The Truth About Violent Youth and Video Games

Game Revolution Takes a Real Look at the Numbers

Published on July 26, 2005 By Yarlen In PC Gaming

Duke Ferris over at Game Revolution has posted an article that takes a factual look at violence and video games. With the recent mania taking place over Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' Hot Coffee easter egg causing politicians and lawyers to once again call for new laws and sanctions, the government's own FBI statistics show quite clearly that violent games don't translate into violent gamers. In fact, since the PlayStation and video games appeared on the scene, youth violence has reached its lowest levels ever.

Comments (Page 2)

Ugleb

on Aug 08, 2005

If your 12 year old kid comes running up to you with a copy of Doom 3 or Grand Theft Auto...if your not smart enough to LOOK AT THE BOX...you deserve what you get...

Take one look at the Doom3 cover art. The parent that doesnt bat an eye lid at that snarling thing on the cover needs to ask themselves some serious questions anyway. If they blink at the front, they should turn it over and look at the back. Where there is a mean looking guy with a shotgun, 2 creepy blank staring zombies, a thing with a chainsaw and another marine firing a machine gun. And the graphics arent exactly in a cartoon style. And the finishing touch, here in britain the top rating (age 18+) uses the same badge as video/dvd/cinema releases. The red 18 badge is featured clearly on the box in four places. Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines is another 18 certificate game and has the same universal 18 badge which is clearly displayed front and back. The images on that packaging includes an ugly vampire beasty wearing some interesting leather, a busty cow girl who obviously doesn't believe in underwear and a shot of 3 people being burned alive with a flamethrower.

Yet so many people never seem to question these games when they buy them. In my opinion no 12 year old has any business playing either game I have mentioned there, Doom3 is a gorefest with shock tactics where there are lots of dark places with things to leap out at you. It contains alot of blood and guts, and tbh I can't play it for extended periods as it plays havoc with my nerves. I manage to see more hiding places than there are monsters so I'm twitching constantly. I don't think that bothers the little ones too much, its more the quasi-satantic imagery as you journey into hell that bothers me. In the context of the game I'm ok with it, but it isn't for the very young and impressionable.

Vampire is a similiar story. its a game where you roleplay being a Vampire. You are the monster, and you discover an underworld filled with other monsters just like you. If you imagine the kind of person who would choose to live off other peoples blood, you can soon see that you will meet alot of not very nice people. The thing about Vampire is, as a roleplay game it has to be believable and so explores this dark and seedy hypothetical other world. In context, you meet the people you imagine that you would meet, and are presented with some characters you simply loathe. I love the game for that, but I am very clear that in order to play it you should remeber just what it is you are playing, and why it is this way. I don't think a 12 year old is able to grasp that properly, and wouldn't interpret it correctly.

I wonder how many 12 year olds have played either or both of those games. I wonder if their parents bought them to keep them good in the school holidays this sumer? I wonder how many bothered to look at the box.

Zoomba

on Aug 08, 2005

The ESRB is very essential to the industry right now, it's the only thing holding back the floodgates of legislation on video game content. The latest kerfluffle over GTA:SA ended when the ESRB modified the rating to Adult Only. Having an ESRB rating on a box allows developers and publishers to say "Woah, we KNOW this is a violent game, so we submitted it for review and it got a mature/adult only rating. At that point it's the responsibility of the retailer to use discretion"

See that? It shifts the blame to the retailer (who honestly has the most control over who gets a game) and/or the parents (who have the most control over what is done in their household). It serves the same purpose as movie ratings at the theater. It places the decision with the consumer and the retailer, where it belongs.

Lucky_Jack

on Aug 08, 2005

Where there is a mean looking guy with a shotgun, 2 creepy blank staring zombies, a thing with a chainsaw and another marine firing a machine gun.

Sounds like a lot of game boxes I have seen on store shelves. Come to think of it, it sounds like the comic book covers I used to see on store shelves when I was a teen ager, in the 1950s. I.e., it just plain sounds like the same old saturation of come-ons to get you to buy the product. And with the frequency of come-on cover to actual content dissappointment, I think I should be excused for being rather blase about covers.

And back then we didn't have ratings boards. I haven't seen any statistics on youth crime then compared to now. I suspect that such a comparison of data would prove to be inconclusive?

Even so, I like the idea of the ratings, but I am sceptical about the accuracy of those ratings.

Ugleb

on Aug 10, 2005

Where there is a mean looking guy with a shotgun, 2 creepy blank staring zombies, a thing with a chainsaw and another marine firing a machine gun.

Sounds like a lot of game boxes I have seen on store shelves. Come to think of it, it sounds like the comic book covers I used to see on store shelves when I was a teen ager, in the 1950s. I.e., it just plain sounds like the same old saturation of come-ons to get you to buy the product. And with the frequency of come-on cover to actual content dissappointment, I think I should be excused for being rather blase about covers.

The main point I was driving at is that the images featured on the Doom3 packaging (especially considering the high quality graphics engine) should at least make people think. It's not like we're talking about Doom2's brightly coloured cartoonish images anymore.

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