So why do you think there are such things as commercials on TV and Radio? Because people see/hear them and respond by either buying or not buying. No, I don't think that the game itself would cause violence. But a person that has problems and plays a violent game very well may act out as if he/she were in the game. Violence is caused by violent people. Not by violent video games. But certain people, IMO, should not be allowed to play the violent games.
Very simply put .... too much of anything is bad for you.
Video games can be addictive, expecialy when it concerns children who have a lessened ability to maintain good self controll.
It is great for adults, in moderation.
It can also be good for children considering facts such as increased hand eye coordination, mental stimuli, visual stimuli, puzzle solving, reading skills, and problem solving skills.
I am a father of 3. My son just got his first gaming system.... PSP.... at the age of 12. my other sons will have to wait untill they are 12 to get their own.
With good parenting Video games can be a mentaly stimulating activity for children.
BUUUUUUUT .... yes it can cause violent behavior in a small percent of children who are either succeptable to the influences, or are Living their lives staring at a gaming screen.
Any child who lives their lives staring at a gaming screen has bad parents.
Some peeple/children are designed in a way that they cannot differentiate between reality and fiction. Those children cause most of the pbvious issues related to gaming.
But as I have said.... overuse of anything is bad, and can hamper a childs development dramaticly. Video games can be a positive influence for children if they are used correctly.
I personally do not think violent games turn anyone into a violent person; just like playing a non-violent game would make a person more passive, it is just crazy talk. I think it is more that some people are naturally violent, think of it this way.
Originally posted by Interesting
What about this poll
Does different cultural elements affect behavior?
Yes.
Is violent behavior, a behavior?
Yes.
Are video games, a cultural element?
Yes.
Are violent games, games?
Yes.
97% of those who voted are so stupid.
ANYTHING THAT IS CULTURAL AFFECTS ANY KIND OF BEHAVIOR.
To prove a point that everyone is different one guy stated on a forum,
Originally posted by Nightbringe1
It's not a black and white answer. Is a stable and well adjusted person going to become violent because of a vidio game?
No. Is a person already predisposed to mental health issues going to adversly affected by a violent game?
Possibly, but they could just as easily be affected by other sources. Are people who are already predisposed to violence drawn to violent games?
Yes. The more violent the game the more likely these people are to be drawn to it.
I have a 17 year old son who, as a child, was not capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality. We could not allow him to watch cartoons or Power Rangers because he would constantly try to re-enact everything he saw. On the other hand, neither of my daughters would even dream of trying the same things he did. My 7 year old daughter loves cartoons and MMO's but would never dream of hurting anyone and will tell you it's not real.
Nothing beats good parenting and since everybody is different, he had to watch his son who could not distinguish between fantasy and reality.
So you must wonder who is to blame in all this? The parent who could not watch his son or see that he is depressed, so he goes out and kills someone? Alternatively, the game makers, who make these games for people's entertainment and for people to get away from real live for a while? Seems somewhat farfetched to me that it always someone else's fault because parents cannot keep an eye on their kid. Why does the government have to be responsible for other people's kid's upbringing?
So point the finger all you want but even if video games are a problem its apart of a bigger thing... question is where should it be pointed??? (the parents :P no really they should raise there kids better and be more active in there upbringing instead of letting everyone else do it for them)
I say violent games can lead to violent behavior. It just all depends who's hands these games fall into. I started playing GTA when I was 14 and I never once tried to steal a car or shoot anyone and my cousin started playing when he was 12 and same thing. We are both 2 law abiding citizens that can tell the difference between games and reality.
I say if these kids are dumb enough to do stuff they do in video games then let them. It helps weed out the tards of the world and keeps them out of my hair. So by all means bring the violence I'll be fine.
Violent games do not cause violent behavior by themselves. If a person has violent tendencies and they get off on a game that glorifies violence, then they might turn to violence but the spark was within them all the time.
It also depends on the willpower of the person. Games, porn, tv, hell, everything gets blamed for parents not raising their kids right, they don't want to admit they have a problem child. But all of these things are just temptations, and there will always be temptations. If you remove all of the temptations (games, porn, tv, etc...) do you have a better person? No, you have just removed any chance for the person to respond to something.
You can't remove all of the temptations in the world, eventually, your kids will have to go out into the world and make decisions for themselves. You can teach t hem to think for themselves, though.
