The Necessity of Mature Themes

[Shadowbane]

Howdy y'all. I don't usually make threads but hopefully I found the appropriate part of the forums for it.

As part of academic work I'm doing for university, I'm doing some research into what makes mature themes in video games tick.

I figured I would ask the good folk (only the good folk, please) of MMOChamp for their feedback in a survey I'm doing for it to collect results, and similarly pose the question as a discussion. I know there's a good collective of all sorts of people here, parents, teens, students, probably some kids too - all of whom are bound to have some very different opinions which is great.

In relevance to this discussion, mature themes consist of concerning content descriptors outlined by the ESRB and PEGI, in order to immediately raise awareness on the content of a game that some players may find distasteful.

For example, why is it we take great pleasure or fun in ripping out someone's spine in Mortal Kombat? Why do some players take the evil options to blow up a city in Fallout III, or kill villagers in Skyrim? Why is it we enjoy driving on the pavement in GTA V and feeling the controller rumble slightly as I hit a lovely, juicy cluster of pedestrians (or is that just me?) This is all related just to violence of course - mature themes as a whole consist of a lot more. Racism, language and all that stuff.

It's a little less relevant for World of Warcraft as a 12+ game, but I'm sure you all play other games. If we wish to keep the discussion to World of Warcraft though, perhaps it's worth thinking about ideologies like relevance. Would Azeroth really be any better or worse if it was as .. well, graphic and crude as Westeros can be? Where is the blurred line between tasteful, artistic implementation of these themes as devices, and outright senseless garbage which doesn't contribute anything?

I leave the stand to you, and implore you to share your opinion on this survey to help me with my work :>

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/app/ren...esurveys%2Ecom


To start off with though, here's my take on it so far. Gaming is a relatively new form of media, and just like books, comics, films, TV, now it is video games that are thrust into the spotlight and criticised for their content. There is arguably more violence in these other forms of entertainment but they aren't focused on as much because they are far more passive. What has critics worried over the effect of these themes is that the consumer, the gamer, interacts directly with the game. They become the medium, the avatar, through which the game world is explored. It's one thing to watch a film where the good guy shoots a bunch of bad guys. But what about a game where you're the good guy, shooting a load of bad guys? What about the games where you're a bad guy shooting at good guys? Where does the right to be concerned start or stop?

A gamer can directly act out terrible things without fear of consequence, which might become a problem if they fail to separate the virtual world from reality. But there I think is the real problem - making sure that the boundary between these two worlds is distinct and clear enough so that anyone playing the games can clearly understand the difference between the two. Our tastes in entertainment evolve as we grow more mature, and devices like death and violence make good storytelling elements, which is why we can find it enjoyable. That is where I find the necessity is - making sure that these themes are tastefully balanced as part of the setting in the story.

[Simulacrum]

blah blah blah...

A gamer can directly act out terrible things without fear of consequence, which might become a problem if they fail to separate the virtual world from reality. But there I think is the real problem - making sure that the boundary between these two worlds is distinct and clear enough so that anyone playing the games can clearly understand the difference between the two. blah blah...

Yeah, people who aren't retarded can distinguish fantasy from reality just fine, at least as long as it's contextualized properly (you can make people believe fantasies if they're treated as real, but I'm pretty sure video games is not where this is the biggest problem).

If you're worried about the impact of fantasy violence on people's behaviour, then go protest your local church.

[Ninotchka]

You don't have anything in your survey about demographics - I put something like this in my response, but I believe that your survey is pretty meaningless for gamers over 40.

[Hraklea]

I answered the survey, but as I said there, it is hard to give you an accurate psychological analysis behind my game choices because:
a. I have no knowledge about psychology, and;
b. My opinion about myself is obviously biased.

[Frogguh]

I feel bad for anyone so brainwashed into antitheism that they have to bring up their nonsense in a question about video games, of all places. Not that anyone has done that here, of course.

Answering the question, I always felt bad running over pedestrians. SWTOR, any time I had the option to spare someone or kill them, I chose spare. I don't know what it says about my psychology that directing a bunch of zeros and ones to "kill" other zeros and ones makes me feel bad, but that's life.

[Shadowbane]

You don't have anything in your survey about demographics - I put something like this in my response, but I believe that your survey is pretty meaningless for gamers over 40.

I mocked up all the questions in a document and took demographics into account as they certainly are variables to consider. But I wouldn't say it's meaningless for gamers over 40.

