Guns Dont Kill People - Videogames Do!
"Ban these evil games", "Videogame violence corrupting our nation's youth", "video games stole my husband". It seems everyday that the media are making more and more claims about the evils of videogames. But are these claims based on fact, or is it merely that there is a juicy new scapegoat out there that the woes of the world can be pinned on?
Many people will be aware of the Daily Mail's 'Manhunt' story by now. The paper ran with the first page headline of 'Ban these evil games', claiming that 17 year old Warren LeBlanc's obsession with the ultra-violent Rockstar game 'Manhunt' drove him to beat his 14 year old friend, Stefan Pakeerah, over 50 times with both a claw hammer and knife. The tabloid then proceeded to assert "the hammer-and-knife killing mirrored scenes in the ultra-violent game". The paper also ran a quote from the mother of the victim, saying that, despite the fact the game had an 18 certificate, "it's no good saying this game is marketed at adults. Everyone knows that young children get their hands on them."
But what was the real motive behind the murder, and the follow up story? It's easy to see where the motive for the Daily Mail's story came from. In the words of the panel of the IGDA (International Games Developers Association) "it was a slow news day". And what better to liven it up than blood, violence and a convenient scapegoat?
There are two other important facts to remember about this awful murder. Firstly, what do the police say? After the headline in the Daily Mail you may think that they came to the conclusion that it was the game that set Warren off on his murderous way. However the conclusion that the police arrived at is that the motive was robbery. It turns out that Warren Leblanc had, in actual fact, a £75 drugs fuelled debt to a local gang when he lured his erstwhile friend into the park that night, and originally intended merely to rob him. The police report makes no mention of 'Manhunt' whatsoever. This may be because the game was discovered in Stefan's room, rather than that of the killer. Both of these pertinent facts were absent from the Mail's front page the day this story ran.
And one must ask, how was it that Mrs. Pakeerah missed the fact her own 14 year old son owned this ultra-violent game, which he could only have acquired if an adult had purchased it for him.
"But is the game any good?" I hear you cry. Quite simply, no. 'Manhunt' is one of those games that are the key stumbling blocks in the path of truly adult games. Computer games are now reaching the point where mature themes, meaning detailed, involving stories that can deal with events in the real world, and portray realistic reactions to them, are becoming possible. Yet some developers insist on pouring out games that are aimed only at fuelling the testosterone driven adolescent fantasies of teenage sadists. When you consider tack like 'Manhunt' in the light of games like 'Half-Life 2', with its compelling narrative interwoven through beautiful, breathtaking scenery, you realise just how tawdry 'Manhunt' really is.
The consensus at the IGDA meeting this year was that the game was merely "a rubbish game with a layer of crunchy ultra-violence slapped on top". No doubt the loss of such a young child as Stefan Pakeerah was a tragedy in its own right, but the true tragedy here is twofold. Almost overnight the game, whose sales had been a mere trickle before, started flying off the shelves of those few shops who hadn't banned it, the concept of censorship lending the game a certain cachet. Even worse, in the words of Rob Fahey of the IGDA, is the way in which "the games industry 'close ranks' to defend it [Manhunt] when its an aberration compared to most games - do you see Stephen Spielberg defending hardcore porn films?"
There are many well-documented stories of the media blaming video games for the world's woes. They blame the twin-towers terrorist attack on Microsoft, who trained the pilots with their flight simulator software. They blame Doom for the shootings at Columbine High School, because the game where you openly flaunt weapons helped the boys secretively plan their murderous rampage. There is often claimed to be a direct link between the American sniper incident and videogames, because the target shooting skills of the sniper were developed from videogames, and nothing to do with the comprehensive rifle training he received from the US army. The simple truth is that it takes more than just games to transform ordinary people into murderers.
According to the tabloids we should currently be inundated by hordes of slavering, violence obsessed gamers. However as this plague has yet to develop maybe we should take what they are saying with a pinch of salt. When a game player unglues him (or her) self from the computer monitor and doesn't find a machine gun lying at their feet, the suspension of disbelief is broken. It takes planning and training to carry out acts like these. Saying that violent games turn people into killers is the same as saying that people exposed to Islam will become terrorists. There is no more violence in most games than there is in movies, or horror books. In fact even the U.S court of appeal wrote, "(the idea that) there is a strong likelihood that minors who play violent videogames will suffer a deleterious effect on their psychological health is simply not supported in record." In other words, videogames are not the cause of violence.
What this really comes down to is the parents, and the worldview that they impart onto their children. If the parents don't take the time to talk to their children explain to them right and wrong, then how will the child know what he or she should do? How many parents explain to their child that the game is not real; that in real life you can't do everything you can in the game? While violence sells it does not educate, and unfortunately in this day and age 'upbringing by Playstation' is becoming a more and more common phenomenon as parents' time constraints get the better of them.
All games have a strict rating system in place, called ESBN. This system is designed to prevent games from falling into the hands of minors, and yet often when a child is refused a game by the management the parent, even after the rating system has been explained to them, buys the game anyway. Parents need to be educated more about what they are buying, instead of buying whatever game the kids ask for; maybe they need to consider what they want their children to be seeing. Would you let a child of 12-14, or even younger, watch hardcore porn or an 18 rated movie? Then maybe you shouldn't let them play an 18 rated game. The stereotype that games are just for kids is badly out of date, and maybe it's time parents started to take more responsibility for what their children play on.