Short version: If a kid mimics a game, it is because he has a problem to start with and his parents have not helped him. And in some cases, a rotten egg is born. It isn't the fault of the parents, they could do everything right and still wind up with a Dahmer.
I blame it all on violent movies actually, games are a distant contender.
Well, seriously, there's some nations in Africa where some of the most brutal acts of genocide and violence occur on a routine basis, yet its a good bet that most of the participants have never played a video game, or perhaps even seen a movie.
Humans are viloent by nature, especially when we compete for scarce resources. Only through the trappings of civilization do we keep this behavior somewhat in check, and no matter what, it leaks out here and there.
You can't pin violence on any one cause, its a multi-faceted hyrdra with many aspects to consider.
Can violent games contrbute? Sure. So can music, movies, peer pressure, bad parenting, or just plain crazy.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
its all about human mentality. i played unreal tournament for 8 years, spent countless hours killing others, whining and screaming on teamspeak, yet in real life when i met guys i played against for years it was all fun and respect. i played plenty of violent games (mortal kombat-i was a kid then, gta, countless shooters) but i know where the border is. you turn your pc off - you are normal person - no guns, no teleports, no respawns. 90% of us are playing violent stupid flash games, some zombie grinders and stuff - are we insane? no, every normal person know ITS JUST A GAME.
ofc you will find somebody that will believe that you can do it in reality. after all alot of murderers said that they've seen the things they've done in movies/games and such. it only shows how weak-minded they are, and how mentally unstable they are.
in general games alone doesnt cause violent behaviour in people, people can be violent without a reason, thats the nature like kyleran said.
I think it's silly for ANYONE to even consider violent games to make you into a violent or hateful person.
I spend prettymuch all day killing something or the other then rolling it's dead body around looking for something valueable that belonged to it that I might sell for a buck (which is usually the only reason I killed said being ). But I would never hurt another person, I feel bad even hanging up the phone on people that are trying to sell me something.
Some people you run into on the internet are just jerks anyway. A lot of them are cowards and hide their true nature in real life because they fear the consequences and harm to them from behaving in such a way, but online they have no consequence so they are free to be jerks. That doesn't mean the games made them that way, it just means the game gives them an outlet to channel their true personality. You can't really blame the internet or gaming for anything people do, people make their own choices in life.
Its strange, sometimes i feel quite depressed after playing games such as Fallout 3 and other downbeat games, no idea why, probably the depressing themes highlighted in the game, but why should it? who knows, i suppose the media alters our minds more than we thought =]
People are just looking for excuses. It always been like this, they blamed rockn roll, pen and paper RPGs (and have you seen many pen and paper RPGs players that are violent?), movies, heavy metal, TV, rap, radio and all the other stuff that young people liked during the years.
But no game, music or movie can turn a peaceful person into a killer.
Drugs and Alcohol can do that but if someone drinks, watch a movie and then beat someone up they blame the movie and not the alcohol. And even in that case it only happens to some people, I drink and game a lot and never killed anyone and rarely been in a fight.
There are some true reasons that turn people into killers, things like bad parents, religion, being in a war and drinking. But most people prefer to think that it is something else, blaming the devil or computer games instead.
Also some people are born with something broken in their brain. They need medication and should avoid certain things.
And some people are just plain evil. Hitler was against alcohol and tobacco. Never played a single computer game but still killed millions of people.
Shows how ridiculous the link is... and that killing has been around long before video games were made
Humans have been killing each other since the beginning of time, theres always going to be a scape goat or somone/somthing to blame for it. It's all about pointing the finger, some people are just not right in the head, and something will set them off or they will just do it. Violent behavior is just there in some people i really don't think a video game would just make a person kill someone or anything, but some people do have a point that it might push them over the edge. But whos to say something else wouldn't do the same?
It's not parents, or schools, or games, or media, or anything. Some people are just born violent whether it shows at an early age or not. I was born an angry person and before games, i just hit walls and people etc. Now at least I can shoot / cut up things without the risk of prison.
Media doesn't breed serial killers, government does :P
Murder and mayhem are main attractions to video games like Grand Theft Auto and Doom and have boosted popularity among young audiences. Some child psychologists say prolonged exposure to content that rewards killing and destruction fosters aggressive, anti-social behavior and they have lobbied hard to restrict access. But game makers and civil libertarians say teens are capable of separating reality and fantasy. Ratings boards and regulations, they say, are poor government substitutes for effective parenting and they point to recent studies that even suggest potential benefits to the estimated 70% of American teens who own at least one of these games.
