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Computer And Video Games have been the subject of ''' Controversy ''' and '''''. ''Video game censorship'' is defined as use of state or group power to control the playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of video games or computer games based on a valuation of the game's content. Video game censorship is a polarizing subject, with both proponents and opponents of censorship displaying passion for their views. BRIEF HISTORY Historically, this type of controversy and criticism is not unique to video games. The same situation has been applied to Comic Books ; Music , particularly Jazz , Rock And Roll , Metal Music , Hip Hop , Rap ; and Films . The age of the art medium also plays a role in the level of controversy since the longer an art medium exists the more likely it is to have generated broader public acceptance. In the above mentioned example, attempts at censorship in the United States were struck down as a violation of First Amendment Rights , and they have all gone on to become integrated facets of society. In June 2007, the American Medical Association considered a proposal to designate video game addiction as a Mental Disorder on the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders . They recommended that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) consider the change when it revises the next diagnostic manual in 5 years. The APA has said that it could be considered for inclusion in the next diagnostic manual, which will be published in 2012." Addiction experts say video games not an addiction ", Reuters, June 25, 2007. Retrieved on June 27, 2007. HISTORY OF NOTABLE CRITICISM In 1976 , '' Death Race '' became one of the first controversial video games; based on the film '' Death Race 2000 '', it allowed players to drive around in a car, in order to run down "gremlins." However, critics inferred that the game actually simulated Vehicular Homicide —particularly considering that the game's original title was '' Pedestrian ''. CAUSES OF CONTROVERSY Criticism of crime and violence in video games Video and computer games are periodically criticized in the media by some parents' groups, psychologists, religious organizations, or politicians for the level of Violence , cruelty, and Crime that some games allow players to act out, and often glorify. Examples are trivial to find, including '' Mortal Kombat '' and its sequels, a series of Fighting Game s by Midway . Since 1992 the series has rewarded players for beating up an opponent with Martial Art s moves, and then for executing a "Fatality" move. A Fatality is a particularly gruesome killing of the defeated player. It is particularly disturbing to some adults that some video games allow players to act out '' goes a step further, with levels that require the gamer to murder ''corrupt'' police characters before the game will advance.) Many of the groups that object to the game also seem to think that it is disturbing that children play this. The game's immediate sequel, '') in 1986 , involves a gang war between Haitians and Cuban refugees, and the player often serves both gangs to plot against one another. Haitian and Cuban anti-defamation groups highly criticized the game for these actions, including using phrases such as "kill the Haitian dickheads" (a phrase used in the game, actually referring to the Haitian gang with which the character is having a shoot-out). After the threat of being sued by the Haitian-American Coalition, Rockstar removed the word "Haitians" from this phrase in the game's subtitles. These concerns have led to voluntary rating systems adopted by the industry, such as the ESRB rating system in the United States and the PEGI rating system in Europe, that are aimed at educating parents about the types of games their children are playing (or are begging to play). Game publishers’ near-universal decision to have controversial games rated shows that they are not targeted at young children. They are ESRB rated as "Mature" or "Adults Only" in the US, or given a "Certificate 18" rating in the UK. The packaging notes that these games should not be sold to children. If a parent or legal guardian buys a mature game for a child and the parent/legal guardian gives permission to a child to play said mature game, it is by the parents' choice and is not considered an offence. Lt. Col. David Grossman , a former West Point psychology professor, has written several books that pertain to the subject of violence in the media, including ''On Killing'' and ''Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill''. During heights of video game controversy he has been interviewed on the content of his books, and has repeatedly used the term "murder simulator" to describe First-person Shooter games. He argues that video game publishers unethically train children in the use of weapons and, more importantly, harden them emotionally to the act of murder by simulating the killing of hundreds or thousands of opponents in a single typical video game. Video game violence critics generally agree that violent video games are at least as bad an influence on children as are television shows with the same level of violence and cruelty, and most seem to believe that video games are more threatening to a child's well-being, because the video game player uses the controller to make an on screen character act out the violence personally. It was widely reported that the killers in the Columbine High School Massacre were, like many teenagers, fans of First-person Shooter games. They had recorded a videotape before the massacre