Video Game Controversy

[Jason Tandro]

SoulBlazerFan wrote:

I also believe that it's the parents responsibility that, if they are letting their children play these games or watch these movies, to inform them that it is make believe.

When I was 6 and played video games all the time, I knew that it was make believe without needing to be told. I think when kids play these violent games and then go out and do crazy crap that kind of defense is really a case of passing the buck.

"It's not my fault I killed my classmates, the video game made me do it."

At that point it's not even the parents fault, its just yours.

[SoulBlazerFan]

However- unless you've been taught something, how are you supposed to know?

If you grew up in a society that teaches you to kill, will you know killing is actually a bad thing? Its just as if you don't have anyone there to tell you something is bad, how are you supposed to know it's bad?

Than again, it's human nature to want to do things that you're not supposed to. The difference is, some can abate these wants and desires, and some can't.

I think it also comes with emulating your heroes- if a person's hero was say, Superman, how often have you heard stories where kids jumped off their roof, thinking they could fly?

[psychokind]

SoulBlazerFan wrote:

However- unless you've been taught something, how are you supposed to know? If you grew up in a society that teaches you to kill, will you know killing is actually a bad thing? Its just as if you don't have anyone there to tell you something is bad, how are you supposed to know it's bad?

ok then, which society teaches you to kill and is wealthy enough to let you play computer games?

no mentally stable kid will be influenced in a bad way from computer games. especially not from stupid violent ones. it's the responsibility of the parents to shape it this way.

[Manibrandr System]

I am of the opinion that entertainment and mediums of creative expression (Yes, video games are art. Blow me, Ebert!) should never be censored under any puritanical basis or any justification that its offensive. I don't see the ratings system as a means of censorship, because kids will play with adult entertainment one way or another, it is more of a form of information. I think that kids are capable of playing violent video games without any lasting psychological harm as long as there is parental guidance to let them now that there is a difference between fantasy and reality and violence in fantasy is completely different.

...and that is the root of the issue, the reason why kids may grow up maladjusted with the help of video games is the same reason kids will grow up maladjusted by any means ; Poor parenting. The whole moral panic about sex and violence in a video game is a farce of the highest degree because in the end, society managed to survive just fine living with the causes of previous moral panics. Remember when people freaked out over Black/Death Metal? Did society fall into a hellhole of anarchy under its influence? Not quite yet.

This is also why I think that the Gun down Civvies in an Airport mission in Modern Warfare 2 is a farce, it is nothing more than Infinity Ward and Activision trying to artificially inflate the game's relevance in society by controversy mongering. In the end, people were MORE offended by the fact that IW practically went "LOOK LOOK! CONTROVERSIAL MISSION! WE ARE STILL RELEVANT! WE LET YOU SKIP IT IF YOU'RE TOO SQUEAMISH" when the rest of the missions have you doing just as, if not more, morally questionable actions.

[tay120n64]

Valerie Valens wrote:

I am of the opinion that entertainment and mediums of creative expression (Yes, video games are art. Blow me, Ebert!) should never be censored under any puritanical basis or any justification that its offensive. I don't see the ratings system as a means of censorship, because kids will play with adult entertainment one way or another, it is more of a form of information. I think that kids are capable of playing violent video games without any lasting psychological harm as long as there is parental guidance to let them now that there is a difference between fantasy and reality and violence in fantasy is completely different. ...and that is the root of the issue, the reason why kids may grow up maladjusted with the help of video games is the same reason kids will grow up maladjusted by any means ; Poor parenting. The whole moral panic about sex and violence in a video game is a farce of the highest degree because in the end, society managed to survive just fine living with the causes of previous moral panics. Remember when people freaked out over Black/Death Metal? Did society fall into a hellhole of anarchy under its influence? Not quite yet. This is also why I think that the Gun down Civvies in an Airport mission in Modern Warfare 2 is a farce, it is nothing more than Infinity Ward and Activision trying to artificially inflate the game's relevance in society by controversy mongering. In the end, people were MORE offended by the fact that IW practically went "LOOK LOOK! CONTROVERSIAL MISSION! WE ARE STILL RELEVANT! WE LET YOU SKIP IT IF YOU'RE TOO SQUEAMISH" when the rest of the missions have you doing just as, if not more, morally questionable actions.

I agree with this. Really, as long as ratings exist, people have no right to complain about the content of a product. Yeah, kids will find a way to play it, but so what? They'll find out about it all eventually anyway. And try and convince me that YOU didn't try when you were a kid. It happens. Just be the responsible parent and monitor and mentor your child's entertainment and behavior. Isn't that kind of the DEFINITION of parenting?

Censorship is wrong, labeling (as in ratings) is not. Read the label, decide whether its appropriate, and move on.