What do you think about violent video games

Do you think kids get bad influence from the games or do you think it's just them who do bad stuff just to show off. My prsonal opinions on the issue is that a small group of kids play the game to just showoff to their parents.When their parents say no you can't play that they rebel and say yes I will so in my opinion that is one reason. Another big reason for them playing is the media and polotics a while back politicians stared a big lawsuit against violent video games directed towards Rockstar Games and certain kids said no you can't but they could so therefore you now have to be 18 to buy M rated games and they just do not listen.Finally just the violence itself causes itself I mean the gangs and syndicates in america are the main cause because every kid wants to join and those are my opinions please discuss below.

« Last edited by SuperCheatMaster on Nov 4th 2010 »

You should really start the discussion off, but not in my place to start mini modding.

But no it has been proven alot of times that that is a lie. People constantly attack video games because they want something to blame for everything bad. And since video games have become so popular now, they are a prime suspect for all that is wrong in the world.
Terrorists? Must have been a violent video games at an early age.
In another thread that was started by me about a law by california I included links to charts and studies that help prove my point. I'll find them and edit this.

EDIT: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/04/12/comparing-violent-crime-to-violent-game-releases
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/09/16/virtually-crime-free/
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/04/gaming-real-vio/
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html


Games aren't ever influencing people to do violent things. Murder in a game is very easy. In real life it isn't as much. People/kids play them for fun or to burn some steam, but to think that after shooting a couple people in one of their games they will want to shoot some person they hate? Absurd. In games there is an obvious difference about the violent acts than in real life.
Games portray characters that are fake, imaginary, life-like. People do not feel the same emotions to in game characters to characters in real life. Emotions are a powerful thing people are driven by them alot. But the emotions and feelings, no matter how bad they are towards another in real life make killing very hard. And even if they do do it, are they mentally stable afterwards? Most of the time... no. In games after you shoot or kill someone are you emotionally stable... yes.

The second part of your question is kinda odd, "Do you think it's just them who do bad stuff just to show off?"
Please define "bad stuff"
As in murder, stealing, terrorizing?
In general all of those are "bad" but just because people say they are doesn't mean they are. Im gonna get alot of disagreements here probably, but they are only though of bad because of religon telling us they will send you to hell. Society frowns down on it now because of laws and religon. But some people may see no evil or bad in doing it. There for it isn't. Same as how Hitler or Stalin is "bad" we see them as bad, but they saw us as bad, as did whoever followed them. There is no universal good or bad it is all in opinions of one persons mind.

Now most of the times it isn't to show off. Emotions come into play once again. School shootings? A kid was bullied so badly they became depressed. Wanted to do suicide. But hatred, deep loathing hate made them want to get revenge too. Showing off is more of stealing little things (shoplifting), drinking alcohol, or breaking rules not laws.
Doing worse is more of something that happened to them or they don't find what they are doing wrong.

« Last edited by nightmare2 on Nov 3rd 2010 »

Nightmare2 said:

Doing worse is more of something that happened to them or they don't find what they are doing wrong.

First I want to say, although I skimmed over most of your post, I do agree with pretty much all you said. The correlation between violence in the media (video games/movies) and violence in real life is, for the majority of people, ludcaris.

The only reason I pulled that specific line was to say that your point isn't always true. There are people out there that acknowledge their actions as being unlawful, but do it anyway.

Besides, the link to childhood incidences & teenage/adult life criminal activities cannot be counted as a 'general rule'. Sure, some people may act out in later life due to their childhood issues, but that isn't always the case.

If it hadn't have been for nightmare2s post - I would've said this could've gone well in General Gaming discussion, but there are now points put forward to discuss & debate, should people choose too =D

nightmare2 said:

You should really start the discussion off, but not in my place to start mini modding.

But no it has been proven alot of times that that is a lie. People constantly attack video games because they want something to blame for everything bad. And since video games have become so popular now, they are a prime suspect for all that is wrong in the world.
Terrorists? Must have been a violent video games at an early age.
In another thread that was started by me about a law by california I included links to charts and studies that help prove my point. I'll find them and edit this.

