I want your opinion on Violence in video games.?

Question

Hey guys,
I have a speech essay im working on right now about Violence in the media.

I want your opinion on the most drastic outcome from playing a video game interfeering with the real world that you have heard about, or even seen first hand.

Example: Someone playing Grand Theft Auto, than going out and killing a prostitue.

Please help me out because an outside source would greatly help me with this paper.
Thanks alot guys!

Answer 1

Over the last decade, video games have become an integral part of American culture. Violence is a prevalent factor in many of these games. An increasing number of people are becoming concerned with this violence, and its possible effects. However, many other people feel that video violence does not have harmful side effects, and is instead a healthy outlet for aggression. As we enter an age made from computers and filled with video realities, determining the effects of violence in video games is becoming increasingly important.

Who is Affected?
In 1990, Nintendo alone sold over 7.2 million Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) control decks, 60 million game packs, 3.2 million Game Boy portable hand-held units, and over 9 million Game Boy game packs. Today (1992), over 33.3 million people own a NES. The mainstream gaming market also includes several other companies, including Sega, SNK, Turbo Technologies, and Atari. These companies have sold millions of their own control decks and games. As a whole, the video game industry will take in over 5.7 billion dollars in sales this year alone. It is estimated that one in three American households owns either a home video game control deck or a home computer system. In addition, there are countless coin-ops scattered through malls, movie theaters, and grocery stores across the United States.

How Violent Are Video Games?
A majority of games include punching, kicking, whipping, shooting, or otherwise killing the opponent in order to win the game. Such violence may be directed against inanimate objects, imaginary creatures, or, even, other humans. Even many of the sports titles include fight scenes, such as Blades of Steel (NES), Skate or Die (NES), NHL Hockey (Genesis), and Combat Basketball (SNES).
One parent's group, the National Coalition on TV Violence, recently did a study on NES games. They found that 70% of the 150 games they surveyed contained high levels of violence.
As we enter the era of 16-bit machines, increased graphic capabilities are allowing for more gory and realistic violence. Titles such as Splatterhouse (Turbografx-16, Genesis), Slaughtersport (Genesis), and Technocop (Genesis) exemplify this type of violence. Technocop even includes corpses with twitching hands left on the screen after the player defeats the enemy. With the added development of full motion video on CD-ROM, we may soon see laser disc quality gore in some titles.

Why Is There So Much Violence?
The answer appears to be simple. Violence sells. According to Ken Wirt, assistant vice-president of NEC, "Violent games are the most popular because the people who spend the most money on games are boys ages 10-16." People enjoy the action in violent games.
In fact, the American audience in general craves violence. Between 1952 and 1964, television saw a 90% increase in violent programming. Advertisers and producers created more violent shows because it quickly became apparent that Americans would sooner watch something violent than something non-violent. Video game marketers use the same strategy.

What Are the Effects?
With so many games that reward children for killing their opponent, it is no wonder that people are concerned. Many parents worry that such games may not only cause tension and restlessness in their children, but even violent and aggressive behavior. Professor Eugene F. Provenzo states "People do not realize that the computer is not neutral, but in fact channels us and frames our view of the world. There are no conscientious objectors in the world of video games."
Most mental health experts, however, do not feel that video games encourage violence or criminal behavior. Steven Silvern of Auburn University has done two in-depth studies and has found no link between video game play and aggression.
Scott Dagenfield, MA, CCDC3, of Columbus, Ohio, also feels that video games do not encourage aggression. A game player himself, Dagenfield sees many adolescents who are avid video gamers. He states that these individuals are no more violent than any other adolescent that visits him. These individuals are, however, often less engaged in activities and the world. The problem, Dagenfield believes, is when players become too involved in the game and the video fantasy becomes a replacement for the real world. When video games become an exclusive source of emotional gratification and personal self-esteem, they become an addiction. This is not healthy. In certain cases where an immature person has become involved in this type of "fantasy living", Dagenfield believes that the "rewards for death" could be translated to real life. But, for a normal individual who plays games in moderation, this is not a problem. Dagenfield states that playing Splatterhouse clearly is not going to make anyone into a mass murderer.
A few people even believe that violence in video games can be used in positive ways. It can spur discussion, or allow children to understand war better. David Surrey of St. Peter's College, New Jersey, feels that video games are representative of certain parts of the American psyche--xenophobia, competition over cooperation, and so forth--to such a degree that he is studying how video games can help immigrants assimilate into American culture.

How Are Manufacturers Responding?
Nonetheless, many people are still very concerned. Video game manufacturers are not unaware of these concerns. Nintendo is careful to use softer words such as "defeat" or "destroy" versus "kill" in its instruction manuals.
Sega places warning labels on some titles, such as Technocop. These labels give some indication of the content of the game and age groups for which it may not be appropriate.
In addition, many companies censor their home titles. NARC on the NES is far less violent than its arcade counterpart. The Japanese release of Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo requires the main character, Simon, at a certain level to cross pools of dripping blood. In the American release, the blood has been changed into dripping green liquid. Even the blood on the title screen has been removed.

