Have Videogames Gone Too Far?

Editorial: Have Videogames Gone Too Far?

As humans, we crave imagination. We are intrigued by what we can't experience, and interested in what we can't do. It's an amazing thing how the human race is so habitually ambitious; we're always trying to do what has never been done before, whether it be for the attention, or simply personal fulfillment.

It was this realization that spawned books, television, and movies. People could make money by simply writing about their wildest dreams for others to experience. It's an incredible thing, if you think about it -- the only way to describe it would be "sharing our dreams". Movies, television, and books allow people to experience what they normally would never see outside of their mental creations. When we want to feel love, we watch or read a love story. When we crave adventure, we turn on an action flick or read a fantasy book. Talk about choosing your destiny.

Everyone dreams about adventure; we all want to be heroes. Now, we can. When technology introduced videogames to the world, a whole new door was opened. Not only could a person watch a character play out their desired role, they could experience it for themselves. The idea thrived, and before long, almost everything of interest had a videogame to complement it. The way videogames have evolved, we now feel as if we are actually part of the game, allowing us to experience just what the creator wishes for us to feel. Today, if you want to do it or be it, chances are you can find it in a videogame somewhere. The videogame revolution is now.

But with every revolution comes resistance. On December 1, 1997, Michael Carneal, a 14-year-old boy from Paducah, Kentucky, was convicted of shooting eight of his classmates in a prayer circle in the lobby of Heath High School. Three were killed, five others wounded. Parents of the victims and others claim that violent videogames, such as Doom and Quake, were to blame for the murder. According to them, these games "trained Carneal how to point and shoot a gun in a fashion making him an extraordinarily effective killer." These parents and various other supporters filed a $130 million lawsuit that blamed Id Software, GT Interactive Software, Midway Home Entertainment, Atari Corporation, Interplay Productions, Nintendo of America, Activision, Capcom Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment d/b/a Sony Interactive Studios America, Eidos Interactive, and eight other companies. Five movie companies and two internet pornography companies were also listed.

We just can't seem to face the fact that it is our fault. As more and more violent videogames are produced, more and more parents find a scapegoat. Videogames have now been put on the receiving end of the blame for all of America's violence problems, with guns, movies, and television not far behind. "Whatever is the popular media in the youth culture is blamed for violence or criminal behavior by teenagers," said Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "There's a natural human tendency to look for someone to blame and to look for explanation of what is inexplicable and unthinkable." To make matters worse, politicians now use this issue in order to gain support. In our system of democracy, you've got to be elected before you can take action, and the only way to be elected is to appeal to the masses. When the masses agree that videogames are a leading cause of violence in America, the politicians agree, as well. "[The media's] psychological roots are complex and deep. Politicians and direct-mail fundraisers love it: They can wax indignant about images and symbols, gain headlines, dollars, and votes, without having done anything serious to address our social problems," said Marjorie Heins, author of Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy. The parents of our world need an excuse for their blatantly obvious shortcomings, and the politicians want the parents' votes. Kinda sick, ain't it?

Wake up, America. Games don't kill people; people kill people. The only people to blame for the majority of society's problems are the parents. When a fourteen-year-old boy walks into school with a gun, it isn't because he saw it in his favorite movie or videogame; it's because he wants attention, and desperately. Until parents can take responsibility and learn to control and spend time with their children, our problems will never go away. Though society may influence children immensely -- and it does; society is brutal -- parental values instilled in a child at an early age are the best defense we've got. When one self-confident kid stands up for his values in front of others, people notice. Quite honestly, the only way to change the values or beliefs of an entire society is to start with the source -- and the source is not the media, but the kids, and the parents. If we can convince the parents, we can eventually convince the kids. And if we convince the kids, we've convinced society. It's up to the parents of America to take a stand and support the chain reaction.

Education also helps, however. It's a well-known fact that criminals usually aren't all that well educated. If a child understands the consequences of a criminal's life, they are much less likely to pursue one. Also, education has been proven to help a potential criminal logically consider his / her options before making any rash decisions, which usually lead to violence.

But some studies suggest that videogames may actually help lower violent tendencies when played by the proper demographic. "The truth is, some people have a 'thirst' for violence. If they don't get it in one video game, they'll get it in another. And if not in a game, there's plenty of other places," says ManifestGuy of IGN Boards. Joel Saxe, author of Violence in Videogames: What are the Pleasures?, explains, "As players elaborate the meanings of the gaming experience, they interpret this inversive play frame as a 'healthy outlet,' providing a form of catharsis, a means of releasing feelings of aggression". "The cathartic function of playing with fantasy bodily violence was repeated by a number of players who characterized the videoplay as an 'outlet,' a place to 'relieve stress and tensions,' 'to get rid of frustrations' and 'take out aggressions.'" Saxe goes on to say that this explanation was commonly given by students who felt the need to relieve stress after performing poorly on an exam or having a hard day at school. "I like the way you can go into another reality and become another person, kinda like doing everything you couldn't do in real life," says Eric, a seventeen-year-old student. "I think the main thing of a game like this is you get to actually beat people up and not get in trouble for it. It's a kind of healthy outlet because if you did this thing in real life, you'd probably be in trouble, a lot of trouble." This isn't to say that all children would grasp such a concept, but those who do not would be able to, in most cases, if they were raised by a competent parent. Kids of proper age, decent education, and high self-confidence know it's just a game. Parents can control all of these.