EDIT: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/04/12/comparing-violent-crime-to-violent-game-releases
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/09/16/virtually-crime-free/
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/04/gaming-real-vio/
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html


Games aren't ever influencing people to do violent things. Murder in a game is very easy. In real life it isn't as much. People/kids play them for fun or to burn some steam, but to think that after shooting a couple people in one of their games they will want to shoot some person they hate? Absurd. In games there is an obvious difference about the violent acts than in real life.
Games portray characters that are fake, imaginary, life-like. People do not feel the same emotions to in game characters to characters in real life. Emotions are a powerful thing people are driven by them alot. But the emotions and feelings, no matter how bad they are towards another in real life make killing very hard. And even if they do do it, are they mentally stable afterwards? Most of the time... no. In games after you shoot or kill someone are you emotionally stable... yes.

The second part of your question is kinda odd, "Do you think it's just them who do bad stuff just to show off?"
Please define "bad stuff"
As in murder, stealing, terrorizing?
In general all of those are "bad" but just because people say they are doesn't mean they are. Im gonna get alot of disagreements here probably, but they are only though of bad because of religon telling us they will send you to hell. Society frowns down on it now because of laws and religon. But some people may see no evil or bad in doing it. There for it isn't. Same as how Hitler or Stalin is "bad" we see them as bad, but they saw us as bad, as did whoever followed them. There is no universal good or bad it is all in opinions of one persons mind.

Now most of the times it isn't to show off. Emotions come into play once again. School shootings? A kid was bullied so badly they became depressed. Wanted to do suicide. But hatred, deep loathing hate made them want to get revenge too. Showing off is more of stealing little things (shoplifting), drinking alcohol, or breaking rules not laws.
Doing worse is more of something that happened to them or they don't find what they are doing wrong.

I know I think the game itself has not much to do with the decisions with the person and it really sickens me but I have to say in human nature there is sometime that thought of murdering a person and the only way is to pop gta in your playstation and just blow some people away.

Disagreeing with the OP. I reckon children play violent video games as they enjoy it, it is something to do to kill time when you're bored.

What I reckon is, if a child is raised on violent video games, and play GTA since they can pick up a controller, then they find violence normal.
That's only if they grow up though.
Past about 7 though, they'd be grand.
This only my theory now, and as far as I'm aware, there's been no studies into it.

People really do just shove their noses into gaming though, and don't like what they see, and cry blue murder.

Re-read OP after the edit (it was a LOT shorter - just one line before the edit) but this;

I mean the gangs and syndicates in america are the main cause because every kid wants to join

Rubbish.

"Every" kid does not want to join. There have been so many documentaries (which I will try to find, then edit this post with links) that have gone into gang cultures & the main theme running through these gangs, with the young kids that are newly joined, and a lot of older ones that have been in the life for years is the fact they didn't want to join, but felt like they had no other choice for a multitude of reasons.

Some of those reasons are things such as being in a poor neighbourhood, getting on the wrong side of the gangs & being forced into it to repay debts/avoid further trouble with the gangs, simply trying to earn more money via drug dealing & getting caught up in grander schemes.

To put the blame on violent video games for causing young kids joining gangs is a step too far.

Another big reason for them playing is the media and polotics a while back politicians stared a big lawsuit against violent video games directed towards Rockstar Games and certain kids said no you can't but they could so therefore you now have to be 18 to buy M rated games and they just do not listen

You're writing is fairly difficult to understand, I'm not sure which point you're actually trying to make here, but I think I understand... Children do not want to play certain video games simply because they're not allowed too. They play it because of media advertising, friends & such. Sure, there are some children that fall into the "forbidden fruit" scenario, but it isn't something that is representative of the general gaming population.

CeeCee said:

What I reckon is, if a child is raised on violent video games, and play GTA since they can pick up a controller, then they find violence normal.

A fair point, although I wouldn't say it's representative of the general gaming population either. I was raised on violent video games, as was every single one of my friends, and even their younger family members, and not one of them thinks violence is "normal".

It boils down to how their parents teach them the realities of video games & real life. If proper understanding is taught to children, then yes, they will grow up desensitised to violence. But it proper understand is taught, then the seperation between fiction & reality is very evident & children grow up with no trouble understand that what their allowed to do in video games is mean strictly for video games & has no place in society.

