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Lol, I don't think video games are bad unless people go batshit insane and like, associate real life with video games.
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I don't really see it as that big of an issue. i mean little kids might see killing and scary things on the video games, but to see those all they really have to do is turn on the tv. Especially around Halloween time. Even in cartoons things get murdered. Like, for instance, Tom and Jerry cartoons (which still air) Tom goes around gettin ghit with frying pans, lumber, rakes, and everythign else. This is obviously violence since Jerry is usually hte one bashing him with things. It is fantasy violence though, just like in the video games. And, mostly as long as the kids know its all fantasy and not real, I don't see a problem too much with it.
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I don't think it makes much of a difference with or without.
A lot of stuff they blame other stuff on is really the dysfunctional family's fault. u__u'' |
It makes me happy to see that this is a community of people with the common sense to know how rediculous people are when they argue that video games cause the youth in america to do violent things. I mean when the recent shooting happened no more than a few hours into it my good friend (sarcasticlly) Jack Thomson was already trying to blame the entire thing on video games, it kinda made me sick how he was putting his agenda forward before the parents could even grieve. Sorry the man makes me quite angry. but anyways. I agree with everyone saying that parents should not be blaming video games for their childrens violent behavior after the fact. Especially considering their negligence is the cause of it (if not for anything else just for buying the game without checking what was in it). Rating systems arn't hard to figure out, I bet parents check to see what movies are rated, and the ratings usually in pretty much the same spot with a description of why. I've seen plenty of examples of these types of parents (These parents braught their kids to see silent hill SILENT HILL! those kids I bet couldn't sleep for months). I'm sorry for the rant but I feel strongly for video game rights, because I myself am a gamer and don't think that our leaders are trying to put extensive restrictions on them based on a loose idea that hasn't been tested to any great extent (and really shouldn't because if they did test it and they were right those kids would be quite messed up, not that they would but still). To conclude my tyrade there are places that contains news on this stuff if anyones interested, http://www.gamepolitics.com/ and http://www.videogamevoters.org/ .
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I'll put my opinion into perspective in this manner: Bad drivers are usually forced to watch that film "Red Asphault" which shows graphic depictions of car crash victims. This is in most cases, a government-regulated practice. Why I'm not saying these people do or don't need to see this video to become better drivers, my point is how is being forced to see a...in a worse case scenario- a beheaded man being wheeled out on a strecher any worse than me VIRTUALLY knocking some guy off the road in Mario Kart DS?
It's an odd comparison, but my point is that while kids and others choose to play video games, much worse things are being watched/promoted. |
Video games need to be regulated better. Also, there is nothing wrong with video gaming. How can I say both at once? I've been playing one game (Counter-Strike) for 11 years now.. (Yes it has been out that long, check records.) This game is a perfect case study of the ups and downs and rights and wrongs of gaming.
Let me describe it for those of you that don't know what it is: It's an online game, with both built in Text chatting and Built in Voice chatting. It has a Mature rating but I've seen everywhere from 6 year olds to 60 year olds playing (no joke). The game consists of playing on one of two teams. You spawn in and purchase REAL WORLD weapons and fight for one of two possible objectives based on your team and game type. Counter-Terrorists will either have to protect a bomb site or defuse a planted bomb on de_ map, or rescue hostages on a cs_ map. Terrorists will either have to plant the bomb or eliminate all Counter-Terrorists on a de_ map, or eliminate all Counter-Terrorists on a cs_ map. It is a very violent game, and it is a very fun game. It's the game where that internet meme "BOOM, HEADSHOT" came from (us CS oldbies despise that term to some degree). What makes it so bad... it's realistic enough to be believed by weak-minded people, and so many people play it. It is estimated to be the second most played game of all time and it still holds amazing play statistics as can be seen here. So back to what I said first, VGs need to be regulated better. Parental control needs to be used. Failsafes need to be put in so there is some way for VGs to not be played by people that are too young. ESRB [the people who should be in charge] need to be replaced by someone else who actually understands what goes on. It's not the games themselves that will cause any problems, it's the people that let the wrong people play them too much. -if I babbled, shoot me, I used to get payed money to play video games (Counter-Strike), and then later I was an editorial writer for eSportsTV and currently I'm a leader for a team called H2O clan, which is the male counterpart for PMS Clan which is an all female gaming clan I encourage everyone to check out. Thanks for your time- |
Game systems like the Wii have implimented parental controls for kids to not be able to play certain rated video games actually. I'm not entirely sure about the PS3 or the XBOX360 though. It's a great little feature, however if the parents already arn't paying attention to what the kids are playing they arn't going to take the time to figur out how to do that either. I don't think a gocernment regulated video game system is neccisary, the amount of crimes actually related to video games are few and far between, and most of them wern't mentally sound people to be so out of touch with reality that they decided to reenact a video game in real life. regulations arn't needed what needs to be done is better informing of parents, like BIG signs that under no sercumstances they could miss in stores just before the video game section. possibly commercials as well (kinda like tv rating system commercials back in the day).
