What is all the fuss about? Yes -- some games are violent -- but so are books, movies, TV shows and so can be every other piece of art. Games are art. They have stories. Unlike what FOX News claims, games can be much more than killing simulators (or alien sideboobs). They have real stories: numerous games I've played have actually better stories than some of the movies I've seen. Call of Duty 4 could easily be a Clancy novel or a movie. It has one of the best single player campaign plots I've ever seen.
There's a lot of movies with gore. A lot of it. Are they criticized by morons? No. But the second you make a game with a severed head, you're getting sued. Freedom of speech applies everywhere. Video games are as good as - or even better ways of storytelling. They are a (relatively) new way to tell stories. Highly photorealistic graphics allow even more believable environments. For example, I'd much rather play through Metal Gear Solid - which is on many "best videogame stories ever" lists than read a book, or watch a movie.
Get it? By adding interactivity, the lifespan of a story can be increased. It's more fun and engaging. But don't take me the wrong way - there are games that don't have a real plot, and are exactly what causes controversy. But freedom of speech exists. So do age ratings. It's not the maker's fault somebody underage got hold of the game. Yes -- you can hold them liable for making it -- but you might as well sue a cinema for showing a violent film. Or the film's makers. That won't go anywhere - but for some reason, it very often seems to work with video games (at least the "controversy" part). Why is this?
The main reason I wrote this article was due to the nearing release of Grand Theft Auto: IV (GTA) for short. By now, you should know what it is, so I doubt I need to explain. From what I can see from the trailers, IV could very well be a movie. Or a book. I've enjoyed the stories of the previous GTA games: they aren't bad (with the exception of San Andreas: what a horribly cliched & stereotypical character set).
Please, think twice before boycotting video games. They're just like all other media: if you hate GTA, you also hate everything violent on TV/film.
You told them right!
Movies have sex and violence in them, so why not ban them also from the general public?
Completely agreed with the blog.
Note that I didn’t address the claim that GTA causes real life violence. That’s up to you — do you think violence in media has effect on it?
Recent studies show (lol G4TV) that playing violent video games actually calm people down and make their chances of committing acts of crime lower than those who dont play video games
Uh, reason for them attacking games instead of movies? its easier to find reasons to ban a game rather than a movie…back here in the UK when manhunt was released, a boy of 14 took his friend into the woods and place a hatchet into his skull…when questioned by the authorities he stated “the game made me do it” which is bullshit…it can influence thoughts in your memory but mentally/physically push you to kill someone? No. The victims mother then started a petition and went to get the game banned…now correct me if im wrong, the parent of the killer bought him the game which is an 18 Cert…so she broke the law…and if my memory serves me correctly the victims mother bought him a copy of the game…now my point is…both parents broke the law and im afraid to say it but they paid the price and to an extent got what they deserved…why not start thinking logically and admit you are wrong instead of covering up the truth and getting the game banned when you are the one who is in the wrong…not the game developers.
meh, old people and their take on technology ><
i agree video games don’t make you violant. first off violance is not lurned or something you pick up on we as humans are bourn violant it’s the need to survive. we lurn what is right or wrong by listining to our parents and from experiance.
sorry about all the spelling errors i did not have time to check it over LOL. ><