Oh, the Irony: Video Game Violence, Video Game Violence; Oh the Irony

[Val the Moofia Boss]

To all the wise people that helped me get so far in life but I was too much of an asshole to thank; to the elders who in their infitimable knowledge suggest that I shold stop playing violent video games before it's too late...

Video games do not make me violent! And if you say they do one more time, I WILL @#%&ING FIND YOU AND KILL YOU AND RIP YOUR HEAD OUT!!!

*clears throat*

Video games aren't getting more violent; but it's depiction is. Back in the late 80's and 90's, we had brutally violent video games where players were released out into the open with all the murdering tools they needed, and then ran everywhere painting petty red pixels across the world with axes and guns. But because we lived in the glorious golden age of pre-21st century gaming, we only saw it tiny littlepixels depicting universally indistingusiable cartoonish character gegtings painting in a few more little pixels of red. Which our moms got mad and yelled at us about. And no wise people gave a damn.

Now, fast forward to the depressing 21st century of gaming: where we have fully rendered, emotional characters shoving each other's head's into woodchipers, getting impaled in the back with chainsaws as their guts fly everywhere, and peope getting headshtted alk the time as tons of beautifily animated, convincing blood spatters everywhere; all in pathetic 2k resolution which shows us absoltely everything. But our moms are 100% okay with it. And Bill O'Rilley and all other wise old men are trying desperately to save this arrogant generation that is totally obssessed with the same exact Call of Duty game that comes ot every year, or the Grand Theft Auto clone that turns it's players int wannabe criminals. Seriously.

God save humanity. And logic.

WERE DOOMED!!!

[Duronos]

You made a thread about something that really doesn't even matter. Look we all agree that anyone who told us playing a lot of video games is a bad thing while they sit on their ass watching TV is stupid.

/thread

[Vespian]

Your parents giving you a hard time OP?

[Tech614]

Umm, actually there was people rallying against video game violence back in the early 90s. This started with Mortal Kombat, not within the last gen of games... How old are you dude? Because I have seen complaints of violence in video games in every generation since about 1990.

Bill O'Reilly also does have 1 solid point against games, which is the addicting nature of a lot of them. One of the few good points I have ever heard the man make. Video Games when treated like a hobby are just fine, but I have seen friends and family be consumed by video games and it destroy their lives all the same as meth or heroin could.

[Pull My Finger]

Violence in games is terrible, but you can't expect gamers to be able to get that. It's like explaining pigs that they stink.

[Deleted]

Guys who scream and threat in front of the computer/tv are less dangerous than those who never say anything and one day they shoot their boss because they got fired.

Video games are a way to unload. Being mature and keeping all inside is never the right way.

[Deleted]

Anything that derives pleasure can be addictive. It is only a problem if it negatively impacts your life or others.

[Tech614]

Anything that derives pleasure can be addictive. It is only a problem if it negatively impacts your life or others.

Except there is a big difference between games like say Assassins Creed, The Last of Us, Uncharted which are primarily story single playthrough experiences and games like Diablo, MMOs or even Pokemon and Animal Crossing which basically try to addict you and get you to put 1000s of hours into them. Most healthy minded adults know when too much is too much, but not every one is healthy minded, nor an adult. Games shouldn't encourage you playing as much as humanly possible to be good or get good as fast as possible, that is breeding addiction on purpose no better then a crack dealer on the street.

[Sliske]

Preaching to the choir

Whats next? you'll go to a christian forum and tell them satanists are bad?

[Graeham]

I do think that the problem goes two ways, not just one. Whilst a lot of the controversy surrounding video games is pretty silly and presented in the wrong manner it does have some validity as far as I'm concerned. A growing number of people are becoming desensitised to various forms of violence and it wouldn't be entirely foolish to link that i part to whether or not they play violent video games.

[Simmias]

Except there is a big difference between games like say Assassins Creed, The Last of Us, Uncharted which are primarily story single playthrough experiences and games like Diablo, MMOs or even Pokemon and Animal Crossing which basically try to addict you and get you to put 1000s of hours into them. .

there is no difference whatsoever.

[Tech614]

there is no difference whatsoever.

There is and I just described it. Just because you choose to ignore it doesn't make it disappear.

