|
|
|
Gambling myths what you absolutely need to know
Gambling is considered a game of luck and chance. As the outcome is usually unsure, there are various myths that surround the world of gambling. However, as is mostly the case, these myths are nothing but superstitions that can be refuted by facts. ...
Play Blackjack Like a Pro
If you don't have much Blackjack experience, it can be daunting stepping up to the tables for a game. You can, however, hide the fact of your inexperience very simply by remembering these straightforward rules. (Note - the rules of BlackJack will...
The Difference Between Bankroll And Money Management
I am sure you would have heard comments like, 'if you don't have good money management skills then you simply won't win'; or how about 'money management is much more important than the selection strategy used'; or even 'you won't win if you don't...
The Other World Series: Poker
Growing up, the American dream for many boys was playing major league baseball and hitting the game winning home run in the final game of the World Series. This dream is usually shattered for most when in their teen years the reality hits, that...
VegasUSA Casino Review
Have you always wanted to experience the fun, the glitz, and the extreme excitement of a Vegas Casino in the USA, right in the comfort of your home? You need to explore the VegasUSA casino website , and experience great gambling action with...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Video Game Violence...What do you think about it?
Ever since video game designers were able to put red pixels on their imaginary characters that had recently deceased, there have been people crusading against their subversive ways. The outrage at video games seems to be cyclic, fading very briefly before exploding into the public eye once more with renewed frenzy. The controversy seems to have sparked up again in recent times, with numerous crimes being blamed on the corruptive influence of video games. There have also been various "controversies" surrounding recent video games and their content in the areas of both violence and sexuality.
The first game to receive widespread criticism and media attention was the martial art fighting game "Mortal Kombat". This game included large spurts of blood emitted from attacks and also "Fatalities" that could be performed on stunned opponents after their defeat. These Fatalities were gruesome animation sequences showing the victorious player killing their defeated opponent in a vast variety of ways. Gamers revelled in this new experience and the controversy surrounding the violence caused mass hype that informed the less informed gamers that the game was out there. Consequently gamers played the new game just to find out what all the talk was about, thereby greatly increasing revenue.
One of the largest sparks of controversy has been the recent "Hot Coffee" modification for "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA:SA)". This involved unlocking a sexually oriented mini-game that had been removed from the game before release, although evidently not from the source code. The creators of the game, Rockstar Entertainment, obviously realised that this particular part of the game was not appropriate for the video gaming public and removed access to it. An enterprising fan of the game found out and modified the original code to give access to the content once again. Lawsuits were brought against Rockstar for including such content in their game, although the validity of the lawsuit has to be questioned. If the game is simply purchased and played as intended by the developers, this admittedly tasteless and inappropriate mini game would never be encountered. It is not until the user-made modification is downloaded and installed that the player is able to access the content.
Regardless of who's to blame, "GTA: SA" was re-rated in America and banned from sale in Australia. Oddly enough the gratuitous and encouraged violence in the game went largely unnoticed in the wake of the "scandalous" sex scenes involving clothed, cartoonesque people.
When examined objectively almost all games contain a certain amount of violent content. The kid-friendly bright and colourful "Mario" games by Nintendo feature a character stomping on animated creature's heads. In fact the majority of games, even children's games, involve the protagonist crusading against an enemy horde of some sort and generally "disposing" of them in some manner, whether it be striking them with a weapon or body part (feet, hands, possibly a tail depending on the nature of the character). The only real stand out difference is that in a children's game the 'bad' characters will generally bounce backwards in a cute manner and explode with a humorous puff sound (or simply disappear) whereas in a game oriented towards older mature players, the characters are more likely to be (somewhat) realistic, spraying a gusher of red upon their demise.
Whenever some
young person somewhere commits a violent crime these days it seems to get blamed on a video game, from "Duke Nukem" and "Quake" being accused for the Columbine High massacre, to a more recent incident involving a group of minors attributing their violent actions to the "Mortal Kombat" video games. Without any solid evidence either way it's hard to say whether or not video game violence actually has much of an influence on players. To really be sure you'd probably have to have a control group of isolated children that have never seen a violent movie or played a bloodthirsty video game. History does however show that brutal crimes were committed long before video games or even movies came into existence.
Children are quite easily influenced by something that they're excited about and I've seen this happen a lot. Playing a wrestling video game with a group of eight year olds often leads to the eight year olds screaming raucously and trying to pin each other down on the ground. Pre-teens will often punch and kick their way out of a cinema in terrible combat stances after having viewed a martial arts movie. The current content rating system in place is not geared towards consumer restriction; it is largely aimed at simply informing the public about what they are going to experience. Legal restrictions are not actually put in place until the higher, more severe ratings like in x-rated films. Parents, guardians, and society in general need to start taking an interest in who is viewing certain types of content. Instead of complaining about the entertainment a child is enjoying, the parent could be there at the beginning looking at the rating that is printed clearly on the packaging of all entertainment. A simple "I don't think that's suitable, how about this game? It has a lizard!" distracts the child a surprising number of times. In my experience, children genuinely just want people to take an interest in what they're interested in, not just murmuring indistinctly, "Yes dear, that's nice." as the child installs the newest violent game.