« Last edited by sphynxx on Nov 4th 2010 »

SuperCheatMaster said:

Do you think kids get bad influence from the games or do you think it's just them who do bad stuff just to show off. My prsonal opinions on the issue is that a small group of kids play the game to just showoff to their parents.When their parents say no you can't play that they rebel and say yes I will so in my opinion that is one reason. (...) Finally just the violence itself causes itself I mean the gangs and syndicates in america are the main cause because every kid wants to join and those are my opinions please discuss below.

First, I want to say that there are more than just those two reasons (influenced and showing off) for kids to do 'bad' things. Sometimes, it can be the parents' fault for a kid doing something 'rebellious' or bad. If kids aren't raised right, they'll have more difficulty knowing right from wrong.

Second, I, personally, wouldn't show off to MY parents by playing video games. I would try to get off my butt and do work around the house or something. If most parents are the way mine are when it comes to video games, that is definitely not a good way to show off to them.

Lastly, you say that 'every' kid wants to join mafias or crime syndicates or other related things. That's a very terrible statement. I know very few people who have done or, from what I hope, even WOULD do something bad enough as what gangs/mafias do. And out of the people that I know that have done some bad things, I don't think they would ever join some group like that.
--
Now, my opinion. I think that, if parents blame video games for their child's behavior, it just shows how terrible parents they are. First of all, I highly doubt it was the video game's fault. Second of all, I believe parents have the power to take certain video games away from their children, so why wouldn't they do that? Maybe they didn't suspect that the video game would be a bad influence. Well, then their 'parental intuition' sure isn't the best. If there is a lot of killing and drug usage and prostitution and what not in a video game, than it's up to the parent to decide if it's okay for their child to play that game.
Also, it's so easy to kill a video game character, especially compared to killing in real life. I love first person shooters. Even though the characters aren't real, I still get some satisfaction when I kill someone, especially if I'm pi[b][/b]ssed off at something that happened in my actual life. But would I actually murder someone? He[b][/b]ll no.
I play violent video games because I enjoy it, but I don't feel the need to take a crowbar to someones skull in real life just because I did it in Grand Theft Auto.

Now, my opinion. I think that, if parents blame video games for their child's behavior, it just shows how terrible parents they are. First of all, I highly doubt it was the video game's fault. Second of all, I believe parents have the power to take certain video games away from their children, so why wouldn't they do that? Maybe they didn't suspect that the video game would be a bad influence. Well, then their 'parental intuition' sure isn't the best. If there is a lot of killing and drug usage and prostitution and what not in a video game, than it's up to the parent to decide if it's okay for their child to play that game.
Also, it's so easy to kill a video game character, especially compared to killing in real life. I love first person shooters. Even though the characters aren't real, I still get some satisfaction when I kill someone, especially if I'm ****** off at something that happened in my actual life. But would I actually murder someone? Hell no.
I play violent video games because I enjoy it, but I don't feel the need to take a crowbar to someones skull in real life just because I did it in Grand Theft Auto.

Agreed with that entirely.

Also 'violent video games' is a bit blunt.
Are you referring to games with Violence labeled under the rating or a game with a certain rating and above?
In my opinion a violent video game would be one that included blood, gore, strong language, and whose plot agreed entirely with doing so. Never fully played through a GTA game but by the looks of it, it promotes doing acts of violence towards in game characters with little reason. While in some other games with labels like it have reasons for the player to commit those acts.
IF a child plays a video game that promotes violent acts towards others then they will look at violence differently. Even if their parents have taught them. Especially if they played them at a young age because they learn things easier (can't find a way to word this to get my point through. Anyone understand what I mean?).

nightmare2 said:

Now, my opinion. I think that, if parents blame video games for their child's behavior, it just shows how terrible parents they are. First of all, I highly doubt it was the video game's fault. Second of all, I believe parents have the power to take certain video games away from their children, so why wouldn't they do that? Maybe they didn't suspect that the video game would be a bad influence. Well, then their 'parental intuition' sure isn't the best. If there is a lot of killing and drug usage and prostitution and what not in a video game, than it's up to the parent to decide if it's okay for their child to play that game.
Also, it's so easy to kill a video game character, especially compared to killing in real life. I love first person shooters. Even though the characters aren't real, I still get some satisfaction when I kill someone, especially if I'm ****** off at something that happened in my actual life. But would I actually murder someone? Hell no.
I play violent video games because I enjoy it, but I don't feel the need to take a crowbar to someones skull in real life just because I did it in Grand Theft Auto.