In Conclusion...
Violence, at this point in time, is definitely an intrinsic part of video games. Many of the newer games are becoming even more violent and more realistic. As the violence increases, so does the concern of parents whose children can more readily recognize Mario than Mickey Mouse.
However, video games may not be the evil that some people believe them to be. As Frank McConnell of the University of California English Department puts it, "Could a generation trained to fight the screen, to figure out ways of beating the screen--could such a generation, one wonders, have been quite so complacent, for quite so long, about the nightly reports of our obscene game in Vietnam?"

atp

Answer 2

As a person who holds the record for the most violent encounters who is still alive, at Brookhaven anyway, Violence was a way of life. To play a video game of serious violence, say SOF, or half-life, HALO, is to take violence off road. I can really get into it, and no body gets shot. It's like a fix. Wear out the keyboard. I once complained to a friend that I was scaring the women, and he said, " ah, your scaring everybody", So I went on a pacification campaign. It has in the whole, been remarkably successful, But the games keep the other stuff, the dark hearted, ruthless, would be right, keeps that side sated. One has to have chafed for blood to understand this, it's an acquired taste, and usually very unpopular. Violent games are the methadone of the violent prone. My same friend told me that the games were the best way to handle such feelings, harmless, yet, it's enough to keep me home. Not out on the streets, doing recon.

Answer 3

I personally think that people who use the excuse of "the video game made me do it" are complete idiots. And for parents that believe this crap they are idiots too. I have a large family and all of my brothers play violent games and none of them even so much as try anything as stupid as what is portrayed in these games. Partially because they will look forward to an a** kicking if I ever found out and also due to the fact that we taught my family that games are games and life is life and there is no mixture of the two. They don't have some false reality of some game floating around in their head influencing them to do anything because they know better. Spongebob is a talking sponge and the Halo characters are people in little robot outfits running around with guns like idiots. So are these things real? Not last time I checked, no talking sea sponge here and I definitely haven't seen any Halo characters around, so how in the world is such nonsense influencing children or adults for that matter. I just think that parents need to step up to the plate and admit that they are doing half a** jobs of rearing their kids and explaining to them the difference between reality and fantasy.

Answer 4

Never heard about anything like what you're suggesting. But my favorite method of stress relief back in the day was letting the societies on Age of Empires build up, using one of the cheats to get a little guy with big firepower, and then burning everything up! There's nothing like destroying several major civilizations to make you feel better.

There're studies that show that kids who watch violent tv tend to be more violent, but, especially past a certain age, the violent criminals were going to be like that anyway. Before Grand Theft Auto, it was Dungeons and Dragons, and before D&D, everyone thought comic books were turning kids into sociopaths.

Answer 5

There's this new game out where rappers are shooting each other and full of violence. Why can't they instead use these characters and have them play football and basketball. I have mortal combat annihilation at home and a two year old son. I always watch a lot of CSI...well he mimics what I watch. He has water guns or whatever looks like the form of a gun and says freeze put your hands up. I think kids learn too much from a violent game, like what kind of guns they are or even techniques on what to do. I feel its horrible.

Answer 6

Video game is a good thing at the same time a bad thing,especially those with violence included in it, may be for adults its not a big deal but for adolencent and small kids it cause them a lot of harm especially mentally.The fights you see in games then you include it in your every day life.You are not even be aware if you are more violent but in time you become more drastic.

Answer 7

All of us had the experience of feeling hostile, angry, or excited after seeing a motion picture or television programme that portrayed either violence or some obvious injustice that seemed to require violent retribution. But few of us are then immediately confronted with a chance to punch a doll, administer a “shock” or start a fight. Instead, we are usually compounded with the need to wash the dishes, catch bus, or do our homework. By the time we have a chance to act violently, the excitement is gone, the anger subdued, and our time horizon lengthened. Conscious and prudence have returned to govern our actions in their customary ways.
Television is unlikely to cause aggressive behaviour, although it could precipitate it in those few children who are emotionally disturbed

Answer 8

The most drastic thing I've ever seen with violent video games:

Irresponsible parents blaming the makers and sellers of these games for acts that their undersupervised and uneducated kids committed. The worst part? They actually won.

Come to think of it, the most devastating part is that we Americans are losing our freedom choose what is right for us and our kids. Evidently, we are too dumb, so the government MUST step in and set us straight.

Answer 9

You know it all boils down to the parent. The parent chooses to buy their kid that video game. The parent allows a child to watch violent movies. The parent let their children become exposed to violence because they use them as a babysitter to occupy their children. As far as placing blame for them committing acts of aggression. That's the parents fault for not monitoring their children.

Answer 10

it is my opinion that most people who use "they did it in video games" as an excuse would be comitting crimes whether or not they did it in video games. It's called having lower brain functions.