Difference between revisions of "Violence in Video Games"
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| − | + | The topics '''violence and video games''' are topics that have resulted in significant debate and criticism when discussed in tandem. Ever since video games began gaining significant popularity in the 1970’s, there have been countless arguments and debates as to whether video games and the content in video games can cause negative behavioral and mental effects for the player. Common critics of violent video games are parents, politicians, and religious groups and common Video game advocates consist of developers, producers, and many of the players themselves. Criticism of violent video games stems from multiple studies which indicate that video games cause both increased aggressive thoughts & behaviors, as well as desensitization of aggressive behavior and actions for the players <ref> “Violent Video Games and Aggression.” National Center for Health Research, 27 Mar. 2018, www.center4research.org/violent-video-games-can-increase-aggression/. </ref>. Advocates argue that video games actually increase mental and intellectual capacities, and claim that video games are an effective form of creative expression <ref> “Video Game.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game. </ref>. Their are multiple contradictory studies regarding the effects of violent video games on users which causes this debate to continue to be unsettled and raises significant ethical questions regarding regulations of video games and video game usage. | |
| + | |||
| + | == History of Violence in Video Games == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Death Race - 1976 === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Death Race was a driving arcade game released by Exidy in April of 1976 <ref> Smith, Keith. “The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy - Part 2.” The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy - Part 2, 1 Jan. 1970, allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of-exidy_24.html. </ref>. The game was the first video game that had significant controversy due to violence and resulted in the game eventually being discontinued due to controversy. The game was a simple racing game with an added twist of running over stick figure "Gremlins". Once a player hit one of the fleeing gremlins, a tombstone would appear and a short scream would be heard from the arcade machine <ref name=timeline > “What We Do.” National Coalition Against Censorship, ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies.</ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Custer's Revenge - 1982 === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Custer's Revenge is an adult video game created by Mystique for the Atari 2600 in September of 1982. The game was the first to draw mass protests and is widely considered one of the worst and most horrific video games of all time <ref> Wise, Deborah (1982). "Video-pornography games cause protest". InfoWorld (November 8): 1,7. </ref>. The game involves the player to play as General George Custer, a famous American Civil War figure, and to dodge incoming arrows and attacks until finally reaching a Native American woman tied to a pole at the end of the level. Instead of rescuing the damsel in distress, Custer has sex with the woman to gain more points. Many viewers perceived this action at the end of the level to be considered rape, which resulted in masses of women and Native Americans protesting the game, arguing that it promotes sexual violence and racism <ref> "Gamespy's Top Ten Shameful Games". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011.</ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Mortal Kombat - 1993 === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Mortal Kombat is an arcade fighting game released by Midway in 1993. Mortal Kombat was one of the first games that portrayed detailed human violence and gore and is known as one of the most gruesome and famous fighting games of all time. Mortal Kombat along with a few more obscure games released in the early 90's became subject to extreme scrutiny that ended in a congressional hearing and review. Congress ridiculed the game and claimed that it was negatively affecting youth. After threatening to make a federal commission for video games during this hearing, the gaming industry decided to form a regulatory body named the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). This regulatory body is still present today in the gaming industry and was a result from games such as Mortal Kombat <ref> Hsu, Tiffany. “When Mortal Kombat Came Under Congressional Scrutiny.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/business/video-games-violence.html. </ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Grand Theft Auto - 1998 === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Grand Theft Auto was a game released in 1998 DMA Design and BMG Interactive. The game involved lots of crime, car theft, prostitution running, and many chances for murder. Grand Theft Auto and other games such as Doom were among the first games to be directly cited as a reason for violence. Events such as the Columbine Massacre of 1999, a shooting in Tennessee in which the shooter claimed he was "imitating GTA", and many other acts of violence were thought to be directly connected to violent video games <ref name=timeline> </ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Studies Regarding Violence in Video Games == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Oxford Internet Institute Study === | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University conducted one of the most detailed studies to date regarding video game violence and aggressive behavior. The study used data from British teens and parents as well as E.U. and U.S. ratings of game violence. The study consisted of multiple questionnaires of both the players and their parents regarding their gaming and behavioral tendencies. After much analysis and recording, Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Institute, stated that "Despite interest in the topic by parents and policy makers, the research has not demonstrated that there is cause for concern" <ref name=oxford> “Violent Video Games Found Not to Be Associated with Adolescent Aggression.” University of Oxford, www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-02-13-violent-video-games-found-not-be-associated-adolescent-aggression#. </ref>. This study is one of the most definitive studies regarding the topic and claims that there is no correlation between aggressive behavior and video games, additionally, the study claims that many past studies on the topic had significant researcher bias which could be the reasoning for the discrepancy in results. Although there is no correlation to aggressive behavior, the study does concede that players are more prone to talking, competitiveness, and trolling <ref name = oxford> </ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Dartmouth Study === | ||
| + | |||
| + | This study done by Jay Hull, a Dartmouth Psychological and Brain Science Professor, sought to link aggressive behavior and "deviant" actions (sex, smoking, drinking, etc...) to violent video game usage by analyzing 24 other studies with over 17,000 participants. The research done by the team indicated the opposite of the Oxford study, and claimed that "violent video game play is associated with subsequent increases in physical aggression" <ref> “Children's Violent Video Game Play Associated with Increased Physical Aggressive Behavior.” Children's Violent Video Game Play Associated with Increased Physical Aggressive BehaviorUntitled, www.dartmouth.edu/press-releases/childrens-violent-video-games-increased-aggressive-behavior.html. </ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Ethical Implications == | ||
| + | |||
| + | In Prog | ||
| + | |||
| + | == References == | ||
| + | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 17:27, 15 March 2019
The topics violence and video games are topics that have resulted in significant debate and criticism when discussed in tandem. Ever since video games began gaining significant popularity in the 1970’s, there have been countless arguments and debates as to whether video games and the content in video games can cause negative behavioral and mental effects for the player. Common critics of violent video games are parents, politicians, and religious groups and common Video game advocates consist of developers, producers, and many of the players themselves. Criticism of violent video games stems from multiple studies which indicate that video games cause both increased aggressive thoughts & behaviors, as well as desensitization of aggressive behavior and actions for the players [1]. Advocates argue that video games actually increase mental and intellectual capacities, and claim that video games are an effective form of creative expression [2]. Their are multiple contradictory studies regarding the effects of violent video games on users which causes this debate to continue to be unsettled and raises significant ethical questions regarding regulations of video games and video game usage.
