Video Game Violence

[windhound]

there's some controvery right now..  well, no, there has always been controversy, but a Florida law dude (now + Hillary Clinton) are activly going after violent video games with the accusation that they warp kids' minds

I'll go grab some links ina bit

but yeah..
I think they have some point in that games like GTA: SA is really innapropriate, for anyone really..  I'm not sure why people think its fun to play that sort of game.. 

and esp. 12 year olds shouldnt play it..  but its the parent's fault that their kids got the game..  I've been carded for buying some games (Halo, Unreal 2004) so I know that a 12 year old couldnt get out with a copy, and even if they got someone else to get the game for them or the clerk was being thoughtless, the parents should monitor what their kids play..
but most parents would prefer to blame the game rather than themselves..

[Nohcnonk]

If people would just pay attention to the rating system, then there should be no misunderstandings.  I say should because people would still make a fuss about it. XD I've never seen a game given a lower rating than it deserved in my life.

I guess video game violence coulld potentially make someone commit a crime, but it's really unlikely.  That's like saying that giving someone a kitchen knife will make them do something violent.  If anything, video games are a good way to get out your anger.  Trust me, owning people online in Halo is funnn. ^_^

[Aqualis]

No, video games have nothing to do with real life violence.

[Ruatine]

Well, I don't think that video game violence has any long-term affect on kids, but  I think it might make kids a little more aggressive for a short while after playing them. After all, everything you watch can have affect on you, and kids don't have the emotional maturity to realize the influence that external emotions can project onto them.

That's my two cents from personal experience.

[Disdain]

You all have very good points. I agree, as a parent, it's my job to make sure my kids are not experiencing anything beyond their age and ability to reason with what they're seeing.
It's just like the rating system on movies. The rating system on games, in my opinion, is too soft. I think GTA should be N17. I have a 4 year old and an 11 year old and neither of them would be allowed to play. I make sure the blood is turned off on anything my 4 year old is watching or playing. The rating's are a guidline that the parents should listen to. If not, then they are failing their kids.

[Aqualis]

GTA:SA is now an AO rated game.

[Nohcnonk]

Yeah, it's rated AdultsOnly for a mod or something to the game (I'm not sure exactly what it is because I haven't done it).  I'm sure Rockstar won't mess that up again.   If you just play the game normally it should be rated M.  GTA is well known for having blood, violence, language, sex themes, the works.  I personally think they're fun, but if you're not mature enough to handle a video game then that could cause major problems.

[Disdain]

Yea, and there are too many parents who put their kids on auto-pilot and think everything is fine.

[Ruatine]

*snorts* I agree. I've seen a lot of parents who will just plunk their kids down in front of the TV or video games, without even knowing what their kids are watching/playing. It's rather disturbing to meet a 10 year old who knows as much about sex as I do (and I'm almost 20).

[windhound]

The GTA issue was over a mod called 'hot coffee,' which allowed players acess to a sex mini-game.  I think it was proved that the content was actually on the disk as shipped, but it was dead code, probably in there originally, but taken out of gameplay before release, leaving the code on the disk (lazyness).  The mod just re-inserted it into gameplay.
the M (mature, 17+) and AO (adult only, 18+)  arnt really that different, except that places like Walmart and others wont touch AO games with a hundred foot pole, thus hurting distrobution..  but really, GTA has been out for quite a while, and anyone who wanted it has gotten it by now..

Two views on the issue:

Gamer, (author of CAD comic)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/03/tech/gamecore/main677960.shtml

Jack Thompson (FL law guy):
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/24/tech/gamecore/main676446.shtml

[Barkclaw2]

What???? You guys are WAY off. I'm 12, and I play GTA: SA. I watch R-rated movies. My mom trusts me. We're buds. I mean, this stuff is just the truth!!! If you don't let your kids do stuff or watch stuff, it's lieing to them!!! We diserve the truth. Besides, I already know about stuff, I mean, you have sex ed. in 5th grade!!! And thanks to movies I already knmew what they were telling me. I vote: No, it doesn't make them violent.

[Barkclaw2]

It is age discrimination not letting your kids play certain stuff! We have rights too! We deserve the truth!!!

[Nohcnonk]

That's your parents decision if they want to let you do that.  As for the children's rights thing... well, that's another discussion.  Feel free to bring it up in the UMD.

[Ruatine]

What???? You guys are WAY off. I'm 12, and I play GTA: SA. I watch R-rated movies. My mom trusts me. We're buds. I mean, this stuff is just the truth!!! If you don't let your kids do stuff or watch stuff, it's lieing to them!!! We diserve the truth. Besides, I already know about stuff, I mean, you have sex ed. in 5th grade!!! And thanks to movies I already knmew what they were telling me. I vote: No, it doesn't make them violent.

Thus I prove my point.

I didn't watch an R-rated movie until I was the recommended age: 17, and, yea, sex ed in 5th grade isn't too elaborate. At least, it wasn't when I was in 5th grade. And if you think the stuff in movies and video games is truth, well, you're sadly mistaken. It's based on truth, but far from it in many, many ways. Kids don't have to experience things to know about them. I believe in sex education, not sex experimentation. And there are some things a kid doesn't have to know when they are 12 years old.

Of course, it's all up to your parents how they raise you. Some parents are very loose with what their kids watch/experience. I'm just thankful that my parents weren't.

[edit] Oh, and just so everybody's clear. I'm not trying to offend, annoy, attack or otherwise harm any person with my post. This is just how I feel about this subject.

[windhound]

oh, I agree Teuf..  er, Ruatine =-P

I just got games like Halo and Unreal now that I'm old enough to buy them myself..  never had a gameboy or any other system for that matter..  but, I did have a computer..  it was a nice, speedy Celeron at a blazing ~350mhz and a huge 6 gig hdd..  (actually, it was a huge hdd..  thing is ~2x as big as thoes made now..  I carry it around with me for sentimental reasons =D)

No R-rated movies for me either...

Sex ed. in schools has always seemed like a joke to me..  never taught me anything I didnt know, or rather, anything I wanted to know that I didnt already..

Once kids are old enough, or rather mature enough to understand society's views on right and wrong, good from bad, then sure..   R movies and AO games for all..  but that usually doesnt happen to 12 year olds..  heck, most 18 year olds now barely qualify..  heh.

oh, and no.  thoes under 18 are not deserving of 'the truth'
esp. if it comes from R movies and M/AO games, which are far from truthful.. 
come on, Aliens invade Earth on a holy war?  (Halo)  Contestants fight to the death, only to respawn 4 seconds later, grab ever-replentishing weapons, and continue?  (unreal)  Run amuck with a chainsaw and have sex with prostotutes, only to kill them to get your money back?  (GTA)  Drive around the city, purposefully causing major pileups and damage to property?  (Burnout)
Movies, if anything, are worse =-P

Tune to the History Channel, National Geographic, Discovery, CNN, heck, even not CSPAN if you want 'the truth'
*shudders*  CSPAN...  's worse than NPR (National Public Radio) <- some shows are worth listening to, but gads..  they got some monotone droners on there as well..