Agreed with that entirely.

Also 'violent video games' is a bit blunt.
Are you referring to games with Violence labeled under the rating or a game with a certain rating and above?
In my opinion a violent video game would be one that included blood, gore, strong language, and whose plot agreed entirely with doing so. Never fully played through a GTA game but by the looks of it, it promotes doing acts of violence towards in game characters with little reason. While in some other games with labels like it have reasons for the player to commit those acts.
IF a child plays a video game that promotes violent acts towards others then they will look at violence differently. Even if their parents have taught them. Especially if they played them at a young age because they learn things easier (can't find a way to word this to get my point through. Anyone understand what I mean?).

Disagree with that it. Seems as if your saying that parents, schools ect have absolutely no influence compared with a game. Your parents remain the strongest influence in your life provided your brought up in a 'decent' family. Its going to be highly unlikely that someone brought up in a loving home which allows them to play such games but actually takes the time to explain it and monitor what their kids are doing is going to go off the rails because they played GTA. As for those families that aren't close only a tiny minority will be influenced so much by a game, in which case the kids likely to have had the problems with or without playing games. You've got the evidence of a not inconsiderable number of people here who play 'violent' games while they were brought up yet have miraculously managed not to turn into cold-blooded killers.

I do get what you mean but it works for both things. Yes kids tend to learn easier but that means they were learn the lessons of their parents equally as good as those of the violent game, and in a normal family with a normal kid the lessons of the parents will win everytime.

This is what I've come to dislike about politicians in any political party here in the US �?? everyone wants to pass a law that they say will insure public safety just because some lazy, irresponsible parent thinks that it should be the government's job to teach their children morals, not their own. I seem to wonder, does nobody let their kids play 'cops and robbers' on the playground anymore? Me and Julio down by the schoolyard....

That said, I see no difference between passing a law to restrict sales of a Grand Theft Auto game and restricting who can gain access to a reel of an old 'western' film from a library or archive. For as long as we have been able to tell stories, violence has always been included in the story to add drama or substance to it. The only difference is that, in video games, the story can change course on the whim of the one controlling the protagonist.

At any rate, most large electronics retailers already restrict who they sell their games to as a matter of good faith, just as movie theatres keep people under 17 from viewing movies that are rated R or NC-17. This law is by no means necessary if the good faith of the retailer just has the same effect (and both can fail if it's the parent buying a video game that would be ruled violent).

« Last edited by Cross Stinger on Nov 7th 2010 »

Crossy said:

This is what I've come to dislike about politicians in any political party here in the US �?? everyone wants to pass a law that they say will insure public safety just because some lazy, irresponsible parent thinks that it should be the government's job to teach their children morals, not their own. I seem to wonder, does nobody let their kids play 'cops and robbers' on the playground anymore? Me and Julio down by the schoolyard....

My thoughts exactly. Not entirely on topic; but goes with your politicians point;

In New Zealand - people are no longer allowed to say "baa baa black sheep" in the nursery rhyme. Aparently it's racist & offensive. I believe the new version is "baa baa rainbow sheep" or "coloured" sheep.

Politicians are being ever increasingly "p.c" & restricting just about everything these days.

Craig said:

Seems as if your saying that parents, schools ect have absolutely no influence compared with a game. Your parents remain the strongest influence in your life provided your brought up in a 'decent' family. Its going to be highly unlikely that someone brought up in a loving home which allows them to play such games but actually takes the time to explain it and monitor what their kids are doing is going to go off the rails because they played GTA. As for those families that aren't close only a tiny minority will be influenced so much by a game, in which case the kids likely to have had the problems with or without playing games. You've got the evidence of a not inconsiderable number of people here who play 'violent' games while they were brought up yet have miraculously managed not to turn into cold-blooded killers.

If you want a good example of your 'normal' kid growing up in 'normal'(ish) family - look no further =D haha

It seems to me that violent video games are just another thing on which to blame society's problems. Before, it was comic books, then cartoons (or TV shows in general), now it's video games.

