yet they are not as popular properly because I think people also want to show that they have skill or maybe the basic thrill of the hunt brings people to them.

 

[WanderingFool]

I wanted to pose a question to some folks on the forum. What, exactly, is so appealing about shooter games? And by that, I mean the shooting in general. I enjoy a good shooter as much as the next person but Ive sort of realized something since christmas. My dad bought a sidearm for christmas (its going to be his new hobby) and it was the first time I ever held a firearm. It terrified me. The clip was empty but the knowledge that I held something in my hand that could end a life really terrified me more than I thought it would. Probably a good percentage of people who play shooters are like me, in that they have never even held a real gun before, and yet there is a huge obsession with them.

So basically, why do you think there is such a love of guns in video games.

Well, unlike you, I have held, and used, guns before. I own a .243 bolt-action rifle and a 12 gauge pump shotgun. I have also fired my grandfathers .22 semi-auto and revolver. I have experience with actual guns, and can appreciate the danger that comes with them.

With all that said, it is not the guns that draws me to shooter games. There is a variety of different things that attract me to shooters, from unique mechanics, Multi-player, Story, and others. The fact that most are shooters is probably less coincidence, and possibly because they seem easy to get into (so many use the same controls it seems, play one, and your able to play 6 others, no problem.)

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

It's easy to say "Oh yeah, a kitchen knife could kill someone too. Guns aren't much different la la la la"

But I agree with the OP: I was on holiday in Arizona once and we went to a firing range for the craic. I fired a Glock-17 (the 'pop gun' of most FPSes -- I wanted to use a P90 but they advised me against it). The thing was so loud and exploded with such force, I thought someone had handed me a Desert Eagle by accident. It was incredible. There's nothing akin to it in everyday life. It was a highly sobering experience.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

Probably a combination of media conditioning and insecurity.

You could hold a letter opener in your hand though, or a teacup, according to Riddick, and possess the same potential.

 

[Freechoice]

I think this summarizes it pretty well. Tools of the trade, man. Tools of the trade.

Edit: Having reread the OP, it's some kind of Freudian fulfillment, I would guess. Most people can't handle a firearm, but the ability to do something powerful (in this case, pixelated murder/genocide) is intoxicating. Then you just go and shoot a zombie/alien/pirate with your average space marine or otherwise.

 

[Falseprophet]

Well, I held and fired real guns for the first time last week--including an Uzi and an assault rifle. And I have a much healthier respect for the power of firearms than I did before. And a little scared of how easily they handled, especially the Uzi. Time Crisis and Silent Scope could never have prepared me for the real thing.

But I've been driving for 18 years and cars end far more lives than guns do.

On the other hand, I don't like FPSes. The novelty wore off for me pretty quickly after Doom. I hate interacting with the world through horse blinders. An FPS only gets my attention these days if it does something interesting. I prefer third-person perspective for my games. I agree with the Extra Credits guys that far too many games centre around combat, and I'd like to see more variety, but I have nothing against guns in games per se.

 

[manaman]

After all, a gun is the culmination of the very worst aspects of human nature...

Well I completely disagree with THAT sentiment.
A gun is a tool as much as a hammer or a car. All can be wielded to deadly results.

While a firearm is designed to kill, so is a mouse trap. Also the worst of human nature?
I use firearms to hunt animals for food. I don't consider my shotgun a weapon. It's a tool designed for a tool's purpose. There isn't anything sinister about it, and certainly isn't the culmination of 'the very worst aspects of human nature'. That's a disgusting misrepresentation of firearms.

Knives have been misused by millions. Would you tie that in the same vein with firearms?
Cars kill thousands upon thousands every year. Both accidentally, and purposely.
People have been murdered with screw drivers, icepicks, nail guns, and pillows.

None of those things are weapons until they are used like one.
The same goes for firearms.

But just like any powerful tool, like a car, truck, nailgun, or power drill, education and proper care is always needed when using firearms. Any dumb-ass behind the wheel is just as dangerous as a dumb-ass with a gun. Calling firearms 'the culmination of the very worst aspects of human nature' is objectively wrong.

The tool isn't to blame for the wielder's evil, ignorance, or neglectful attitude.

Here I was trying to think of an eloquent response to that since I saw it, and I return to the thread to find that you have responded at a level I couldn't hope to achieve.

Thanks for putting to words my feelings on the matter exactly.

 

[Action Jack]

Guns are cool, real people dying isn't. In an FPS you'll never accidentally kill a family member or leave your gun somewhere a child will find it.

And if you do, they'll respawn (rimshot).

 

[Yopaz]

a kitchen knife is also a tool that can be used to kill just like a gun since we all know(thanks NRA) that guns are not made to kill people but are only there to defend yourself

And why do you need a gun to defend yourself? Because people with guns want to kill you. That's why we need more and bigger guns. Honestly, I live a place with pretty high crime rates and the worst thing I've experienced is being offered to buy drugs at many occasions. I don't fear getting shot, because hand guns are very hard to get by here, if it can't be used for hunting you can't normally get it.