Everything goes back to the parents. Parents of bad children always look to blame the situation on anything but themselves. We need change the laws of this country and start putting those parents away for a long time in hard labor. Maybe then those horrible parents will wake up and see what THEY have done.
Originally posted by FreddyNoNose Everything goes back to the parents. Parents of bad children always look to blame the situation on anything but themselves. We need change the laws of this country and start putting those parents away for a long time in hard labor. Maybe then those horrible parents will wake up and see what THEY have done.
Well not everything, but a lot yes.
Can not blame the parents if the child has mental problems, but you CAN blame them if they do not notice or care enough to get them help.
Hell, i do not have children, just a pet Lab. But if i do not see my dog for a while i will go see what she is doing.
Games and movies may give some people that are ready to do crazy stuff ideas on HOW to do it, But the thought or whatever to do it in the first place does not come from them.
Japan have the most violent culture today (movies,games), but the lowest rate of murder. Its a culture thing. How you raise kids and so. You leave a kid with only violent movies and games, and no grown up person to talk to....shit will hit the fan.
Thats maybe true, but Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates.
Lmaoo yeah i totally agree with you bro same thing happened to me. I went on youtube.com searching for a video about MW2 and some MW1 videos came up and i started to watch some of them. All of a sudden not even 30 seconds into the video the little kid starts screaming and swearing like crazy and all you hear is " You Muther *Bleeep*, Go suck a *Bleeep*" and all sorts of stuff like that and i was just like WoW. {not the game}
Sorry it seems like my sig doesnt work ... anyone mind suggesting a good website for me to make my own signature?
As soon as you say "it depends on whose hands its in" you're essentially saying that you DON"T believe it causes violent behavior. That statement requires that an individual have a predisposition to violence already therefore the cause couldn't be the game.
Is it possible that some people who are violent are drawn to video games because it allows them to live out their violent fantasies. Sure. It's also possible that some people who would never be violent use video games to release anger therefore ending up LESS violent.
The whole "causation" idea in general tends to be flawed. You can prove correlations, causations are generally guesses.
Comments
So why do you think there are such things as commercials on TV and Radio? Because people see/hear them and respond by either buying or not buying. No, I don't think that the game itself would cause violence. But a person that has problems and plays a violent game very well may act out as if he/she were in the game. Violence is caused by violent people. Not by violent video games. But certain people, IMO, should not be allowed to play the violent games.
Very simply put .... too much of anything is bad for you.
Video games can be addictive, expecialy when it concerns children who have a lessened ability to maintain good self controll.
It is great for adults, in moderation.
It can also be good for children considering facts such as increased hand eye coordination, mental stimuli, visual stimuli, puzzle solving, reading skills, and problem solving skills.
I am a father of 3. My son just got his first gaming system.... PSP.... at the age of 12. my other sons will have to wait untill they are 12 to get their own.
With good parenting Video games can be a mentaly stimulating activity for children.
BUUUUUUUT .... yes it can cause violent behavior in a small percent of children who are either succeptable to the influences, or are Living their lives staring at a gaming screen.
BoB
no. bad parents cause violent behaviour. I work in a school and one of my best mates is the islolation/behaviour head. see it every day
Playing polished, lag free, feature complete games is carebear. Whining about a game you hate but still play is hardcore man!
Bad parents, and succeptability ...
Any child who lives their lives staring at a gaming screen has bad parents.
Some peeple/children are designed in a way that they cannot differentiate between reality and fiction. Those children cause most of the pbvious issues related to gaming.
But as I have said.... overuse of anything is bad, and can hamper a childs development dramaticly. Video games can be a positive influence for children if they are used correctly.
BoB
I personally do not think violent games turn anyone into a violent person; just like playing a non-violent game would make a person more passive, it is just crazy talk. I think it is more that some people are naturally violent, think of it this way.
Originally posted by Interesting
What about this poll
Does different cultural elements affect behavior?
Yes.
Is violent behavior, a behavior?
Yes.
Are video games, a cultural element?
Yes.
Are violent games, games?
Yes.
97% of those who voted are so stupid.
ANYTHING THAT IS CULTURAL AFFECTS ANY KIND OF BEHAVIOR.