And what makes a video game "violent?" Most video games have some degree of violence, being blasting somebody's head off with a .44 Magnum or stomping a Gommba flat. Or even getting chased through a 2D maze by a quartet of things that look like the Fry Kids from the McDonald's commercials

But none of that makes people become violent. As has been stated above, violence in video games is very unrealistic. In real life, you do not find your town being taken over by zombies, and there do not happen to be guns just lying around for you to blow them away with. Also, real car theft is much different than the GTA games would lead one to believe, and you do not enter a martial arts tournament in order to stop demonic forces from taking over the Earth. But people do these things in video games, rather than do them in real life, because video game are not reality. I'll blast my way through hordes of mutants in Resident Evil 4 or hack and slash though monsters in God of War in order to relieve stress. That's much better than going out and killing real people, isn't it? Maybe people should look at violent video games as an alternative to real violence.

I was raised on the Road Runner and Tom & Jerry cartoons, but I am not a violent person. In fact, I try to solve problems without resorting to violence. So that is not very different from video games that depict violence, either.

The thought that violent video games CAUSE violence is absolutely ridiculous; however, I do believe that if a young child is exposed to M+ rated titles at too young of an age (12 or under I'd say), their sensitivity to violence will be diluted. Some (emphasis on the "some") of these kids might not take a violent as seriously as they should. But once a kid has a truly developed sense of right and wrong, violent video games are not a problem in my opinion.

Parents who think that these games will turn their kids into criminals annoy the hell out of me, simply because they have these beliefs without any proof whatsoever.

This topic is somewhat personal for me. All of my friends who played Halo and GTA and all of that other good stuff since they were in elementary school had perfect mental health, but because my parents are crazy, I didn't get my own M-rated title until I was 15, despite my high level of maturity for my age.

No violent video games won't make someone do whats in the game.like grand theft auto just cause you rob a car in the game docent mean your going to go outside find a car and steal it it much more complicated unless you have thosse cars where all you do is press a button and then engine starts then you kinda just asking for it to get stolen. Plus the whole thing about the gangs and stuff is kinda ridiculous. There isn't the many gangs out there. And plus if somebody asked a gang member what there moative was I doubt they would say violent games. Pepole are just finding new things to blame like music and certain people and drugs and sex and cars and stuff like that

« Last edited by poleio on Nov 26th 2010 »

If every violent thing in the world is because of video games, i guess there was no violence before games were invented.

I myself have played GTA since i was like 5 and because i know the difference between reality and made-up video game crap I haven't tried to do some of the stuff on the games.

Kids don't need games to turn out bad, it could be they got a bad influence off there parents or because of peer pressure.

poleio said:

Plus the whole thing about the gangs and stuff is kinda ridiculous. There isn't the many gangs out there. And plus if somebody asked a gang member what there moative was I doubt they would say violent games. Pepole are just finding new things to blame like music and certain people and drugs and sex and cars and stuff like that

I don't know where you are getting that there aren't many gangs out there but I would have to disagree. A gang can consist of a couple of friends or be much larger. And there are actually alot large gangs around the world who do violent acts. its on the news quite frequently.

But i do agree with the motive part. Most people join groups for personal reasons, peer pressure, or they want something in return. The media of course needs something to puch the blame upon because they don't want to admit things. Such as how alot of what they say is the reason for people doing violence. Video Games are just this time periods scapegoat. it changes frequently so i doubt that we will hear alot more of this crap for much longer. In a year or two they might turn music into the scapegoat.

Occasionally though video games due cause violent acts. Sometimes directly, while others a bit more indirectly. Video games promote drugs, kids see them, think they are cool and might try to get them. They manage it then they could do acts of violence while they can't think straight.

Video games are a indirect source there.

Well, I played GTA: San Andreas for years & it never made me want to go hold up a Burger King & subsequently kill everyone inside. In fact, it kinda relaxed me. I think as long as a kid knows that it's just a video game & that it isn't real life it's fine. Sure, some people with mental problems might be inspired by violent video games, but it's never the root cause. Seriously, if even a very minute percentage of people who played Halo or COD were inspired to commit violent acts we would have a drastically higher rate of shooting related crimes.

When a normal person plays a violent video game, they generally know full well that it's just a game & would never want to reinact what we do in the game. And while there are some (probably with underlying mental problems) who may be influenced by these games, there isn't anything wrong with violent games. It's all garbage.