Please Read- Modern video gaming. morals, desensitisation to negativity

First off, there are loads and loads of video games that have no violence in them whatsoever that are, were or always will be great games.

Zelda, Mario, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Katamari Damacy, Tetris, Crash Bandicoot, some sports games, driving games (Gran Turismo, Burnout) and many others I'm forgetting.

The thing is violence is in just about everything. Cable TV, movies, music, sports, wrestling, video games and other things. Not only that, but our history is full of instances where this country uses violence and war to solve problems with other countries just like many people do to solve problems with other people. This, to me, is bigger than any of the others. It seems we need to go to war at least once a decade. The content in sports, movies, TV, video games and music are a reflection of what we have become through things like the frequent wars and the glorification of the violence therein and parents not being parents and teaching their kids the difference between fantasy in things like video games and reality.

Look closer at sports like football and hockey. Purely violent sports, no doubt about it. When someone is laid out on the football field, the one that put the hit on goes nuts and shows off to the crowd while many of his teammates come over and congratulate him. You'll no doubt see this hit replayed several times, then you'll see it more on sportscenter on the "Jacked Up" segment of football shows dedicated to nothing but brutal hits. When someone is rammed into the boards in hockey, the crowd goes wild and even more so if a fight breaks out. Yet, somehow, most fans of hockey and football know that they can't go down to the ice skating rink and shoulder check people into the boards and they know they can't go to restaurants and lay out the server and chefs if they screw up their order and if you don't know that, that's a problem in your head and has nothing to do with sports, video games or whatever else you do.

Face it, this country is fascinated with violence and like sex, violence sells. The product meets the market. To say that video games causes people to be violent sounds ridiculous to me. I don't play games as much as I used to, but most of the ones I enjoy have some degree of violence in them and I am about as anti-violent as they get when it comes to reality. If anything, violent games is a consequence free release where you can kill people or go driving at over 150mph and wreck other cars without worrying about being chased by cops and if you are chased by cops, you can run them off the road too with zero consequences. That's the beauty of video games; no consequences, but once you put the controller down, you snap back into reality where consequences of going to jail or even getting yourself killed are very real.

Fortunately, I was taught right from wrong and that things like movies and video games are just that, movies and video games; fantasy, not reality. When the line between the two is blurred, that's when you can have some problems.

[edit on 8-1-2009 by Kratos1220]

WTF?
You're forgetting games like psychonauts, Little big planet and Super Mario Galaxy. Not all games are geared towards killing but it's people like you who perpetuate this.

I suppose you could look at these kind of games as a safer outlet for these actions than doing them in real life. If you having a bad day and you want to blow off some steam then it's much better to turn on the Xbox and have a good at Fallout 3 rather than load up with a shotgun and start blowing the heads of milkmen.

Plus, a lot of this comes down to eduction. I have 3 kids (5, 2 and baby) and they know I have games like Fallout 3, Fable 2, MK vs DC, Crackdown and the like. But, then know that the content is 'naughty' and not to copy it, which after reminding them a few time, they now follow very well. You have to work with what you have. If your kids are playing games that are violent then step in and teach them. If you friends are playing these games and becoming a bit erratic with them then step in.

All in all, video games will be demonised for the next few years because of a generation gap. Some people get it, most don't. The negative side of games will always come to the top because people want to harm it. You never hear about the millions of gamers who DON'T go out and kill people after playing Fallout 3...

...damn I love that game...

[edit on 10-1-2009 by NoHopeForSome]

reply to post by Anonymous ATS

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GUys let me just elaborate please. I am specifically referring to the game content provider and host service STEAM. anyone who has this, search for a new game and you will see over 80-90% of the main titles. are 3rd person shoot em ups.

ofcourse i know tehre are non violent games. i is not a dumbo bum

reply to post by NoHopeForSome

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yea i have fallout three, one of the great things about fallout three is the karma facility. you know it judges you on your actions. By the way i am currently the most evil on fallout cos i rob kill and steal and kill innocents. and no i dont do any of these in real life.

HOWEVER, why am i so ready to break all my moral code if it is so deeply ingrained on a video game, the choices i make are to steal, kill innocents. Those are concious choices to do wrong, this is the issue. Any comments?

IF you are easily able to break your moral code for something as trivial a game, do you really give a f about the code, or do you just do it cos you have to. and there are reprecussions?

thoughts people. perhaps some intelligent addition to the board. not that some havent been insightful so far, but all those saying omg omg its just a game get over it, are on too superficial a thought level to contribute to the musings.

peace.

Trust me...it's not the games. I used to play on xbox live long ago. You want to hear what is wrong with kids these days...go take a listen to it. It's not the games. Playing a sports game and hearing the N word 100 times during a game has nothing to do with game itself. It's ignorant immature kids...kids that have parents with whom have no idea what their kids may be spouting out or listening to....or it's kids that mirror the very same views of their parents.