To prove a point that everyone is different one guy stated on a forum,
Nothing beats good parenting and since everybody is different, he had to watch his son who could not distinguish between fantasy and reality.
So you must wonder who is to blame in all this? The parent who could not watch his son or see that he is depressed, so he goes out and kills someone? Alternatively, the game makers, who make these games for people's entertainment and for people to get away from real live for a while? Seems somewhat farfetched to me that it always someone else's fault because parents cannot keep an eye on their kid. Why does the government have to be responsible for other people's kid's upbringing?
So point the finger all you want but even if video games are a problem its apart of a bigger thing... question is where should it be pointed??? (the parents :P no really they should raise there kids better and be more active in there upbringing instead of letting everyone else do it for them)
I say violent games can lead to violent behavior. It just all depends who's hands these games fall into. I started playing GTA when I was 14 and I never once tried to steal a car or shoot anyone and my cousin started playing when he was 12 and same thing. We are both 2 law abiding citizens that can tell the difference between games and reality.
I say if these kids are dumb enough to do stuff they do in video games then let them. It helps weed out the tards of the world and keeps them out of my hair. So by all means bring the violence I'll be fine.
Violent games do not cause violent behavior by themselves. If a person has violent tendencies and they get off on a game that glorifies violence, then they might turn to violence but the spark was within them all the time.
It also depends on the willpower of the person. Games, porn, tv, hell, everything gets blamed for parents not raising their kids right, they don't want to admit they have a problem child. But all of these things are just temptations, and there will always be temptations. If you remove all of the temptations (games, porn, tv, etc...) do you have a better person? No, you have just removed any chance for the person to respond to something.
You can't remove all of the temptations in the world, eventually, your kids will have to go out into the world and make decisions for themselves. You can teach t hem to think for themselves, though.
Short version: If a kid mimics a game, it is because he has a problem to start with and his parents have not helped him. And in some cases, a rotten egg is born. It isn't the fault of the parents, they could do everything right and still wind up with a Dahmer.
I blame it all on violent movies actually, games are a distant contender.
Well, seriously, there's some nations in Africa where some of the most brutal acts of genocide and violence occur on a routine basis, yet its a good bet that most of the participants have never played a video game, or perhaps even seen a movie.
Humans are viloent by nature, especially when we compete for scarce resources. Only through the trappings of civilization do we keep this behavior somewhat in check, and no matter what, it leaks out here and there.
You can't pin violence on any one cause, its a multi-faceted hyrdra with many aspects to consider.
Can violent games contrbute? Sure. So can music, movies, peer pressure, bad parenting, or just plain crazy.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
its all about human mentality. i played unreal tournament for 8 years, spent countless hours killing others, whining and screaming on teamspeak, yet in real life when i met guys i played against for years it was all fun and respect. i played plenty of violent games (mortal kombat-i was a kid then, gta, countless shooters) but i know where the border is. you turn your pc off - you are normal person - no guns, no teleports, no respawns. 90% of us are playing violent stupid flash games, some zombie grinders and stuff - are we insane? no, every normal person know ITS JUST A GAME.
ofc you will find somebody that will believe that you can do it in reality. after all alot of murderers said that they've seen the things they've done in movies/games and such. it only shows how weak-minded they are, and how mentally unstable they are.
in general games alone doesnt cause violent behaviour in people, people can be violent without a reason, thats the nature like kyleran said.
I think it's silly for ANYONE to even consider violent games to make you into a violent or hateful person.
I spend prettymuch all day killing something or the other then rolling it's dead body around looking for something valueable that belonged to it that I might sell for a buck (which is usually the only reason I killed said being
). But I would never hurt another person, I feel bad even hanging up the phone on people that are trying to sell me something. 
Some people you run into on the internet are just jerks anyway. A lot of them are cowards and hide their true nature in real life because they fear the consequences and harm to them from behaving in such a way, but online they have no consequence so they are free to be jerks. That doesn't mean the games made them that way, it just means the game gives them an outlet to channel their true personality. You can't really blame the internet or gaming for anything people do, people make their own choices in life.
Its strange, sometimes i feel quite depressed after playing games such as Fallout 3 and other downbeat games, no idea why, probably the depressing themes highlighted in the game, but why should it? who knows, i suppose the media alters our minds more than we thought =]
Well, it can't be the parents fault, can it?
