| Ever since video game designers were able to | | | | spraying a gusher of red upon their demise. |
| put red pixels on their imaginary characters | | | | |
| that had recently deceased, there have been | | | | Whenever some young person somewhere commits |
| people crusading against their subversive | | | | a violent crime these days it seems to get |
| ways. The outrage at video games seems to be | | | | blamed on a video game, from "Duke Nukem" and |
| cyclic, fading very briefly before exploding | | | | "Quake" being accused for the Columbine High |
| into the public eye once more with renewed | | | | massacre, to a more recent incident involving |
| frenzy. The controversy seems to have sparked | | | | a group of minors attributing their violent |
| up again in recent times, with numerous | | | | actions to the "Mortal Kombat" video games. |
| crimes being blamed on the corruptive | | | | Without any solid evidence either way it's |
| influence of video games. There have also | | | | hard to say whether or not video game |
| been various "controversies" surrounding | | | | violence actually has much of an influence on |
| recent video games and their content in the | | | | players. To really be sure you'd probably |
| areas of both violence and sexuality. | | | | have to have a control group of isolated |
| | | | children that have never seen a violent movie |
| The first game to receive widespread | | | | or played a bloodthirsty video game. History |
| criticism and media attention was the martial | | | | does however show that brutal crimes were |
| art fighting game "Mortal Kombat". This game | | | | committed long before video games or even |
| included large spurts of blood emitted from | | | | movies came into existence. |
| attacks and also "Fatalities" that could be | | | | |
| performed on stunned opponents after their | | | | Children are quite easily influenced by |
| defeat. These Fatalities were gruesome | | | | something that they're excited about and I've |
| animation sequences showing the victorious | | | | seen this happen a lot. Playing a wrestling |
| player killing their defeated opponent in a | | | | video game with a group of eight year olds |
| vast variety of ways. Gamers revelled in this | | | | often leads to the eight year olds screaming |
| new experience and the controversy | | | | raucously and trying to pin each other down |
| surrounding the violence caused mass hype | | | | on the ground. Pre-teens will often punch and |
| that informed the less informed gamers that | | | | kick their way out of a cinema in terrible |
| the game was out there. Consequently gamers | | | | combat stances after having viewed a martial |
| played the new game just to find out what all | | | | arts movie. The current content rating system |
| the talk was about, thereby greatly | | | | in place is not geared towards consumer |
| increasing revenue. | | | | restriction; it is largely aimed at simply |
| | | | informing the public about what they are |
| One of the largest sparks of controversy has | | | | going to experience. Legal restrictions are |
| been the recent "Hot Coffee" modification for | | | | not actually put in place until the higher, |
| "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA:SA)". | | | | more severe ratings like in x-rated films. |
| This involved unlocking a sexually oriented | | | | Parents, guardians, and society in general |
| mini-game that had been removed from the game | | | | need to start taking an interest in who is |
| before release, although evidently not from | | | | viewing certain types of content. Instead of |
| the source code. The creators of the game, | | | | complaining about the entertainment a child |
| Rockstar Entertainment, obviously realised | | | | is enjoying, the parent could be there at the |
| that this particular part of the game was not | | | | beginning looking at the rating that is |
| appropriate for the video gaming public and | | | | printed clearly on the packaging of all |
| removed access to it. An enterprising fan of | | | | entertainment. A simple "I don't think that's |
| the game found out and modified the original | | | | suitable, how about this game? It has a |
| code to give access to the content once | | | | lizard!" distracts the child a surprising |
| again. Lawsuits were brought against Rockstar | | | | number of times. In my experience, children |
| for including such content in their game, | | | | genuinely just want people to take an |
| although the validity of the lawsuit has to | | | | interest in what they're interested in, not |
| be questioned. If the game is simply | | | | just murmuring indistinctly, "Yes dear, |
| purchased and played as intended by the | | | | that's nice." as the child installs the |
| developers, this admittedly tasteless and | | | | newest violent game. |
| inappropriate mini game would never be | | | | |
| encountered. It is not until the user-made | | | | What about the children that are playing the |
| modification is downloaded and installed that | | | | games in the restricted ratings categories? |
| the player is able to access the content. | | | | The only way that they can even get the game |
| | | | into their possession is if a parent (or |
| Regardless of who's to blame, "GTA: SA" was | | | | someone of legal age) purchases the game for |
| re-rated in America and banned from sale in | | | | the child, or if the store disregards the |
| Australia. Oddly enough the gratuitous and | | | | rating guidelines in place and sells it to |
| encouraged violence in the game went largely | | | | them regardless. Either way the fact that a |
| unnoticed in the wake of the "scandalous" sex | | | | game's content has fallen into a minor's |
| scenes involving clothed, cartoonesque | | | | hands is not the fault of the game developer. |
| people. | | | | |
| | | | I'm not out to defend the integrity of |
| When examined objectively almost all games | | | | artistic vision presented in video games as |
| contain a certain amount of violent content. | | | | many other gamers are. Frankly there seems to |
| The kid-friendly bright and colourful "Mario" | | | | me to be little artistic integrity in |
| games by Nintendo feature a character | | | | rendering blood that is ever more liquid in |
| stomping on animated creature's heads. In | | | | appearance. I do however enjoy playing some |
| fact the majority of games, even children's | | | | games that are quite violent in nature and in |
| games, involve the protagonist crusading | | | | many cases the violent nature of the game |
| against an enemy horde of some sort and | | | | increases my enjoyment. Video games are |
| generally "disposing" of them in some manner, | | | | escapism, there's (arguably) no point in |
| whether it be striking them with a weapon or | | | | playing a video game that simulates something |
| body part (feet, hands, possibly a tail | | | | you can just walk outside and do (and yet |
| depending on the nature of the character). | | | | sports games somehow consistently sell in |
| The only real stand out difference is that in | | | | large numbers... curious...). Interestingly I |
| a children's game the 'bad' characters will | | | | have never yet felt the overwhelming desire |
| generally bounce backwards in a cute manner | | | | to break down into a kung fu stance and |
| and explode with a humorous puff sound (or | | | | commit murder. Perhaps more important than |
| simply disappear) whereas in a game oriented | | | | simply banning questionable content in video |
| towards older mature players, the characters | | | | games would be studying why this content is |
| are more likely to be (somewhat) realistic, | | | | so appealing to today's society? |