For nordic residents

[Longinius 1]

For all you Nordic people who can watch Swedish Channel 4 (TV 4) there is a documentary on the violence in video games on wednesday at 2100 hours. They aparantly has some new "revolutionary results" and "never before seen footage from the wealthy game industry" that proves once and for all that if your kid plays a video game they will become lunatics. Case in point, Columbine.

Its not like we havent seen these things before with roleplaying games, hard rock and Marilyn Manson, but... Any way, it should be an entertaining watch.

[brgnorway 0]

I'll check it out on wednesday

[shadow 6]

LOL

These types of debates never seize to amaze me

Will see the programme if I remember it.

[Longinius 1]

I am pretty sure its going to be quite amusing

[cozza 24]

Might show flashpoint 2 but its not. There was something simmilar on Discovery channel but it was on making games and showed some pics of flashpoint. I saw the add but i never watched it. I was in Melbourne at Watergardens

[brgnorway 0]

I'm sure one doesn't become a drooling lunatic after playing video games. However, I'm always interested in research - even if it suggest that there's a connection between violence and games. I firmly believe it's not the case for most of us, but one has to ask if violent games AND movies etc. have an impact on the youth's willingnes to use and glorifie violence. I'm not talking about psycological effects, but a cultural impact. I don't know - but I'm quite sure the acceptance for using violence is far greater now compared to when I grew up 15 - 20 odd years ago  

[cozza 24]

Movies/games do make kids these days very violent these days. I'm 15 and I grow up in a violent school system

Where anyperson will beat you up if you just steep near them. (I know. But I tought them a lesson. ) Like u can tell kids if they are violent cuase of game and movies. I've meany people punch me like they would in the matrixs. Got them back cuase of my 5 mouths at Karate.

Batdog

[brgnorway 0]

Quote[/b] ]5 mouths at Karate

You talk the talk and walk the walk

Hehe......sorry, just couldn't help it

[Llauma 0]

This is ridiculous.. watch aktuellt on SVT 2 instead

[cozza 24]

thats ok. I dont get it anyway. I'm half asleep. Been up all day for BAS mission

So tired

[Longinius 1]

Schools have always been violent, but people didnt use to care much about it.

But yeah, violence has become worse, but I doubt it has to do with just video games. Its the entire media exposure combined with games, movies and so on. And add to this the fact that far to many kids these days have far to much free time on their hands. In the past, kids were busy helping their families. Today, they roam the street with nothing constructive to do.

Another thing that might be an issue in all of this is the fact that many kids believe they have rights and power to do what they will. To some extent they do, but I have seen examples where this has gotten way out of hand.

[iNeo 0]

They aparantly has some new "revolutionary results" and "never before seen footage from the wealthy game industry" that proves once and for all that if your kid plays a video game they will become lunatics.

That would be ridiculous. And you're probably exaggerating on purpose but you're using quotation signs as if you weren't. The description says "astonishing results" ('revolutionary' would be silly) of the scientists' latest findings, and it doesn't say "never before seen footage" either, just "a visit backstage at the greatest computer game developer in the world". The (rhetorical) question (of the description of the documentary) is, can it be dangerous?

I believe it can be dangerous if your mind is easily affected, but I think only a few children are in that state of mind. The parents should already have noticed that at the time the kid would start playing games of this type, and then it'd be up to them to stop him or whatever. In general, there's no need to worry..

[denoir 0]

It's the hallmark of Generation-X and its follow-ups. I mean, if I look at my parents' generation (born between late 1940's and mid of the 1950's), they beat by far my generation when it comes to sex and drugs. In many way, my generation is far more conservative than theirs was. What my generation likes however is excessive violence, simulated or otherwise. It's the taboo we are breaking.

Violence is a source of pleasure, an adrenaline kick. We have it wired in our brains on a primitive hunter level. Mentally balanced people know how ever that wanting to hurt somebody and wanting somebody to actually get hurt are two completely different things. The ultimate question is if computer games provide an outlet for that violence or if they serve as inspiration. I would say probably both. If you for one reason or another lack empathy for other human beings, then you'll probably be inspired. Fortunately most people do have some higher brain functions that prevent them from acting out on that impulse and most people won't hurt anybody else just because they play computer games or watch violent movies.

Still, make no mistake about it, anything you do, your brain nicely processes, adapts and uses for later reference. If you play violent games all the time, doesn't mean that you'll activly go and hurt somebody, but it might indeed mean that you will be more likely to interpret various situations as hostile and will be more likely to respond with violence. And statistically, you'll always have a certain percentage that will directly act on it.

That computer games are leaving a lasting impression on the player and that they serve as inspiration is very clear. Just look how a successful recruiting tool America's Army was. Or take a look around this very forum and see how many people (often teenagers) almost worship anything that has to do with the military.

Having said that, I can't really think any way around it. Banning violent computer games is impossible. There is a big demand for it and an absolute majority who play them do not turn into violent sociopaths. In the end, the question is if the violent computer games reflect a violent society or if the computer games create a more violent society. I can't say either way as I have not seen any real statistics on it.

[EiZei 0]

I get TV4 but then again, I cant understand swedish at all.

[Llauma 0]

I get TV4 but then again, I cant understand swedish at all.

Call me and I'll translate while watching

[Acro 0]

Yeah, i can watch TV4 too but i can't undestand talked swedish so well. Different thing with text.

[Colossus 2]

I was planing to see that documentry.

Remember its tomorrow

[Gollum1 0]

I get TV4 but then again, I cant understand swedish at all.

Call me and I'll translate while watching

Or call me, I'm...Somenruotsalainen (Finnish-Swedish sounds a bit clumsy and doesn't tell the truth).

It feels like these documentaries are on at least once every month, and it's like watching the same one over and over again, they make exactly the same points...

[MI_Fred 0]

I hope it's not the one where the parents of CS-kids make shocked faces infront of the camera.

I've always considered the gaming industry as another branch of entertainment (excluding the makers of AA and others aiming at the same goals, they can only blame themselves), be it a soldier simulation or not. I do it for amusement and I do not comprehend that I'm acting violently, I just follow the objectives... Holy sh... But yea, before I came involved with ofp I played racing sims and did my best at going around in circles as good as I could. It's just another way for me to accomplish something I am doing. I don't think about it. And most of all my shitty (or ofp's) gfx don't display atrocity that elaborately. That will change most probably though. As would my attitude towards shooting these few pixels currently portraiting humans.

Maybe that is a good thing as I don't intentionally fire off at people but what they represent, the enemy, which must be eliminated when told to. That is the basic principle of keeping yourself sane in the real situation.

Hmm hope TV4 isn't snagged from us here in the Finnish west coast just yet (damn local cable monopoly piece of xiit).