It's not the games...it's the people that play them.

Why do you do it on a video game if you wouldn’t do it in real life? Hmm, because there is no real life consequences from doing it in the video game. In the real world you realize the harm that it inflicts on other people and the possible outcomes of your decisions to do such.

Besides we are all animals and it is just hella fun to go on a video game and do all the things you wont do here in the real world. Great stress relief in my opinion. And it is only the people that are already unstable that go out and do what they see on the games. A well grounded person knows the difference.

I have played the violent games and guess what, I like many others are not running around robbing and killing everybody. Why because we know the difference in reality and the game.

Parents should be the ones blamed for what these kids do. Its the responsibility of the parent to know what their children our doing. They should know whether or not their child is mentally mature and stable enough to play a violent game. Parents do a little research in the games before you buy them or when you see what your child is playing. And then decide if your child is mature enough to play.

reply to post by Ant4AU

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my friend if you study energetics or have read the post from hidden hand. then you will know, first hand, or second, that any thought or visual gives of an energy, anywhere on the spectrum. WHAT i am trying to say is that THERE IS an energetic consequence to bad actiosn carried out on a video game, however in my opinion to a lesser degree.

think about it. to those woh can see auras, study someone who is planting a tree, or killing someone on a video game, you will see a notable difference. as oppsoed to love, hate, in simple terms is being projected.

believe it.

but still i can agree it can be a usefull out let for strees and negativity, i have a punch bag and hit the crap out of it if i get stressed, never do that to a real person. and it helps. a lot.

later

ive played mindless violent video games for awhile and i dont think its changed my feeble mind

some people say that video games make people violent, as a gamer, i think we should kill those people

reply to post by predisposed

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So the fact that we think of robbing and killing in a video game sends out negative energy. While we are doing the robbing and killing in the video game we are relieving our stress. So wouldn’t their be some positive energy in there somewhere. You know from feeling better because your stress level is dropping. So I believe if anything you put out more positive energy than the negative.

feel the positive energy.

reply to post by Ant4AU

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lol.

yes thats a good way to look at it.

but could the same effect be achieved via vigourous excercise.

thanks for all ur feed back guys and guyettes

reply to post by predisposed

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Yes exercise is a great way to relieve your stress but you know how it is. You have that one guy who has been a total prick you just wish you could take his head off his shoulders. You have a punching bag to picture his face on. I just turn on GTA and take out every dude with that color shirt on. LOL same stress relieved and good energy obtained.

reply to post by Ant4AU

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lol. yea i have a punchbag. when ppl aggravate me i mash it up. it works wonders. i think actually what is more important is to learn not to generate the negative energy in the first place.

for example most reactions are learnt. a favorite example of mine is the football supporter. all his reactions are fake, copied and learnt.

you choose to support a team. say man city, and when they win you learn to be happy from this event which actually has no effect on you except taht which you choose to perpetuate.

When they loose, you get pissed off go and get drunk and perhaps be an abusive thug like many football supporters. not all.

so this negative energy is not necessary, except it is necessary to keep your emotional attachment to the team. the more pissed off you are when your team loses, the more elation when they win. hence your addiction to footy continues.

what about when someone shouts at you? have you ever shouted or seen someone shout at someone and them just get the giggles and laugh. well all of this negativity is also copied and to a certain extent unnecessary. i tend not to get angry, or sad, unless me serotonin levels have been dropped chemically and so i dont use games to relieve stress, i dont have any negative energy in the first place

i do agree with you guys saying that to relieve stress and negativity games can be a safe fun way to do it. for me, wihtout the initial negativity i would say i am creating it unneccesarily, but damn its fun.

and in the words of ill bill "im evil cos its easier." and that it is, it is initially harder to be a good service to others being, but much more rewarding in the end. who wants to be saying "(insert name) I am your father" in 10 years time?

soooo.. you make a thread berating every gamer about how much negative karma they would (allegedly) be generating, and then say you have a choice wether or not to be good and you made the conscious decision to be evil ?

I also have Fallout 3 and allways strive to be good btw.. a bit of a carebear, I know..



suggestion: maybe because deep down, you understand it is an illusion, and will not interfere with the real world in any way ?

Because you understand that this negative approach in the real world would really generate a lot of conflict and strife, while keeping it in the safe enviroment of a game makes sure you do not land in jail or the nuthouse?



As for me, I adhere to my own code which is at least as strict as any manmade laws which basically boils down to a hypocratic oath for use outside of medicine.. do no harm to others, either through words or actions. Ingame though, I will not get upset because I ran down a pedestrian while evading a police chase..



So in other words, contributions are only welcome if they follow your path of thinking, any posts putting things in perspective is somehow beneath your illuminated way of thinking ?