School Project

[BouncingYeti]

For my final project in English class, I'm doing research into videogame violence, and its effect on people. I need to find two "voices" on the subject. One that is against violence in games, and one that is for (or at least not against it). I was thinking about using Jack Thompson as my anti-violence voice, but he seems a bit too crazy/extreme, and I can't think of any great voices for games with violence off the top of my head.

Does anyone have any suggestions that I could use for either? It'd be a great help.

[jb410]

I'm not sure of any to be honest, but how prominent do the figures have to be? Because if you could, you could like quote one of the staff at gamercide and be like editor at gamercide a well known gaming website aahah or something like that. Here's a list of the staff, of course ask for their permission and ask some qs or something: http://gamercide.org/?page_id=70. I'm not sure if that works, but good project idea nonetheless.

[PaNfOoT]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=240502

Possibly this John Rau guy?

[PeeKnuckle]

In your project, be sure to acknowledge cartoon violence that everyone was raised on. For instance, you can point to all the real life cases of people dropping 500 ton weights onto peoples heads. If our brains learn at a faster rate and we're prone to suggestion at an early age.... shouldn't cartoons be under this same magnifying glass as videogames?

I think so. I honestly do.

Three Stooges. Bugs and Friends. Popeye. The list goes on and on.

By the way, I'm not harping on you. I just sort of find this negative attention on gaming, a bit ridiculous. Especially since cartoons have violence in them, and we don't scrutinize them at all. Maybe it's because kids know they're not real. Maybe these same kids can somehow believe games aren't, either.

[Dateranoth]

lol, I side with PK all the way on this one, but I don't think I want to get into this discussion at the moment. As for your project. Does it have to be two voices and does it have to be known articles on the subject? If not, I think the best research to be done on it is your own. Interview people from around your age to around your parents age. See who plays what types of game and what each groups opinion is on the subject. Seems to me that would be the best way to see what people really think, and I would be willing to bed you would see an interesting trend as the age gap increased. Of course, if it has to be like you described, there are plenty of very loud known voices against games, but not as many for. I know of one thing Penn & Teller did that sided with games:

http://leveloneboss....game-crusaders/

Good luck. ... I know, a comedian is not the best person to pick, I just remembered it

[sedington86]

One of my favorite people that talks about games, and one of the only big game journalists I "respect" is Adam Sessler. Go watch a few sesslers soapboxes, maybe one where he talks about 6 days in fallujah or something.

[CHINESE BABOON]

In your project, be sure to acknowledge cartoon violence that everyone was raised on. For instance, you can point to all the real life cases of people dropping 500 ton weights onto peoples heads. If our brains learn at a faster rate and we're prone to suggestion at an early age.... shouldn't cartoons be under this same magnifying glass as videogames?

I think so. I honestly do.

Three Stooges. Bugs and Friends. Popeye. The list goes on and on.

By the way, I'm not harping on you. I just sort of find this negative attention on gaming, a bit ridiculous. Especially since cartoons have violence in them, and we don't scrutinize them at all. Maybe it's because kids know they're not real. Maybe these same kids can somehow believe games aren't, either.

HELLO! ROADRUNNER = Ultimate Violent Cartoon.

[BoxingCrab]

In your project, be sure to acknowledge cartoon violence that everyone was raised on. For instance, you can point to all the real life cases of people dropping 500 ton weights onto peoples heads. If our brains learn at a faster rate and we're prone to suggestion at an early age.... shouldn't cartoons be under this same magnifying glass as videogames?

I think so. I honestly do.

Three Stooges. Bugs and Friends. Popeye. The list goes on and on.

By the way, I'm not harping on you. I just sort of find this negative attention on gaming, a bit ridiculous. Especially since cartoons have violence in them, and we don't scrutinize them at all. Maybe it's because kids know they're not real. Maybe these same kids can somehow believe games aren't, either.