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Personally, I can't stand it when people blame a game or an artist about something wrong going on in a school, mental problem or something. It's almost as bad as when 'Catcher in the Rye' was the focal point of shootings and mass suicides because video games and the media weren't has rampant as they are today. I do believe that parents and politicians should stop blaming the companies who produce the games and have them rated by the board (doing everything that is necessary to get the game on the shelves legally), and harp on those that are selling the games to the minors.
You don't know how many times I have been able to walk into E-B Games and pick up a mature title and walk out (when I was younger of course) with no opposition at all. I'm sure people realize how easy it is to get these games, there is no stopping you. Why? because they just want to sell the merchandise and don't care who actually gets it. I think that's where the parent comes in. My friend Kevin still deals with his mom asking about the games he plays. I have a friend whose cousin's mother and father support their gaming, but watch what games they play! They buy only within age limit and nothing beyond that until they are older. They are completely fine. If you pay attention to your children and look for any warning signs, then you should have no problems. An alert parent is a smart parent. I believe that paying attention to your child should be a constant affair because they are always changing and getting into something new. Stop violence ahead of time and pay attention to your kids, we wouldn't have all this grief about video games if they did. We also need the video game ratings to be enforced upon the companies that sell the games, forcefully and with more vigor. In other words, the next time you see an employee selling a violent game to a little kid, ream him out in the store, or take down the name of the employee and talk to the manager. Those are the first steps we can take as a whole to prevent this from growing into an epidemic. |
I personally think that those who don't have their priorities straight, and play video games is where the issue comes in. A lot of people would rather play video games instead of doing their homework or chores. And thats where I think where parents get angry, because they devote time to something that really won't help them much in the future, and they think their childs lives are wasting away.
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Problem is: Parents never want to blame themselves or admit they've done wrong when it comes to raising their children!
Whenever a kid commits suicide and they find out he played a game they look at the game and if it was violent they blame it. Then they ask the parents and the parents say , " Oh well he did play it a lot." Before you know it you got eh snowball effect and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and before you know it the parents never admit they did anything wrong or think about how they could've prevented their childs death and blame the game. I do believe some of these games should never ever be played by kids when they are seventeen or younger and parents use the excuse, " Well I had to buy it for him anyway because even if I didn't he'd get it anyway." If your kids playing a video game is that much of a problem then you need to take thew damn game away from them. Do some parenting and shut up. I will admit though people need to use their heads when it comes to video games to. My boyfriend is an adult, but even he can sometimes throw a big hissy fit when his character dies or he doesn't win or whatever. I sometimes sit for hours upon hours waiting to do something while he's busy just playing his stupid game. I think some people have problems with stopping and taking a break from the game. But as for violent games make kids violent is a load of crap. I have kids that come into daycare that are sometimes two and I know they aren't playing video games and they can be the most biolent little S.O.Bs I've ever met. It all depends on the parents and the people around your kids really, not the video games. |
No, people just like to make it an issue cause its easy to pick on it....people should not focus on video games as the cause of things, they need to actually admit that its just poor parenting!
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they can do so much now. i mean you can get video games for your kids now that teach them reading and writing and music. plus the interactive games now can give you physical activity. its just amazing i think. how could they be bad? i mean i don't play video games cause i am lazy and would rather read a book and some of the graphics are so good now that i get major motion sickness just watching them.
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I dont think anything is wrong with kids or people playing video games.
o3o I mean they are an enjoyment for some people and they keeps some kids from being bored.:B As well as when people arent able to pass some levels on a game and are constantly coming back and trying to win it, it structures the brain and actually makes you think of how you could win it. |
To be honest, I have no clue what video games do to us. For those people that say video games make us more violent, I'd like to see proof, as in experiments. I hate it when people say, "Video games make people kill other people!" Nothing about the subject can be said unless you've done your research.
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What do you think about video games being a part of our society?