Now I'm not 40, half actually - 20. But I know over that time, a 40 year old person - gamer or not, would have seen the gaming industry grow and at the very least would harbour some sort of opinion on the subject of necessity.

I answered the survey, but as I said there, it is hard to give you an accurate psychological analysis behind my game choices because:
a. I have no knowledge about psychology, and;
b. My opinion about myself is obviously biased.

Thank you :> and I suppose measuring a game's psychological impact on you is a strange thing to think about and perhaps it would have been better off leaving it out to avoid confusion. But I'm pretty certain that games have shaped my moral standing in some way - what I think is right or wrong, and the point of those questions is to gauge more information about how people have grown positively as a result of gaming. Of course you're bias, I don't think it's possible to be without bias. But it's still helpful because it confirms something.

[Vightnic]

As an adult my world is filled it mature themes winding their way through my days, the real world doesn't shy away from those moments. So when a game has to step around rating restraints to tell their story it ruins the immersion. I suppose if you're worried about people distinguishing between the real world and the fantasy world, this would be a good thing. I'm not worried about that, personally, so I like my media to only add elements of the impossible that spark imagination, rather than take away from what is already reality.

[Wyrllish]

Because at our heart human beings are primal animals. Anger, lust, etc are things every single person on this earth feel and many don't regularly get to act out or don't properly do so.

[The One Percent]

I feel bad for anyone so brainwashed into antitheism that they have to bring up their nonsense in a question about video games, of all places. Not that anyone has done that here, of course.

What does the belief or opposition of the belief in a deity have to do with video game violence?

[Asaya]

People are influenced by their environments and their basic needs. Regardless of the content, video games, movies or music, everyone has their vices. People don't become violent because of video games or movies. Our social environment (our friends and family) teach us to be civil and our acceptance is based on that.

The need to be accepted is a strong pull, and many have gone to extremes to be accepted. A normal person wouldn't risk losing their social status by acting on the influences of a video game. In all honesty, it doesn't matter what the media is. Whatever the social circle thinks is cool, the community will act that way. People will act like monsters if it means fitting in. Right now our society says violence is OK in movies, but you get a hailstorm when it happens in real-life and is on the news.

[Deleted]

I filled the survey out. I have no clue if this was what I was supposed to do, but what the heck.

I think it posed some reasonable questions, and it actually made me think abit for myself. I think you're going to have a hell going through all the text answers, however. Maybe try some graded answers? Like "do you attribute video games to developing your character?" 1-5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is alot. Makes it easier for you when you go through the data.

[bbr]

im not sure why question 1 is multiple choice.... ?

[Shadowbane]

im not sure why question 1 is multiple choice.... ?

I'm posting this over different websites, e.g facebook. Not everyone is a gamer so I thought I'd put that there to distinguish results between those who consider themselves gamers and those who don't.

[Deleted]

I don't get why video games must be the scape goat. TV shows and movies all have their share of sex and violence, yet the media don't focus on them (much like music artists emphasis those topics on their lyrics). Much of our society still sees video games as a little kids thing, so they think they are more susceptible to these mature contents.

Only lunatics can't differentiate between reality and the virtual joy and fun that exists in a game.

[PokemonHunter]

i see those games which uses mature artworks to promote and make advertisement of their games

i believe those games mostly sucks and low quality

instead of real in game images they use sexy artworks

[Dezerte]

I believe art should never be censored, or at the very least, there should always be an uncensored version available at all times. So I absolutely disagree with your conclusion, art isn't art when it has be censored.

[Blueobelisk]

I'm posting this over different websites, e.g facebook. Not everyone is a gamer so I thought I'd put that there to distinguish results between those who consider themselves gamers and those who don't.

I think he meant that for question one you can answer both yes and no, lol.

Did your survey.

[alzoron]

I'm posting this over different websites, e.g facebook. Not everyone is a gamer so I thought I'd put that there to distinguish results between those who consider themselves gamers and those who don't.

I believe that bbr was referring to the fact that you can choose both yes and no simultaneously. You're either a video games enthusiast or you're not. Unless you're anticipating quantum particles answering your survey it doesn't make sense to be able to check both yes an no at the same time.

[Shadowbane]

Ah right, a mistake on my part then. But I figure most people will only tick one either way. Thanks for the responses so far

[BHD]

cba to get into a discussion, but I did your survey. Good luck.