Grinding is a worthless tool put into games to breed addiction, it's a fact. Grinding doesn't take skill and grinding isn't good gameplay. The only point to it is deliberately padding the hours needed to see the content or get your character the way you want it. Giving games like that to a mentally unstable adult or a sheltered teenager is no better then shooting a heroin needle up their arm.

[zealo]

there is no difference whatsoever.

Actually there is.

Purely storydriven games without any choices required from the player often have very little replay value.

[Taurous]

Except there is a big difference between games like say Assassins Creed, The Last of Us, Uncharted which are primarily story single playthrough experiences and games like Diablo, MMOs or even Pokemon and Animal Crossing which basically try to addict you and get you to put 1000s of hours into them. Most healthy minded adults know when too much is too much, but not every one is healthy minded, nor an adult. Games shouldn't encourage you playing as much as humanly possible to be good or get good as fast as possible, that is breeding addiction on purpose no better then a crack dealer on the street.

They don't encourage you to play as much as possible, they give you the option to. You can play Assasins Creed till you die of starvation, doesn't matter what kind of game it is. People with addictive personalities get addicted to stuff.

[Tech614]

They don't encourage you to play as much as possible, they give you the option to. You can play Assasins Creed till you die of starvation, doesn't matter what kind of game it is. People with addictive personalities get addicted to stuff.

Assassin's Creed doesn't give you a reason to.

Mind = Blown right?

[Gheld]

To all the wise people that helped me get so far in life but I was too much of an asshole to thank; to the elders who in their infitimable knowledge suggest that I shold stop playing violent video games before it's too late...

Video games do not make me violent! And if you say they do one more time, I WILL @#%&ING FIND YOU AND KILL YOU AND RIP YOUR HEAD OUT!!!

*clears throat*

Video games aren't getting more violent; but it's depiction is. Back in the late 80's and 90's,

I'm going to stop you right there. Because I'm going to guess that you weren't actually there.

we had brutally violent video games where players were released out into the open with all the murdering tools they needed, and then ran everywhere painting petty red pixels across the world with axes and guns. But because we lived in the glorious golden age of pre-21st century gaming, we only saw it tiny littlepixels depicting universally indistingusiable cartoonish character gegtings painting in a few more little pixels of red. Which our moms got mad and yelled at us about. And no wise people gave a damn.

No. Games really have gotten more violent.

Now, fast forward to the depressing 21st century of gaming: where we have fully rendered, emotional characters shoving each other's head's into woodchipers, getting impaled in the back with chainsaws as their guts fly everywhere, and peope getting headshtted alk the time as tons of beautifily animated, convincing blood spatters everywhere; all in pathetic 2k resolution which shows us absoltely everything. But our moms are 100% okay with it. And Bill O'Rilley and all other wise old men are trying desperately to save this arrogant generation that is totally obssessed with the same exact Call of Duty game that comes ot every year, or the Grand Theft Auto clone that turns it's players int wannabe criminals. Seriously.

God save humanity. And logic.

WERE DOOMED!!!

You, sir, are why I support the ESRB ratings system and believe that it should be more strictly enforced.

[Vespian]

No. Games really have gotten more violent.

Definitely not, it just graphically improved so much, that the 1-pixel bloodsplatters now translate to HD Blood pools, which doesn't mean it's more violent, it's just more graphical. For DUH OBVIOUS reasons.

The main thing about computer games and aggression is the fact that it's short-term aggression. I vent in some games, sometimes I need venting after a game (like LoL), but I don't suddenly start planning massacres in malls, because a game taught me how to aim my cross-hair at another person. The whole planning and doing part, that's mental illness, not brainwashing by violent game.

[Orange Joe]

Definitely not, it just graphically improved so much, that the 1-pixel bloodsplatters now translate to HD Blood pools, which doesn't mean it's more violent, it's just more graphical. For DUH OBVIOUS reasons.

The main thing about computer games and aggression is the fact that it's short-term aggression. I vent in some games, sometimes I need venting after a game (like LoL), but I don't suddenly start planning massacres in malls, because a game taught me how to aim my cross-hair at another person. The whole planning and doing part, that's mental illness, not brainwashing by violent game.

So show me a game from the 80's that compares to GTAV.

[Digglett]

This isn't a blog OP.

[Vespian]

So show me a game from the 80's that compares to GTAV.

Really? Google didn't warn you before posting that question? First hit:
http://www.cracked.com/article_16530_a-history-violence-6-old-school-games-as-brutal-as-gta.html