Columbine.
Dark Knight.
Sandy Hook.
All of the people who caused these horrific events had one obvious thing in common. They loved video games. With the Columbine shooters, researchers even say that they got a part of their shooting technique from the games they played. Supposedly, they would reload their guns with ammo still in the clip. This is a common thing in video games, but not in the military or by recreational shooters.
Okay, so video games were an influence in how they carried out their bad decisions. The violence that they viewed and took part in via the screen had an effect on them. But this does not give the picture shown above any more truth. Gaming was by no means the cause of their actions. People are bound to take in influences from everything they experience. Along with being gamers, the Columbine shooters were suicidal and homicidal. Playing video games any less would not have changed the course of their actions. (For more on their diagnoses, read here)
In fact, by blaming video games for pushing those who commit violent actions to the brink of their sanity, it seems as though people are trying very hard to move responsibility around. Why just admit that a person is messed up when it can be at the fault of the media? Why should one person have to be called "crazy" when clearly they only like shooting people because they play first person shooters? Who cares that thousands of other people play those games too?? Naw. Obviously all of those thousands of people are just one more round away from reaching their breaking points as well. It's only a matter of time.
Really, my point is that the presence of violence within video games does not encourage actual violence any more than the many other platforms by which gruesome content is displayed. I do not necessarily think that violence is needed in games. I would be fine if some of the gore was taken out, as I mainly play games for other aspects. In fact, in one article by Laura Sanders, she shares, "A survey of two groups showed that excluding violence didn't diminish players' enjoyment of the game." Citing several other studies, Sanders tells that in circumstances where the graphics of blood in games were changed to a sort of goo, gamers did not report to enjoy the games any less (Sanders). Overall, the violence hardly mattered. Players liked games because they were drawn to other elements of play involved.
Writer Todd Martens has his own very interesting view on violence in video games, "There are Cuban soldiers in the latest “Call of Duty,” but they’re obstacles — the military game equivalent of a barrel in “Donkey Kong.” Only here, you press a button to shoot instead of pressing a button to jump." (Read Martens' full article here) His whole idea is that because the violence in games is so quick, it doesn't actually leave any lasting effect. The player is just pushing buttons, and with little thought comes little consequence. I don't know that I totally agree with Martens, but it is an interesting idea. Really, violence in gaming hasn't changed. The imagery that comes with it has. Which further supports my point that video games should not be receiving any more blame than say, movies or TV.
Don't like what you see on screen? That's fine. Change it. But do not claim that those who play video games only do so in order to kill. Do not try to say that because my friends and I play games, we are more likely to do awful things then your friends who do not play. Because that is simply ridiculous.
Sanders, Laura. "Gamers Crave Sense of Control: Feeling Competent Matters More than Violence, Blood."Science News. 14 Feb 2009: 14. Web. 2 Mar. 2013.
In fact, by blaming video games for pushing those who commit violent actions to the brink of their sanity, it seems as though people are trying very hard to move responsibility around. Why just admit that a person is messed up when it can be at the fault of the media? Why should one person have to be called "crazy" when clearly they only like shooting people because they play first person shooters? Who cares that thousands of other people play those games too?? Naw. Obviously all of those thousands of people are just one more round away from reaching their breaking points as well. It's only a matter of time.
Really, my point is that the presence of violence within video games does not encourage actual violence any more than the many other platforms by which gruesome content is displayed. I do not necessarily think that violence is needed in games. I would be fine if some of the gore was taken out, as I mainly play games for other aspects. In fact, in one article by Laura Sanders, she shares, "A survey of two groups showed that excluding violence didn't diminish players' enjoyment of the game." Citing several other studies, Sanders tells that in circumstances where the graphics of blood in games were changed to a sort of goo, gamers did not report to enjoy the games any less (Sanders). Overall, the violence hardly mattered. Players liked games because they were drawn to other elements of play involved.
Writer Todd Martens has his own very interesting view on violence in video games, "There are Cuban soldiers in the latest “Call of Duty,” but they’re obstacles — the military game equivalent of a barrel in “Donkey Kong.” Only here, you press a button to shoot instead of pressing a button to jump." (Read Martens' full article here) His whole idea is that because the violence in games is so quick, it doesn't actually leave any lasting effect. The player is just pushing buttons, and with little thought comes little consequence. I don't know that I totally agree with Martens, but it is an interesting idea. Really, violence in gaming hasn't changed. The imagery that comes with it has. Which further supports my point that video games should not be receiving any more blame than say, movies or TV.
Don't like what you see on screen? That's fine. Change it. But do not claim that those who play video games only do so in order to kill. Do not try to say that because my friends and I play games, we are more likely to do awful things then your friends who do not play. Because that is simply ridiculous.
Sanders, Laura. "Gamers Crave Sense of Control: Feeling Competent Matters More than Violence, Blood."Science News. 14 Feb 2009: 14. Web. 2 Mar. 2013.
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