With the homicide rates still rising, though, how could this possibly be true? Well, that's simple. You probably don't believe me when you hear me say this, but homicide rates aren't rising. In fact, according to the FBI, violence in America has gone down every year since 1992. The murder rate now is at the lowest point it has been in 30 years. So why is everyone so frightened?

This is where the media is to blame. George Gerbner's cultivation theory says that we're scaring ourselves to death; and the media is to blame. Although overall crime has decreased 25% in the last 30 years (youth homocide from guns having decreased 34% since 1994 and school violence having decreased 27% since 1992 -- YES, you heard me), media coverage is up 240%. Now you tell me why America is so afraid.

While crime rates are dropping and homicide is dying off, the videogame industry is thriving and becoming bigger and stronger than ever. More videogames than ever before, many reasonably violent, are being produced -- yet the state of our society is actually improving. It should also be noted that other nations have not experienced problems with violent videogames. Japan, for example, allows the same level (if not a greater level) of violence in their games and television shows, yet the homicide rate is reasonably lower. Still, parents need to find a way to shield their kids from this sort of exposure whenever possible. Studies suggest that younger children can be desensitized by exposure to such videogames and television programs -- and this is no surprise.

Luckily, parents aren't alone in their battle. The Entertainment Software Rating Board knows that not all videogames are appropriate for all ages, and that is why their rating system exists. The ESRB rates videogames with easy-to-understand age specifications, corresponding to the demographic which experts conclude is safely able to experience the game. A letter and warning is clearly visible on every videogame box. Doug Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software Association, says, "We agree there are games that are not appropriate for children and the rating system is there to help parents make the choice." If a parent ignores this rating, that is completely their fault. I don't think there is a single person out there who should be purchasing videogames for their kids if they can't understand such a simplistic rating system. If a parent wants to blame the videogame industry for any act of violence, hostility, rebellion, or inhumanity, they should first have to prove that there was no way they could have known about the game's questionable content.

However, just as movie ratings are enforced, these videogame ratings should be enforced. It's understandable that many 15 - 16 year olds are mature and stable enough to not be majorly affected by a violent videogame, but these ratings are based on extensive research and national averages. IDs need to be checked -- it may be an inconvenience to both the retailer and the consumer, but it's something that must be done. Why? Because the only other solution would be to regulate all content in all games, and that would be unconstitutional, as well as impractical. You could compare a nationwide ban of videogame violence to prohibition in the 1920's; it wouldn't work. If people want to experience cathartic release through fantastic violence, they should be able to do so. If they are not allowed to, they will only look elsewhere for such relief...

Violence, though, is not necessary in many videogames. Some games do not need violence to be enjoyable, and still others include unnecessary violence. Though this is rather ignorant in my opinion, it should never change, as we live in a free country. The way I see it, games created solely for the purpose of displaying blood and gore are simply an insult to the producer, as well as the company. "In Hollywood, and especially in the game industry, [the theme of] 'you've been victimized' gives you the license to kill and maim and torture because that's what's going to be your gratification." Says Lorne Lanning, President / Creative Director Oddworld Inhabitants. "Personally, I think that's pretty weak." It's a shame that products like these exist, but regardless of opinion, this is a matter of quality, and not a reason for regulation. Game developers should be able to produce violent products if they wish to do so, and consumers should have the choice of purchasing them.

In the end, it all devolves to a question of freedom: Just as the public has the right to voice their opinion on violence in videogames, game developers have the right to produce videogames containing offensive content. As long as the public is made aware of the inclusion of this content in specified videogames, there is no factual basis for any argument against the inclusion, and no excuse for not having noticed the warning. If an individual is outside of the specified age demographic, they should not be able to purchase the game. If the in-game content offends a person, they should not buy the game. Period. As I said earlier, any further restriction would be pointless and unconstitutional.

As far as violence is concerned, though things are getting better, parents are still mainly responsible. Anything serious that a child does that is not acceptable probably could have been prevented through better parenting. When people learn to take responsibility and fess up to their own mistakes, the world's problems will begin to solve themselves. Videogames shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath.

We decide our ambitions, our fantasies, and our dreams. For this reason, we should also be able to decide the games we play, which ultimately are just an extension of our dreams.