18 replies to this topic

[Myth]

From an article in MX newspaper:

KILLER GAMES AN ESCAPE

Players of violent video games believe they are just 'exhilarating' escapism that does not desensitise them to real-life mayhem, a survey found. The British Board of Film Classification study concluded: "Gamers seem not to lose awareness that they are playing a game and do not mistake the game for real life."

But gamers concede people "who are already unhinged" may be pushed over the edge.

finally they fking wake up. now they might actually think before they jump to conclusions about violence in teenagers. kudos to the poms. not only do you guys have sexy accents, but you guys are the first to have an organisation realise the truth.

[melonqueen]

But gamers concede people "who are already unhinged" may be pushed over the edge.

We were just talking about this at work yesterday... I was telling them how it pissed me off that games are blamed for violence when one person said it was true... And I put that exact point forward. A person of sane and reasonable mind can play violent video games and not be affected. Someone who has an imbalance, however, will be influenced by what they see. It can happen, not just with games, but with books, movies, songs... ANYTHING.

So gg to whoever did that study! You're saying what gamers have been trying to get across for years. Maybe now Jack Thompson will get his head out of his arse and admit defeat (though that's highly unlikely )

[grimm]

I read this today in the MX (melbournes free newspaper for those who catch the train) and i have to agree i play a lot of violent videogames yet im in no way violent and to blame JUST games for this si insane, in order to "protect" people ALL forms of media woul have to be completely censored or banned (which is thankfully protected by law in most countries). If we really want to protect people we should outlaw guns and the excuse that "if the victims had had a gun they would of been able to protect themselves" doesnt work because at teh end of the day there would still be a dead body. (man i really got to stop ranting about stuff ._.)

[Myth]

I read this today in the MX (melbournes free newspaper for those who catch the train) and i have to agree i play a lot of violent videogames yet im in no way violent and to blame JUST games for this si insane, in order to "protect" people ALL forms of media woul have to be completely censored or banned (which is thankfully protected by law in most countries). If we really want to protect people we should outlaw guns and the excuse that "if the victims had had a gun they would of been able to protect themselves" doesnt work because at teh end of the day there would still be a dead body. (man i really got to stop ranting about stuff ._.)

i wasnt really referring to the shootings. theres an article about how that killer didnt have any games on his laptop. theres like 3 other threads on the forum about the shootings so... this was just a proof that violent videogames do not = violent teens

[elliotter]

Take that Jack Thompson!

[Lord Panzerfaust]

even if Jack Thompson would see this article he wouldn't care because he is a anti-game nazi...he just wants to work and not enjoy what we like to do...plain and simple.

[hackerwacker]

this isn't really conclusive proof either way. I's just a survey...not an in depth study

[nullox]

And now they're blaming the VTS on counter strike. Because they found it on whats his face's pc. I mean who the fuck does have CS? I have it and if i ever go on a rampage it sure wont be because CS made me want to, it's a slow boring game IMO.

[banditbear]

This does not prove shit.


Video games COULD have an affect, on young children, or mentally retarded children, who act like movies as well.

But on a large scale of gamers, no...

or their would be millions of shootings every day, and Vtech wouldn't even be on the news, it would be on the little tiny of of text at the bottom of the screen as the report of a large car bomb was detonated by a 6 year old boy outside a k-mart store.

[way2lazy2care]

This does not prove shit.
Video games COULD have an affect, on young children, or mentally retarded children, who act like movies as well.

I agree with this part. Violent games could potentially have a huge affect on kids that are still developing. Once you get older it has little to no affect imo (unless ur very very sheltered), but for kids in their formative years it's different.

[Fin]

thats why thers "not to under 15 years old".

if someone buys games made for adults to children, blame not the makers of the game, blame the idiot who bought the game to kids and didnt consider that it might have impact on the kids.
blame the kid who couldnt understand the diffrence between real life and bloody computer screen.

[Wolf the Widowmaker]

"Video games do not make kids violent"

Whoa, rly?

[Infernoblaze]

You can partly thank the fact that over here in the UK most people really don't give a shit what kids play these days because we really aren't as anti-everything-I-don't-like as some Americans (Jack Thompson) are. The BBFC are really quite lax on stuff. Wasn't Resi 4 an 18 over in the US? It's a 15 here.


Videogames are only going to make people who are already unhinged act violently and it's not the game that makes them act violently, they like violence and so they play violent games, kind of the other way round than what Jack Thompson says.

Oh but I do agree they can have an affect on young children who tend to just copy what they see. This is why we have age ratings.

[pra]

even if games make people violent, gamers simply can't kill anyone. Ever seen a gun floating and rotating in RL?

I think the whole thing is the other way round: they are not violent because they play games, they play the games because they are violent. If you like violence, it makes absolutely sense that you also like violent games. But Lord Panzerfaust is right, people like Jack Thompson or Günther Beckstein won't listen. There are people who are just stupid, they simply can't understand arguments...

[Gordoss]

Regardless of research games and the media in general usually DO have a notable influence on how teen murderers carry out their attacks...

Video Games do not cause the attacks themselves though...i think most people fail to realize that heh.

[Damilkman]

I saw this thread, and it made my day a little better. I would like to hug who ever researched this.

[grimm]

i wasnt really referring to the shootings. theres an article about how that killer didnt have any games on his laptop. theres like 3 other threads on the forum about the shootings so... this was just a proof that violent videogames do not = violent teens

I wasnt talking about the vt shootings specifically just all the shootings in general that have been blamed on video games (general violence isnt that much of a problem but when people are murdered and it is blamed on a video game it kinda pisses me off hence the rant) one example is that in those places in the world where it is probably hardest to find video games there is the most violence i.e afghanistan, (tbh i have no proof and this is all based on what i THINK afghanistan is like which is probably completely wrong but it seemed like a good arguement in my head o_O)

[Fin]

I wasnt talking about the vt shootings specifically just all the shootings in general that have been blamed on video games (general violence isnt that much of a problem but when people are murdered and it is blamed on a video game it kinda pisses me off hence the rant) one example is that in those places in the world where it is probably hardest to find video games there is the most violence i.e afghanistan, (tbh i have no proof and this is all based on what i THINK afghanistan is like which is probably completely wrong but it seemed like a good arguement in my head o_O)

you cant compare Afghanistan and some teen who kills people.
you just cant.

[wittlor]

Jack Tompson can now ESAD