Ben-DutkaThis story really got me thinking.
Not so much about the inherent difficulties for gamers when their interactive hobby continues to resemble virtual reality more and more with every passing year. That's what Medal of Honor executive producer Greg Goodrich was talking about, but it led me to the interesting question: can more realistic violence create serious problems? Most will quickly say that violent games have ratings and that movies have been putting horrific stuff on the big screen for decades. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that gaming is an interactive hobby, and the belief that we're actually "doing something" is more potent with more realism and authenticity. As we continue to advance in this area, might it be dangerous, even for well-adjusted adults? Essentially, if you really think about it, some of the more over-the-top action games could be accurately considered to be "killing simulators" in the not-so-distant future. I'm not in favor of censorship here but I've always been a firm believer that you can always go too far.
Personally, I think I'd start to feel a little uneasy when we get to the point where killing someone really does look too much like killing a real human. Take last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , for instance: just about everyone I know, Arnold included, felt – at the very least – uneasy during that airport scene. This proves something to me. I just saw it and I didn't really find it enjoyable; in fact, I didn't want to watch any more of it. Looking five, ten, fifteen years down the road, I'm starting to wonder if I'll even be able to play those games that make me feel this way. But perhaps the question is, will it have a marked psychological impact? Gamers often frown at studies but I really think this is one bit of research thought ought to be conducted.
P.S. The pic here is an example of "cartoon-y violence" from Bayonetta . This obviously isn't the type of violence I speak of, but it's a solid picture, no?
Your comparison really holds no water as you're comparing a video game with my point I made earlier fake people. The Colosseum was full of actual bloodshed right in front of there own eyes, real flesh being torn from real bone seen in real life, does not compare to a virtual killing in the slightest.
Well if video games make me a mass murderer then so be it, let the killing begin.
Way to add to the discussion…
@Dirdiggler
Please see aforementioned comment about muting kids in MW2, as it seems to apply to you as well… it's only 8 or 9 comments up….
Acutally i mute everyone on mw2 myself don't even have a headset pointless.. Here's a simple resolution to ppl's problem with it getting to real or can't handle it, DON'T PLAY IT. u callin me a kid is funny also..
I'm not sure "don't play it" is a viable solution, and it seems to me that sort of reasoning suggests you're only an enabler to those who would be more at risk. (Ben studied Psych. He knows what an enabler is!)
I think the point Highlander was trying to make towards your comment says it all. Basically, there are a ton of quality comments just prior to your post supporting numerous angles, then you come in with a very shortsighted and almost ignorant comment. It can be frustrating to those of us who have invested time in the discussion making quality observations only to have someone skip it all and add their fraction of what could be worth two cents with a comment that neither provokes thought nor offers a realistic point of view to consider.
In terms of this most recent post, a couple of things bug me that, on a normal occurrence, I would typically ignore.
First off, having a headset in a game like that is not pointless. Being a part of a clan or group of friends who are familiar with game styles and maps make good use of their communication abilities. By all means, add my PSN Underdog15 and play with my friends and I. We don't have high K/D and win ratios for nothing. I find it frustrating to play with people who don't communicate, hence why I only play MW2 if some of my RL or PSN friends are playing it.
Second, your comment on "if you don't like it, don't play it" philosophy has been addressed already by a few people who have made some intelligent observations (again… that's why it's frustrating for you to come in guns a-blazing without looking… like your MW2 strategy perhaps?). None of us want to re-write or paraphrase what we have already written. To fully grasp the truth behind the lack of understanding you're portraying, I recommend you read a bit, if it doesn't take you too long to do so.
Thirdly, I didn't call you a kid. I merely compared your comments to the ones you typically hear from the immature folks playing shooters online. If you want to get technical, I was merely comparing your words through the use of a simile. My quote said "You sound like…", and was not even originally directed towards you. So… I referred you to a simile that was used to describe someone else, which makes you a bit upset because you assumed that a child MUST be how I view you.
Well… in actuality… that is quite funny.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 4/16/2010 3:20:33 PM