In every group there are a few who don't fit in with the social norm. Is it true that these people can be influenced by violent videogames? No doubt. But is this the root cause of their affliction? No. Books, movies, rough and tumble play; all of these blend reality and fiction. What people need to accept is that they must take responsibility for their own actions, and that maybe societies ills are rooted in larger problems than a small animated character shooting another small animated character.
Daniel Robson runs http://www.shock-therapy.org where he offers his own freeware, as well hosting freeware for Symbian UIQ 7.0 phones, especially the Sony Ericsson PX00 series.
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingRelated Articles
Flying an MAV Through Fan Blades to Attain Target
Flying an MAV Through Rotating Fan Blades - It maybe possible to write into the software code of a MAVs Optic Flow Sensor Network an algorithm, which would allow it to fly though a rotating set of fan blades. Now then as difficult as this may sound the idea might not be as complicated as you think.
SMS Gaming - Text Paging Games that can be Played by Anyone
Using the Physical World as a Game Board: This is not a Kinky game! SMS stands for Short Message Service.Just like our last article, this can be fun for teens and adults.
Ten Things You Should Know in Video Games
BloodRayne | It's Zero Hour | Midasplayer |The latest in online gaming | Computer GamesYou are not an hardcore person in playing video Games and if you want to know the facts which I set hereunder, there are many attraction in playing video which I may share an idea to those wish to play video games:1. Two giant video games company, that is ATARI and SEGA having its own unique historical.
UAV Swarm Reconfiguration for computer war games
The modern battlespace is changing in the real world and in the very near future swarms of UAVs with be a tactic and weapon of choice. Is your computer game software ahead or behind the curve of inovation.
Popular Electronic Games - They Are Not Just For Kids Anymore
Superheroes battle monsters and space invaders in fast action games. Players take on the role of these superheroes in epic battles.
Theories Behind Magic Trinkets in Video Game and Virtual Reality
In Gaming we deal between Simulation, Augmented Reality, Fantasy and Virtual Reality. The best fantasy has some reality basis behind it.
Next Generation Games Consoles - Separating Fact from Fiction
Over the next 18 months the 3 giants of the Games Console world will be battling it out in stores and homes across Europe, America and Asia for the title of the world greatest Games Console. The stakes are high in this multi billion dollar business, not just for the console sales but for the games sales that go along side it.
PC Gaming Video: Meeting the Demands
If you have an interest in playing PC games that were made at least in the past couple of years, you've probably seen the serious video demands these games now have. It's not only that you need a fast system that can handle all of the information in today's games, but you need a major performance video card to handle computer game video too.
Solitaire RULES Half Life DROOLS
It's a popularity contest.Solitaire is hip, cool, and way more popular than Half Life 2.
Drawing Hand Held Surface to Air Missile Fire at Night Using UAVs
One of the easiest ways to draw shoulder launched missiles at night is to fly UAVs very close and use the simulated sound of an Apache Attach Helicopter, Howling of a jet fighter or a few UAVs flying together the combined sound of a four engine transport. At night you could have a few UAVs with strobe lights or a tint of green glow simulating reflections off the canopy of an attack helicopter along with sound used by a whistler on the UAV, or even a whistler, which mimicked a high frequency sound which caused their equipment to whistler.
The Story Behind OpenSimcity
I've always liked to play SimCity since I was little. I used to play the version for Super Nintendo for hours then and then.
New Helicopter Design for Your Video War Games
Using Underbelly Cone with Slots Facing Up On a Helicopter to Increase Payload and Liftoff Force. Picture a helicopter model sitting on top of a funnel.
Full Version Pocket PC Games For Free
Play Games InsteadDo you like your full version pocket pc games free? Most people do. The world of freeware downloads for your pda or pocket pc is wide and varied.
Reviving Old Computer Games
Remember the good old days of gaming, when there were only 5 pixels in the protagonist and your imagination could turn them into a heroic figure of Schwarzenegger proportions? When the enemies and the heroes were distinguished by colour and you only needed one button on the joystick? Well times have changed and technology has moved on. Pulling my old Commodore 64 or Atari out of the back of the cupboard and setting them up often takes more time than the nostalgic pang lasts.
Downloadable Game Review: Diner Dash
Playvue.com Editor's Rating: 8.
Another Title by Atari Released on StarForce Protected DVDs
"Atari has selected StarForce to protect their brand-new game called Race Driver 2", a supervisor from StarForce has stated today."Race Driver 2" is produced by Codemasters and distributed by Atari.
XBOX 360 vs. PS3: an in Depth Look
All gamers are awaiting the release of the Xbox 360 and the PS3. This article takes an in depth look at how the two systems compare.
Computer Game on Mars; Design for Communication Device
Powering up hand held wireless devices in the field for Business Uses, Educational Issues, Monitoring Sensors for Security Purposes or Blue Force Tracking for military troops in the field for net-centric warfare is possible even in the most remote locations can be possible using simple principles which will provide small amounts of energy. There are a few new innovative ways to do this, which appear to have been overlooked.
Go Digital and Groovy... and Save Trees!
Have you inherited your Dad's trading card collection - ie. pieces of printed cardboard that come with a piece of gum that looks like it tastes like cardboard too? Well today's trading cards have evolved to include, wait for it.
Rent Games Online for the Kids
It's risky business allowing your children to play games online. I know that may sound funny but I have a good argument to back up my opinion.