Sorry to keep this off topic but I have to say I see what your driving at PK but I can see the reasoning for videogame violence more because you are actually interacting with the caracters and using them to cause harm, videogame harm that doesn't do actual physical harm, and at the same time you wouldn't have spent 5 or 6 hours in front of the TV watching cartoons.

There are alot of people out there that have, we'll say issues for want of a better expression, that can't tell the difference betwen fantasy and reality. The see how they act in a game, such as GTA, and then once they've played it long enough and can't understand that when something doesn't go their way in the real world they think they can solve it in the same way as in the game. It's not right but it's stuff like that that give the video game industry the bad rap.

[PeeKnuckle]

Sorry to keep this off topic but I have to say I see what your driving at PK but I can see the reasoning for videogame violence more because you are actually interacting with the caracters and using them to cause harm, videogame harm that doesn't do actual physical harm, and at the same time you wouldn't have spent 5 or 6 hours in front of the TV watching cartoons.

There are alot of people out there that have, we'll say issues for want of a better expression, that can't tell the difference betwen fantasy and reality. The see how they act in a game, such as GTA, and then once they've played it long enough and can't understand that when something doesn't go their way in the real world they think they can solve it in the same way as in the game. It's not right but it's stuff like that that give the video game industry the bad rap.

We should definitely ban it then.

Kidding aside, I think violence is violence. We've been around it all our lives. It's been sport for ages now, and they even dramatize it with wrestling. Which takes me to the backyard wrestlers who snap their spines each year. Does wrestling get the same scrutiny? Not by a long shot.

Videogames are only getting this attention, because it drives ratings. It's a multi billion dollar industry now, and everyone one wants a piece. Do I think there's no one out there that won't act out a scene from a videogame? No. Do I think I think our kids are at peril, because of this? No. Do I think it's all blown way out of proportion? Definitely, yes.

My son is involved in Judo, Tae Kwon Do and Parkour. My son leaps from perfectly fine structures, and places himself into peril, just for the sheer thrill of it. Do I think he's acting out Prince of Persia? No.

If we want to protect our children, we'll learn about the ratings and buy only the games we think they can handle and we'll keep an eye on them. If you're a special needs person, I'm sure you have someone watching out for you. The same applies. If you're a grown, normal adult, you should be able to play whatever you want. You're in charge of yourself and if you think you can't handle it, or that it's changing you in some negative way, stop playing and seek help. At some point, we must account for our own actions or non action, and stop placing blame on things.

Honestly, we're becoming a lazy, irresponsible species. Kids used to learn to use real weapons before they had pubic hair. They worked in fields etc. Now, nothing is their or their parents faults. It's whatever that child was interested in. Rock music? Ban it! Dancing? Not in my household, Mr Bacon! lol

I think instead of blaming the format, we need to focus more on the user. If that user can't handle the videogame brutality or virtual world, said user should not be playing videogames. I can't think of a single thing, that videogame makers could do to keep people off of their games, that can't handle them. Branding them violent does nothing. They are already self policed and warn users and parents, which age ranges they think can handle it. I also think if you're unstable and play a videogame and later on go on a killing spree, that that was already inside of you. Anything could have set you off. It could have been the first time you were fired or someone drank your apple juice in the fridge at work. Happens all the time. We don't run employees through extensive psychological exams, though.

Point is, there are messed up people all over. Anything can be their catalyst. Videogames are easy to blame. They were fine when it was 8 and 16 bit, but now that they're more lifelike, we think people can't handle it. Well, there are people that think the actors in soap operas are real, and threaten the producers that if they don't bring back their favorite character, they'll harm them. There's nothing you can do about that. If we did, there would be nothing on TV, but Sesame Street and The Waltons.

I understand your point, though. Please don't think I don't. I know there's a difference between watching something, and acting it out. I just honestly think there's nothing anyone can do. We could ban violent videogames, but it wouldn't stop anyone who is messed up in the head. They could read a violent book, watch a violent movie or turn on the TV. Any form of media these days, is going to stream right to their messed up brains, something violent and unpleasant.