People are just looking for excuses. It always been like this, they blamed rockn roll, pen and paper RPGs (and have you seen many pen and paper RPGs players that are violent?), movies, heavy metal, TV, rap, radio and all the other stuff that young people liked during the years.
But no game, music or movie can turn a peaceful person into a killer.
Drugs and Alcohol can do that but if someone drinks, watch a movie and then beat someone up they blame the movie and not the alcohol. And even in that case it only happens to some people, I drink and game a lot and never killed anyone and rarely been in a fight.
There are some true reasons that turn people into killers, things like bad parents, religion, being in a war and drinking. But most people prefer to think that it is something else, blaming the devil or computer games instead.
Also some people are born with something broken in their brain. They need medication and should avoid certain things.
And some people are just plain evil. Hitler was against alcohol and tobacco. Never played a single computer game but still killed millions of people.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=60361661
Penn & Teller session 7 episodes 3
Shows how ridiculous the link is... and that killing has been around long before video games were made
Humans have been killing each other since the beginning of time, theres always going to be a scape goat or somone/somthing to blame for it. It's all about pointing the finger, some people are just not right in the head, and something will set them off or they will just do it. Violent behavior is just there in some people i really don't think a video game would just make a person kill someone or anything, but some people do have a point that it might push them over the edge. But whos to say something else wouldn't do the same?
It's not parents, or schools, or games, or media, or anything. Some people are just born violent whether it shows at an early age or not. I was born an angry person and before games, i just hit walls and people etc. Now at least I can shoot / cut up things without the risk of prison.
Media doesn't breed serial killers, government does :P
Everything goes back to the parents. Parents of bad children always look to blame the situation on anything but themselves. We need change the laws of this country and start putting those parents away for a long time in hard labor. Maybe then those horrible parents will wake up and see what THEY have done.
Well not everything, but a lot yes.
Can not blame the parents if the child has mental problems, but you CAN blame them if they do not notice or care enough to get them help.
Hell, i do not have children, just a pet Lab. But if i do not see my dog for a while i will go see what she is doing.
Games and movies may give some people that are ready to do crazy stuff ideas on HOW to do it, But the thought or whatever to do it in the first place does not come from them.
Thats maybe true, but Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates.
I think there is a difference between being able to seperate fantasy from reality and causing violence.
People take their games quite seriously lol but a pixelated sword and a real sword are quite different species.
Lmaoo yeah i totally agree with you bro same thing happened to me. I went on youtube.com searching for a video about MW2 and some MW1 videos came up and i started to watch some of them. All of a sudden not even 30 seconds into the video the little kid starts screaming and swearing like crazy and all you hear is " You Muther *Bleeep*, Go suck a *Bleeep*" and all sorts of stuff like that and i was just like WoW. {not the game}
Sorry it seems like my sig doesnt work
... anyone mind suggesting a good website for me to make my own signature?
No, but apparently they "does" cause bad grammar.
Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.
EAT ME MMORPG.com!
Dammit.! You beat me to it
Incorrect grammar usage is my main pet peeve and annoys me to a brink of rage. Only reason I was going to respond to this thread and the OP :P
Currently playing: Star Wars: The Old Republic, World of Warcraft, Dota 2, League of Legends
Waiting on: Blade & Soul, Guild Wars 2, Tera, Kingdoms of Amular, Firefall
http://my.mmosite.com/blog/hyuk/blog/item/b387797fa17685387985a97ecfb0fe4e.html
As soon as you say "it depends on whose hands its in" you're essentially saying that you DON"T believe it causes violent behavior. That statement requires that an individual have a predisposition to violence already therefore the cause couldn't be the game.
Is it possible that some people who are violent are drawn to video games because it allows them to live out their violent fantasies. Sure. It's also possible that some people who would never be violent use video games to release anger therefore ending up LESS violent.
The whole "causation" idea in general tends to be flawed. You can prove correlations, causations are generally guesses.
did you read the link i posted ,the guy play a blizzard game get disconnected ,gamer get in fit of rage
he goes in his kitchen grab the first thing he find (a knife)
he then go down the street and vent his rage on a 15 year old girl by stabing her repetedly
luckyly she survived
the guy is being inside an asilum i sure would like to see his face now that he cant play blizzard game at all for a very long time
People that play computer games are much less likely to kill you =] That's my theory!