Violence in Video Games

For the longest time, I’ve associated rises in crime rates in the US with rises in unemployment rates. It makes sense: when an individual has trouble getting employed, they seek to obtain money in any way that they can. The easiest way to get money, ignoring risks, would obviously be to just take it, which is how I’ve always thought the majority of criminals think. After reading a section in “Media and Culture” though, another source of inspiration for criminal activity was brought to light: video games.

Video Games are shown to have a large impact on hostile behavior

            Just thinking about the fact that games have evolved from beloved “Pong” to gore-ridden 3D slaughter-fests in 40 years is absolutely amazing. Looking at a brief history of games, one can see the massive shift in opinions and acceptance of ideas. The first game to actually be considered violent was known as “Death Race”, and was a two-dimensional driving game where the player ran over creatures known as gremlins. The game received harsh criticism and was pulled from shelves almost immediately. Soon after this, a rating system was developed for video games, where games were assigned a letter corresponding to the minimum age to which the game could be sold. Less than 20 years later, the infamous “Duke Nukem” emerged, bringing a wave of sex and violence into the video game world. The game was widely accepted as a standard for which games were rated (games similar to Duke being given the T=Teen 13+ rating). In the years following, as graphics were enhanced, higher quality games were developed. Duke made a comeback several years later, entering the 3D era, but having been unable to maintain his teen rating. The game was so violent and filled with mature themes, it was given one of the higher ratings today, M = Mature 17+. Other games, such as Halo, Call of Duty, and Gears of War have all been given the dreaded M-rating.

            The evolution of gaming and the game-rating system has certainly downplayed the concept of violence in the modern world. When you play a game where you experience combat as a soldier, your adrenaline rushes. However, knowing that it is only a game, and likewise that you most likely will never see the true horrors of war, one tends to feel more at ease. I speak out of experience when I say this, as I’ve noticed my views on violence and drugs change greatly from just playing a game. For example, recently I’ve taken quite a liking to “Battlefield 3”, an FPS (first-person shooter) war game. When playing the multiplayer aspect of it, I don’t feel nervous, horrified, or as though I’m actually at war; I feel excited and hungry for revenge on the player that killed me last. There is almost no association between fiction and reality for the player in these games.  

The media has made sure to portray violence in a different manner, so as to appeal to the younger generation. Spectacular footage of protagonists performing impossible acrobatic feats (back-flipping onto a helicopter’s cockpit, for example) appeal to younger viewers, amazing them and encouraging them to buy the product. Nowadays, almost any game is available to everyone, regardless of the rating. Parents will purchase their underage children excessively violent video games, whether or not they are aware of the damage they are doing to their child. In some cases, the online community for a video game classified with an M rating consists primarily of children. Ironically, two of the three games mentioned above (Call of Duty and Halo) fall under that category.

When a kid plays a video game and realizes that no harm can come to them, they get a rush. They feel invincible, controlling every aspect of some character and committing violent acts and crimes with no punishment. As that child matures, there is a much greater chance that they’re going to end up idolizing that character too much, which may lead to them attempting to act as their idol. We should make sure to remind our children that the events in these games are not meant to be replicated. Parents should be aware of what their children are playing these days, as some children may be too immature for games (hence the rating system). If people can distinguish between reality and the digital world, they will find that video games can be a great way to unwind and relax, as well as a means of taking out pent-up frustrations. Video games themselves aren’t a menace to society. It’s only when we allow them to control us that they become dangerous.