Question of the Day, June 28, 2010

[MonsterZero74]

I think in a philosophical sense, yes, it definitely influences our perception of violence. Just as the Madden games influence our perception of football and the Guitar Hero games influence our perception of music.

When something is experienced in a game, (as frivolous as a video game "experience" can be at times) our perception of the game's real-world experience cannot help but to be influenced.

Does video game violence make people more violent? No, definitely not, no more than Madden makes a 12-yr old boy into the next Walter Payton/Jerry Rice and definitely no more than Guitar Hero makes that same kid into the next Hendrix/Van Halen/Clapton.

MZ

 

[nick n stuff]

i've never shot anyone...i think that's proof enough

 

[Wandrecanada]

I'd like to think that getting mugged or beaten up at school or seeing actual violence done to other people or animals shaped my view of what real violence is. No violence on TV, in movies or in games has ever looked remotely real to me. I always feel like the people making fake violence have never really seen real violence before and often get the visceral feeling of it wrong.

 

[ninja555]

Most people can see the difference between violence in video games and in the real world.

 

[Enzeru92]

I've been unchanged by video games I still think normally like any other person

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I believe that video games have a lot to teach us about violence. In most games, the player is given immense power, and can use that power to harm and kill enemies. However, that is not all you can do. In many games, there is a stealth element which allows you to bypass particularily messy fights with minimal loss of life, illustrating the power of calm patience. Also, mostly in RPGs, the player is presented with the option to save or protect friendly NPCs. Although they may use violence to do so, the game is showing how assisting others can be far more beneficial than killing others. In fact, most games try to give the player more than enough reasons to resort to violence, often staking the fates of millions of innocents on your actions. Games like these, I believe, are far more constructive than games where killing for fun is the only objective.
The fact is, people will always need violence. If they can't find it in harmless games, movies, or books, then they will commit acts of violence in the real world. I believe that if we are careful, violent games can not only sate our primal call for blood, but also show us how destructive power can be turned to constructive purposes.

 

[paragon1]

You know, if "not accurately depicting violence" is the problem, then the scourge of all mankind is in fact LOONY TUNES.
Or maybe these guys.

 

[Zydrate]

Not really.
My parents taught me pretty well. I know the difference between real and fake.

 

[Nouw]

It depends on the person and game.

 

[GLo Jones]

They definitely do, but not any more so than anything else in our culture. The sooner people drop the subject entirely, the better.

 

[Blueruler182]

First sarcastic remark: You're going to ask a gaming website what it thinks on the issue of games making people violent?

Second sarcastic remark: We care about the opinions of a rapper on a psychological subject now?

Does this seem like anyone else to be a troll thread? I mean, I know it's a guy who's running the place putting these up, but putting up a thing in front of gamers saying "this chick is against video games" is like putting bait in front of a fish.

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

It has desensitised me to many things, along with other horrible webpages such as 4chan and even mainstream media like the news. Games probably expose us to less horrific events than the daily news does, and that isn't constantly trying to be banned and censored. But that's a whole other argument.

But there is a difference between being indifferent to seeing violence and starting to merge fiction and reality. People who are effected by various media so badly that they believe that they and other people have things like "lives" or that death isn't real are already unhinged and were probably on the verge of committing whatever horrible act they did that was blamed on the games.

 

[Kawatoo]

I've been playing video games since I was 3 and I have never been violent because video games have influenced me. So in the immortal words of X002 No,No,No,No,No

 

[Littaly]

To a certain extent yes, at least for me.

I realized it (at least partially) today while watching Saving Private Ryan. When you spend a considerable amount of time shooting and killing faceless bad guys it's easy to loose perspective on killing. I mean, I know killing people is horrible, I'm as afraid of loosing my life as the next guy, and I (probably) wouldn't even consider taking one. I know this, but it takes an effort for me to really feel it. Maybe it's just human nature, but I can't help but feeling that all those hours of Red Dead might have played a part too.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Every work of fiction can affect someone in a different way. The only variable are humans.

 

[MasterSplinter]

I think violent media makes me more aware of the ins and outs of violence. But any media about any given subject has the same effect on the subject it deals.

For example i would have never imagined how it might look like to be stomped to death by an angry crowd until I played L4D.