If DDR inspires you to go out and kill you have deeper problems than you are admitting.

As for the Columbine kids playing violent video games, I tend to believe that the games served as an outlet for feelings that they already possessed, rather than inspiring them to go out and kill. Videogames are a much easier target for the media than the problems that existed in the children’s home life and relationships with other people. That’s not to say that videogames don’t play some role in the desensitization of certain activities to the public, but they are far the sole culprit.

Ultimately, they are supposed to be fun. So what if I get my kicks playing Sam Fisher creeping around in the shadows, or thoroughly embedding a crowbar in somebody’s skull like Mr. Cash? It doesn’t mean that I am worse than the kids playing Pokemon; it just means we have different tastes.

The government does have involvement in the videogame industry. It’s called America’s Army, and is an excellent recruitment tool. Anything beyond that is coincidental. I highly doubt that the CIA/whoever has some transparent involvement with the videogame developers (especially Japanese) that involves controlling the minds of America’s youth, especially when there are more accessible ways of reaching a wider audience that they can use now.

But, I’ve been playing videogames forever, so maybe I am the wrong person to ask

I'm hopelessly addicted to xbox live. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is awesome. Videogaming has seriously affected my life and I find myself more tired and more out of it mentally these days. I'll admit it, but as far as mind control, it can only go so far....

I can't imagine anyone walking into combat and busting out some DDR moves on the enemy.

Every game can influence people but, I don't believe that games can create violent or zombie people (or combat soldier) if their education has been done properly. IMHO, it's the parents who are responsible of how their kids will grow up. If the parents can't control their kids, now there can be a problem with it. I've been a gamer all my life (I'm 32 and still play almost everyday and I had almost every consoles and every computers there has been since the beginning of it). I don't play 24 hours a day, 7 days a week tho. But I do play a lot at times (ask my gf). If you think a game was created to learn the young to fly a plane or stuff like that, I could say that balls have been invented to show you how to throw grenades then. So, in the '30, baseball team were to prepare the younster for war (which I doubt). Of course, it will help for the kids dexterity and reflexes and other things but, I doubt that their primary goal is for war. I used to play cowboys and indians when I was young..Would I make a great cowboy today? I doubt it. I played lots of racing game, would I be a great pilot today? Not at all...I'm bad at it actually...I don't like to drive much. So, they certainly didn't succeed if their goal was to make me their next war machines... I play violent games too at times (although I don't like gratuitous violence) like war games, but I'm actually a very peaceful guy (we should get out of Iraq)...Anyway, in the end, all this thing about game is bull# in my opinion...

Nothing will prepare a kid for killing accept actual killing, no game can create the feelings you get knowing you took a life from this earth with your own hand, no game will show you that. they can only show you what it is like from a authors view, your not always going to have the guys set up like normal an the pathing isnt always going to be the same, games will not prepare you for failure specially if its death or a broken leg (an i mean the kind where the bone i spopin out) you know i mean it cant simulate the fear of running for your life only life can, so only real life expereces will ultimatly prepare you.

Originally posted by riouxda
Every game can influence people but, I don't believe that games can create violent or zombie people (or combat soldier) if their education has been done properly. IMHO, it's the parents who are responsible of how their kids will grow up. If the parents can't control their kids, now there can be a problem with it.

So true. It depends on the individual person on how games affect a persons life. Parenting has a BIG deal in what children do now days. If the parents are not good role models and treat their kids like best friends than being a mom or dad then you will have alot of problems ahead in the future as a parent. Im not sure about games brainwashing people but I do know that you can gain a little knowledge from what you play. Let me give you a perfect example: My girlfriend never plays video games with me unless its a boxing game like EA Sports Fight Night 2004 or Ultimate Fighting Championship series. One night she got in a fight with another girl in the parking lot of this night club and my girlfriend took her to the ground and went UFC on this girls @ss. After she beat the girl to a bloody pulp I said to her "Whoa baby! I think you went Ken Shamrock on that girl" and she was like "Thank god for playing that game, I would have never broken her face like that if I didnt play that game for hours". THAT right there shows that you can gain a certain knowledge of playing certain games and then applying it to your everday life when the situation comes. As for breaking down to do a DDR dance routine during a fight, that just shows plain stupidity and would probably end up in his own face being broken. Games wont make you an overnight muscular person that can take on 5 guys in a bar fight, but games can mentally educate you and prepare you for anything that is going on in the real world. Its up to YOU to do whatever you want with that knowledge. As for me, Ill just wait when the wrong guy pushes the wrong buttons at the wrong time.