Contents
History of Violence in Video Games
Death Race - 1976
Death Race was a driving arcade game released by Exidy in April of 1976 [3]. The game was the first video game that had significant controversy due to violence and resulted in the game eventually being discontinued due to controversy. The game was a simple racing game with an added twist of running over stick figure "Gremlins". Once a player hit one of the fleeing gremlins, a tombstone would appear and a short scream would be heard from the arcade machine [4].
Custer's Revenge - 1982
Custer's Revenge is an adult video game created by Mystique for the Atari 2600 in September of 1982. The game was the first to draw mass protests and is widely considered one of the worst and most horrific video games of all time [5]. The game involves the player to play as General George Custer, a famous American Civil War figure, and to dodge incoming arrows and attacks until finally reaching a Native American woman tied to a pole at the end of the level. Instead of rescuing the damsel in distress, Custer has sex with the woman to gain more points. Many viewers perceived this action at the end of the level to be considered rape, which resulted in masses of women and Native Americans protesting the game, arguing that it promotes sexual violence and racism [6].
Mortal Kombat - 1993
Mortal Kombat is an arcade fighting game released by Midway in 1993. Mortal Kombat was one of the first games that portrayed detailed human violence and gore and is known as one of the most gruesome and famous fighting games of all time. Mortal Kombat along with a few more obscure games released in the early 90's became subject to extreme scrutiny that ended in a congressional hearing and review. Congress ridiculed the game and claimed that it was negatively affecting youth. After threatening to make a federal commission for video games during this hearing, the gaming industry decided to form a regulatory body named the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). This regulatory body is still present today in the gaming industry and was a result from games such as Mortal Kombat [7].
Grand Theft Auto - 1998
Grand Theft Auto was a game released in 1998 DMA Design and BMG Interactive. The game involved lots of crime, car theft, prostitution running, and many chances for murder. Grand Theft Auto and other games such as Doom were among the first games to be directly cited as a reason for violence. Events such as the Columbine Massacre of 1999, a shooting in Tennessee in which the shooter claimed he was "imitating GTA", and many other acts of violence were thought to be directly connected to violent video games [4].
Studies Regarding Violence in Video Games
Oxford Internet Institute Study
The Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University conducted one of the most detailed studies to date regarding video game violence and aggressive behavior. The study used data from British teens and parents as well as E.U. and U.S. ratings of game violence. The study consisted of multiple questionnaires of both the players and their parents regarding their gaming and behavioral tendencies. After much analysis and recording, Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Institute, stated that "Despite interest in the topic by parents and policy makers, the research has not demonstrated that there is cause for concern" [8]. This study is one of the most definitive studies regarding the topic and claims that there is no correlation between aggressive behavior and video games, additionally, the study claims that many past studies on the topic had significant researcher bias which could be the reasoning for the discrepancy in results. Although there is no correlation to aggressive behavior, the study does concede that players are more prone to talking, competitiveness, and trolling [8]
Dartmouth Study
This study done by Jay Hull, a Dartmouth Psychological and Brain Science Professor, sought to link aggressive behavior and "deviant" actions (sex, smoking, drinking, etc...) to violent video game usage by analyzing 24 other studies with over 17,000 participants. The research done by the team indicated the opposite of the Oxford study, and claimed that "violent video game play is associated with subsequent increases in physical aggression" [9]
Ethical Implications
In Prog
References
- ↑ “Violent Video Games and Aggression.” National Center for Health Research, 27 Mar. 2018, www.center4research.org/violent-video-games-can-increase-aggression/.
- ↑ “Video Game.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game.
- ↑ Smith, Keith. “The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy - Part 2.” The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy - Part 2, 1 Jan. 1970, allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of-exidy_24.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 “What We Do.” National Coalition Against Censorship, ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies.
- ↑ Wise, Deborah (1982). "Video-pornography games cause protest". InfoWorld (November 8): 1,7.
- ↑ "Gamespy's Top Ten Shameful Games". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011.
- ↑ Hsu, Tiffany. “When Mortal Kombat Came Under Congressional Scrutiny.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/business/video-games-violence.html.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 “Violent Video Games Found Not to Be Associated with Adolescent Aggression.” University of Oxford, www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-02-13-violent-video-games-found-not-be-associated-adolescent-aggression#.
- ↑ “Children's Violent Video Game Play Associated with Increased Physical Aggressive Behavior.” Children's Violent Video Game Play Associated with Increased Physical Aggressive BehaviorUntitled, www.dartmouth.edu/press-releases/childrens-violent-video-games-increased-aggressive-behavior.html.
