"I kill you.": a rant on the matter of violent video games

[shbaz]

Man, I wouldn't advocate that at all, I still have scars.  :'(

What from? Did a fat italian plumber sit on your face when you were a kid?

Actually, I was referring to the 'Parents should teach the difference between cartoon and real violence,' or in my interpretation, child abuse. 

[Moox]

I think kids should have common sence. I played wolfenstien in kindergarten, the teachers told my parents I was the most violent boy they ever met. I dont want to steal cars, shoot hookers, and jump on shrooms. Games are games, if people dont understand that, they should be locked up.

[DGMacphee]

Actually, I was referring to the 'Parents should teach the difference between cartoon and real violence,' or in my interpretation, child abuse.Ã, 

Yeah, because I was so obviously talking about child abuse in a thread about computer game violence. Tell me, when I say parents should teach their kids about sex, do you think of incest? And if I say they should also teach kids about how puppies are born, do you think of beastiality?

And if a parent should teach their kid about things that suck, does everyone think of Blender?

[shbaz]

Actually, I was referring to the 'Parents should teach the difference between cartoon and real violence,' or in my interpretation, child abuse. 

Yeah, because I was so obviously talking about child abuse in a thread about computer game violence. Tell me, when I say parents should teach their kids about sex, do you think of incest? And if I say they should also teach kids about how puppies are born, do you think of beastiality?

Ironicaly, yes. Though in an "it would be funny if.." sort of way.

[DGMacphee]

Incest and beastiality. The choice of every good comedian's daily breakfast.

Anyway, this is way off-topic.

[Moox]

Im sad to say that my town in North Carolina has more then its fair share of inbreds...
Sorry for it being off topic

[modgeulator]

I just wish someone would kill in the name of an adventure game for once! All the publicity could really help the genre out. Here's a plan: how about I go hack up the next door neighbours, then when the cops pick me up I'll tell them the puzzles in "Syberia" drove me to do it.

[shbaz]

Incest and beastiality. The choice of every good comedian's daily breakfast.

Being Aussie, I guess you probably haven't heard many redneck jokes.

For something to be funny it usually must be out of the ordinary or shocking. Once it crosses a line, it ceases to be funny for some people. I'm just not that sensitive.

[DGMacphee]

Incest and beastiality. The choice of every good comedian's daily breakfast.

Being Aussie, I guess you probably haven't heard many redneck jokes.

For something to be funny it usually must be out of the ordinary or shocking. Once it crosses a line, it ceases to be funny for some people. I'm just not that sensitive.

You obviously don't know much about Australia.

And the whole "I-fucked-my-mother-cause-I-come-from-the-South-hyuck-hyuck" bit isn't shocking. It's stale. It's been done to the point of cliche. Nowadays, I don't really see anything funny about rednecks and inbreeding, not because I'm offended, but because I've heard the joke too many times. It's people who can twist the joke (e.g. The Simpson's episode where Cletus goes to parenting school -- "Pa, I cut my finger on the screen door again!" -- or the Futurama episode with the Hillbilly on the moon) that I find funny.

But I should also remind you that we are talking about kids here. It's a little difficult for most people to find child abuse or sex with minors (related, redneck or whatever) funny, no matter how sensitive a person you might be. Sure, you get the odd Michael Jackson joke here and there, but I doubt you'll ever see Paul Reubens doing a stand-up routine on the wonders of child pornography.

But like I said, we're getting WAAAY off-topic now. So... back to senseless violence in computer games!!

* DGMacphee hacks everyone to pieces with a chainsaw!

[m0ds]

Interesting article, Remo. A friend of mine was telling me about that murder not so long ago, and how they planned to ban certain games in the UK. I have no problem with that.

In fact, I think it'd work for the better. This country is certainly cracking down on piracy, so that and a reduction in violent games would be pretty good. As a ex media student I agree that excessive playing and so forth can lead people to do things like that.

Should a teenager really be playing a game like Manhunt? And it's something that a lot of people have only just woken up to - there seems to be a lot of money in violent video games.

I'm happy if they all get banned, because I only really play adventures.

And if they were all banned, everyone would make adventures again

[Chicky]

They better not ban doom2...

[Privateer Puddin']

Yeh, banning Doom two would totally suck..

[Haddas]

Yes, doom 2. That's what we #agsers play all day online, yessir!

[MrColossal]

hey remo, dunno if you know but i just got an email from the IGDA and in it is a link to your article, big man on campus!

[remixor]

Whoa!Ã,  What sort of email is it?Ã,  Would you mind forwarding it to me?

Edit: Whoa!

[MrColossal]

sent to your hotmail account

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Funny thing, I think games are actually getting less violent. Well, some of the only, of course. As in, some of them are forcing the player to stealth instead of combat. Like the wonderful Splinter Cell. And System Shock 2 is still widely loved, and while it does rely on violence, it's more of psychological violence (do horror games make you m,entally unstable? Sorry, next rant, not this one!), you're actually envcouraged to skip combat because you ain't got much in the way of attacking. Also, BG&E, although I ain't played it, seems to fit this bill.

I think we're slowly, but surely, evolving on this. Unfortunately, as shown by Manhunt, so's the "dark side, Luke".

A question for anyone who wants to answer - there used to be a game, for children, where the players earned more points the better they tortured Jews (guess when this was. I read this in my history book, and while it seems too early for computers at all, maybe it actually came some time later... actually, I don't even remember if it WAS a computer, or console, or whatever game. But it DID exist). This is atrocity. Yes. It's brainwash. Yes. But is it any less of an atrocity than a game where the players earn points by killing people in nasty ways - Manhunt?
Sure, the game's rated 18+, but isn't it disturbing that the acual people who play those games seem to be under that age? Makes you think. Then again, we DO live in a violent world, and it's the surest reference 14agers have...

All in all, I'm still optimistic about it.

[Al_Ninio]

Gee.
Just a couple of days after I unsubscribed from the IGDA mailing list.
Would any of you mind posting the contents of that email?
Or, knowing how long these things can get, just the part regarding Remo's article?

[TerranRich]

When "Manhunt" came out, until that point, I had actually thought that games were evolving too. Then, I was disturbed. Beyond disturbed, I was mortified. Here was a game where you killed just the sake (fun?) of killing, and the commercials made it seem all right and even enjoyable. Furthermore, I saw no point to the game. Okay, so you kill people before they kill you. And? That's it? I mean, we have games where people kill, but there's a statement or a point to all of it (GTA, et al). But "Manhunt" didn't have a point to it at all. Just kill before you are killed. Great.

On a side note, has anyone ever saw the Chappelle's Show sketch where Dave is living Grand Theft Auto in his everyday life? It's pretty hilarious. Video clip here: http://www.bordergatewayprotocol.net/jon/humor/video/gta4real.mpg

[Vel]

Great article, and in case I haven't said it - great site. I hadn't checked it for a while and now I read all those great reviews, interviews, articles and previews. Top-notch job.