Originally posted by MrJingles
Its only a mind control on the weak minded...

I heard that too. Strategy games being used by the government to make strateticians. It might be possible, though I doubt it.

All I'm going say about this is: The end of Enders Game.

Originally posted by xenophanes85

Originally posted by MrJingles
Its only a mind control on the weak minded...

I heard that too. Strategy games being used by the government to make strateticians. It might be possible, though I doubt it.

All I'm going say about this is: The end of Enders Game.

D'oh someone too close to the truth! CHESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVER HEARD OF CHESS!?!??!? Same concept!! Instead of imagining video games as an immersive an experience as virtual reality, or that we pretend we're in the game, why don't you realize that people born after video games came out, aren't still trying to comprehend it the way most old timers are..

Modernist education system that doesn't even teach you about Information Science in Physics in most of our schools here, seriously you think they'd explain paradigms that help shift our understanding of reality in the new frontiers of physics...sheesh.....

So anyways some of you may return to thinking that video games are addictive. I haven't touched my ps2 in a year, and that's because there aren't many console games that interest me with the lack of originality floating around lately...Yes gaming has been unoriginal for the past couple years, yet we're getting some of the same crap started by Tipper Gore when she started the ESRB crap rating system campaign, bunch of whining people who don't understand how the brain works.

Have something to say when we actually start using electrodes. Until then, we know that we're outside of the TV and do not pretend that we're inside, for you may be pre-gaming era, but many are post-gaming era who know the difference... Scarier fact is that the next generation is growing up on computers and can do things that some of you can't at 3 years old. My friend's daughter saves bookmarked websites on the desktop, even renames them, and maintains a pretty much balanced user level on winxp at the age of 3.

Maybe you should learn more about Meta-stories, Meta-gaming, etc...

Originally posted by xenophanes85

Originally posted by MrJingles
Its only a mind control on the weak minded...

I heard that too. Strategy games being used by the government to make strateticians. It might be possible, though I doubt it.

All I'm going say about this is: The end of Enders Game.

D'oh someone too close to the truth! CHESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVER HEARD OF CHESS!?!??!? Same concept!! Instead of imagining video games as an immersive an experience as virtual reality, or that we pretend we're in the game, why don't you realize that people born after video games came out, aren't still trying to comprehend it the way most old timers are..

Modernist education system that doesn't even teach you about Information Science in Physics in most of our schools here, seriously you think they'd explain paradigms that help shift our understanding of reality in the new frontiers of physics...sheesh.....

So anyways some of you may return to thinking that video games are addictive. I haven't touched my ps2 in a year, and that's because there aren't many console games that interest me with the lack of originality floating around lately...Yes gaming has been unoriginal for the past couple years, yet we're getting some of the same crap started by Tipper Gore when she started the ESRB crap rating system campaign, bunch of whining people who don't understand how the brain works.

Have something to say when we actually start using electrodes. Until then, we know that we're outside of the TV and do not pretend that we're inside, for you may be pre-gaming era, but many are post-gaming era who know the difference... Scarier fact is that the next generation is growing up on computers and can do things that some of you can't at 3 years old. My friend's daughter bookmarks websites on the desktop, even renames the icon links, and maintains a pretty much balanced user level on winxp at the age of 3.

Maybe you should learn more about Meta-stories, Meta-gaming, etc...

Claiming any game to be addicting is like saying you're addicted to your hobbies, when all it is, are mere hobbies, nothing more, nothing less.

[edit on 4-11-2004 by boombye]

Originally posted by Jedilotis
i was just saying. i dont think the companys are behind it but i think the govenment is behind the video game industry.

Well that's odd, because Konami (The makers of DDR) is a japanese company and japan doesn't even have an offensive military force (Due to WWII atrocities).