What about the children that are playing the games in the restricted ratings categories? The only way that they can even get the game into their possession is if a parent (or someone of legal age) purchases the game for the child, or if the store disregards the rating guidelines in place and sells it to them regardless. Either way the fact that a game's content has fallen into a minor's hands is not the fault of the game developer.
I'm not out to defend the integrity of artistic vision presented in video games as many other gamers are. Frankly there seems to me to be little artistic integrity in rendering blood that is ever more liquid in appearance. I do however enjoy playing some games that are quite violent in nature and in many cases the violent nature of the game increases my enjoyment. Video games are escapism, there's (arguably) no point in playing a video game that simulates something you can just walk outside and do (and yet sports games somehow consistently sell in large numbers... curious...). Interestingly I have never yet felt the overwhelming desire to break down into a kung fu stance and commit murder. Perhaps more important than simply banning questionable content in video games would be studying why this content is so appealing to today's society?
About the Author
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Web Helpers
http://www.m6.net
|
|
|
|
|
| AddictingGames — Free Flash and Java Games |
| A very large collection of free Flash and Java games in numerous categories. |
| www.addictinggames.com |
|
| Yahoo! Games |
| Internet gaming community offering free multi-player games, downloadable games and games clubs. Also news, reviews, demos, ratings, and cheats. |
| games.yahoo.com |
|
| Play Free & Fun Online Games – Card, Strategy, Word & More |
| Welcome to Games.com, the best place to play free online games. Play arcade, board, word, card, and casino games, plus community gaming forums. |
| www.games.com |
|
| Miniclip Games - Play Free Games |
| Play Free Online Games, sports games, massive multiplayer games, action games, puzzle games, flash games and more. |
| www.miniclip.com |
|
| Free Games Online at Shockwave |
| Play free online games, game downloads, and multiplayer games. |
| www.shockwave.com |
|
| MSN Games - Free Online Games |
| Play the best free games, deluxe downloads, puzzle games, word and trivia games, multiplayer card and board games, action and arcade games, poker and casino ... |
| games.msn.com |
|
| Welcome to PopCap Games - Fun, Free, Addictive Games |
| PopCap Games, creators of Bejeweled, Bookworm and other addictive free online games. |
| www.popcap.com |
|
| Open Directory - Games |
| Business: Consumer Goods and Services: Toys and Games (329); Kids and Teens: Games (3638); Recreation (116762); Science: Math: Recreations: Games and ... |
| dmoz.org |
|
| Orisinal : Morning Sunshine |
| Collection of Flash games, designed by Ferry Halim. |
| www.ferryhalim.com |
|
| FunBrain.com - The Internet's #1 Education Site for K-8 Kids and ... |
| FunBrain is the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. (math, grammar, science, spell, history) |
| www.funbrain.com |
|
| PrimaryGames.com - The Fun Place to Learn! |
| Free educational games for elementary school students. Also offers interactive story books, musical postcards, coloring pages, and stationery. |
| www.primarygames.com |
|
| Games.net - Gaming Community, news and reviews, Video Game FAQs ... |
| Games.net delivers an immediate interactive experience to users who crave instant access to multiple levels of gaming content, including; blogs, ... |
| www.games.net |
|
| Find Free Online Games and other fun games at Pogo.com |
| Find Free Online Games, puzzle games, word games, and other games online at Pogo.com. |
| www.pogo.com |
|
| Welcome To GAME Stores Group |
| GAME The next level. Buy games from the UK's largest game retailer. |
| www.game.co.uk |
|
| Play free, fun online games - Yahoo! Kids |
| Games for kids including chess, checkers, and dominoes. |
| yahooligans.yahoo.com |
|
| Yahoo! Video Games - Video Game Demos, Cheats, Reviews, Previews ... |
| Find all the latest video game news, demos, videos, reviews, previews and cheats. Get the lowdown on the newest consoles and game releases. |
| videogames.yahoo.com |
|
| Slashdot: Games |
| In non-geek, this means that the game is finally at a point where EA ... The excellent games coverage at the San Jose Mercury News site offers up a gamers ... |
| games.slashdot.org |
|
| Kids Games |
| Descriptions and rules for dozens of traditional children's games, including indoor and outdoor activities, playground games, and jump rope rhymes. |
| www.gameskidsplay.net |
|
| Times Online - Games |
| Slim and portable. A great gift. Buy The Times Su Doku Board Game by calling 0870 160 8080 or click here to buy online ... |
| www.timesonline.co.uk |
|
| EA - Action, Fantasy, Sports, and Strategy Videogames |
| Official site. Includes game information, screenshots, and a newsletter. |
| www.ea.com |
|
|