It's a good thing, even though I don't really play them (except for free MMPORGS) cause I'm cheap and likely a new obsession will cause me to flunk out of school, because just my seniorities is close to enough to do that anyways. Are they really that much of an issue? Hell no What are the arguments against video games? Promotes violence/desensitization to violence, forms view of women as sex objects, evil from Satan designed to corrupt our innocent children! What is the common sense response to those arguments? >w< JAPAN, JAPAN, JAPAN :roll: |
if your talking about video games and how some of the public thinks they are the reason for violence... i think they are wrong in most cases
for one most people can't tell whats real and whats not and also it's not the video games fault it's the person who cause the crime who is at fault |
I am all for parents being parents. If people dont understand the concept of watch what your kids are doing, they dont deserve to have kids, imo.
Video games are a tool of fantasy. Even if your playing a realistic game, something like Grand Theft Auto, its still fantasy. Your acting out a fantasy that you wouldn't otherwise do in real life. I'd rather see people do it in a game then in real life. However, I think things like that should be restricted to only those that can prove they know the difference between reality and fantasy. Its that inability to tell the difference that causes problems. |
Some pretty violent games Ive played when I was young..
A simple multiplayer game with bunnies jumping on eachother's head. And they'd go splat, and there'd be a bloody mess. Also of course GTA 2, I remember playing that on 9-11.. I didnt even feel like playing after that anymore. Of course there's worms. I loved it to death back then! But I never really took any of these games seriously. So I guess it never made me any violent. I think it depends alot on how nice the graphics are. While I enjoyed playing GTA2, it took me a while to touch a first person shooter. Hehe, I really wasnt very violent at all:3 |
ok, i am a hard core gamer. any type of game i'll play and complete and find out how to do it the fast way. its a past time i enjoy and have done for a bit now.
here is what i dont get with games and violence. the perents and powers that be say that voilent games are unsutable for children. i fully agree infact so do the people that make the games hence why there is an age limit on it. this age limit is the same as if it was a film baised on the level of violence, sex and abusive language (not to mention amounts of illegal activertys). this in mind its easy to say "well that isnt stopping them! they still play them" yes true but lets face it here, kids do things they shouldnt, they smoke they have sex and they drink usually before they are legally of age, not all but its not uncommon. shouldnt the perents be the ones stopping them? i mean if they think its not a very sutable game shouldnt they provent them? and yes i do think that a shop should stop e.g. a 14 year old from buying a game sutable for 18's and above. that is unless the perents have given consent. most violence in games is now not the main thing to the game. its actually interesting that now more and more games are being made that have a new dimention to it, player choice. one of the games i know thats brought up a lot of upset was grand theft auto, were you can pay a woman for "services" and kill her and steal the money back...... i would like to see were in the game you are forced to do this, your not, ever. its the players choice. take postal (think its 2) you can murder any one do very sick things like urinate on people.... or you can do the stuff your actually ment to, something that is none violent at all like asking people to sighn a pertition. video games are just being used as a scape goat for a problem that they cant solve. violence could be blaimed on anything, rap music that involves guns and fighting, bloody films like saw, the fact guns are legal, the list is endless. if you look at the steriotipical gamer they are like lucas from ctrl+alt+del comic, just some one that enjoys playing games, not a raving mad lunatic bent on killing people. a big load of text i know and im sorry but i like video games and get annoyed when they are thought to be tools that incorage young people to be violent. |
I personally am not obsessed or an addicted gamer. However, I DO enjoy games a lot! I even considered entering the field of developing games, but decided it isn't my passion. Anyway, back on topic. I think Video Games are fine in society, but there are limitations to all of this. I really don't think kids of the age 5 should really being playing Grand Theft Auto, alright? But a teenager!? Why not? Teenagers already know what's out there on the street and that that sort of violence CAN be displayed in real life, but they also understand that that's a GAME. Not reality. I'm 17, so this is how I feel about being a teenager and growing up playing violent games. My family never really complained or said that any type of bad behavior we displayed was due to our video games.
I suppose the problem parents should ask themselves is... "Is my child playing these violent games and then displaying them in real life?" And, most parents should find that it's not the case. I don't think parents should allow their kids to play Video games CONTINUOUSLY. But, most of the video gamer geeks I know are EXTREMELY smart and may be my boss one day. Also, this is a growing business, they could potentially develop future games and make a lot of money in the future. I think the biggest argument against video games is that children are too addicted and do nothing but play their games. Well, if parents would develop more fun activities away from the game system, and perhaps do some family fun outside perhaps that would make it easier for a child to actually WANT to really play with his own body and not with a controller. Of course, then there is the issue of parents not having the time to do that sort of thing. Then they need to be creative and come up with other ways to keep their kids doing more than just playing a game and watching TV. Get them into something else, or help inspire their interest or creativity over something else. Honestly, I'm loving that they've come out with EDUCATIONAL video games for younger audiences. Because let's face it, My generation and the ones to come LOVE video games. It's a way of life. We talk about games wherever we go, whether it's a card game, a talk game, or an actual video game. But anyway, I don't think video games are quite the big issue out on the market today. Now it's about China bringing unsafe toys in, the Presidential election, our economy and the Global Warming issue. Video Games aren't on our top list of worries lately. Parents are more worried about paying their bills. |
Most video games involve killing or at the very least violence. It sounds ridiculous but when Mario jumps on a Goomba's head and it disappears, is he not killing it? In other games characters based on humans kill other human shaped characters. In most cases a person can tell that both of those situations are fantasy. The problems begin when a person cannot.
I think the real tragedy of the matter is when you hear of someone who committed a crime either believing they were a video game character, or otherwise acting out a video game scene is that the person involved was probably mentally ill but was always dismissed as just a geek or a loser. I think that if someone starts to display seriously obsessive behavior in regards to a video game they should be treated with the same respect that other mental health patients are, rather than just ignored or mocked. Maybe even a little disclaimer that appears when a game is loaded which could say something like "All events in this game are fantasy. Never recreate scenes from this or any other video game." could make all the difference to a vulnerable person. |
i've been playing videogames since i was a kid, so i have no problem with them..... my mother may not like what type of videogames i play because of all the blood and violence but she understands my addiction to them......all though that may not be a good thing.
videogames can also be helpfull. like with eye and hand cordination. or for little kids with learning how to spell and stuff. thats just my thought about videogames. |
I have a wonderful 6 year old son who loves people and doesn't like to see anyone hurt in any way shape or form. He's a good kid overall. He also loves blowing up zombies on house of the dead 3. Yes, I let him play that. He thought it was hilarious. Didn't change his personality a bit. I think people put to much blame on outside influences when the only real influences a kid has are the close to home ones. The only video game stipulation I have is that it can't show him things that he doesn't already know about. Like killing hookers to get your money back. Ug, I hate that one.
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If games are to blame then so is the news for all I'm concerned, I hear more about death on the TV than I do in video games and what's worse with the news is, it's all real *gasp*
Seriously though, TV has just as much violence as a video game does and both are rated. You can turn on a parental control on the TV for when you aren't home and I've found out I can do the same thing on my PS2 (even blocked out DVDs with ratings > PG by accident). So there isn't the excuse that the parents can't always be watching them. I saw a clip about how horrible Mass Effect was because there was a sex plot and the lady was arguing that the child can just pop in Dad's mature rated game when he's not home. Hate to point this out but little Timmy can also just google porn on Dad's computer when he's not home too, or put in those DVDs hidden in his parent's room that he was told he couldn't watch til he was older. So if someone wants to attack how easily accessible Mature and Teen games are to kids, lets address those others as well. I knew where my parents' older tapes were when I was a kid even though I'm sure my parents didn't think I could reach that shelf, but at least they checked up on me to keep an eye on what I was up to. Heck, my mom would wake up early to watch the cartoons with my brother and I on Sunday. She liked having something in common with us even though she secretly despised Eureka's Castle. She's also a mean Dr Mario player, I've caught her and my dad a few times playing into the wee hours of the morning on my video games. Course, I think my mom just enjoyed beating my dad at a game ^^ |
My ex worked at a game store and I have spent enough time in games stores to know that parents want to pawn their kid off on whatever will make them happy, if that means grand theft auto then thats what it is. Since I didn't actually work for the game store my ex was at I would often try and say things to discourage parents from getting the M rated games for the screaming kids (half the time they thought I worked there since I'd come in on my breaks and wore dress cloths) and sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t. That is the problem, 12 yearolds playing a game designed for someone much older. Heck a few of the games I can't even stomach and process very well! How should a 13 year old be able to?
That’s part of the problem. The other part is that kids don’t have to just entertain themselves or imagine anything on their own anymore, there is no creativity and you are stuck inside the world of this game. However giving your kid a book or two wouldn’t hurt along with maybe genuine family time. If I ever ended up having kids I would defenently work it out so the father and I were home with them most days (like having a part time job/part time child care) since I was always put into a center and all that :s |
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