in which they said they looked forward to using their shotguns just as in the game '' Doom ''. However, these teenagers were already mentally disturbed before playing the game, the game did not cause their actions. Some studies have shown that children who watch violent television shows and play violent video games have a tendency to act more aggressively on the playground, and some people are concerned that this aggression may presage violent behavior when children grow to adulthood. Most studies, however, reach the conclusion that violence in video games is not causally linked with aggressive tendencies. This was the conclusion of a 1999 study by the U.S. government, prompting Surgeon General David Satcher to say, “we clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the science is.” This was also the conclusion of a Meta-analysis by Psychologist Jonathan Freedman , who reviewed over 200 published studies and found that the majority did not find a causal link. Controversy of speeding and evading the authority in racing games has surfaced when a copy of Need For Speed (game version unknown) is found on one of the street racer's car in Toronto in January 26 , 2006 , when two street racers were involved in an accident resulting a taxi-driver's death. However, the police denied any connection between the game and the incident. {Link without Title} Criticism of sexuality and nudity in video games Western Video Game Publisher s have not to date explored Sexuality In Video Games to the degree seen in movies, books, or even TV shows. Almost no American video games display full frontal nudity. However, sexual themes are somewhat common in Japanese Video Games although closed console companies such as Nintendo and Sony do not license adult only content games for their systems. The following is a list of games containing sexual elements and nudity.
Counter-arguments Response to controversies over sexuality is generally in the form of indignation that video games are singled out where movies, books, and television shows currently are not (despite the fact that Hollywood exercised the Hays Code to ban any movie which violated its strict moral regulations in the early half of the 20th century). Retailers have sold "R" and "NC-17"-rated (and in some cases "PG-13" and older "PG") movies showing nudity for several decades without generating an equivalent level of Moral Panic in doing so, and the moral problem they claim to have over video games with nudity is seen as Hypocritical by some. Because video games have a rating system roughly equivalent to the movie rating system, the two are analogous. Video games have also been seen to be singled out from other forms of entertainment when it comes, not only to violence, but also to nudity; hence the term ''pop culture pariah.'' Criticism related to psychology and children's social development Over two hundred studies have been published which examine the effects of violence in entertainment media and which at least partially focus on violence in video games in particular. Some psychological studies 1 have shown a Correlation between children playing violent video games and suffering psychological effects, though the vast majority stop short of claiming behavioral Causation . Critics to these argue that many of the studies involved fail to use standardized and reliable measures of aggression, and many selectively discuss findings that support their hypothesized link between video games and aggression, and fail to discuss findings that disconfirm this link. The (2002).4 More recently, Block and Crain (2007) claim that in a critical paper by Anderson (and his co-author, Bushman), data was improperly calculated and produced fallacious results.5 On '' inspired him to kill three police officers that came to arrest him for stealing a car. This episode of ''60 Minutes'' has been criticized by the video game community. In October 2005, the Alabama judge sentenced Moore to Death by Lethal Injection . Some Psychologist s and parents' groups have criticized video games because they believe they cause children to sit alone in the television room for many hours in a row, interacting with a machine rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve their social skills by playing with other children. They claim that video games can be even more Addictive to children than TV , and therefore more likely to isolate them socially in this way. Some studies have purported that there is a correlation between Depression and playing computer games. Counter-arguments Many respond that video games can enhance children's social interaction because many video games are Multiplayer games, where two or more players can have fun competing or co-operating on the same television screen, and that if a child is isolated and antisocial, this is not the fault of video games, but perhaps of the child's inborn disposition, or perhaps of the parents' lack of attention to making sure their child has enough opportunities for social interaction with other children. Additionally, with the advent of Online video gaming, it is not difficult for children to find others to play with, although these experiences are often anonymous. One response came from Social Critic and author J.C. Herz , who suggested that some criticisms of video game violence come from distinctly Marxist and Socialist viewpoints from Academia , and do not reflect the realities of modern life: ::''That's what we do in America: glorify autonomous individualists. What else would we possibly glorify? The autonomous collective? One can only imagine the kind of arcade game that would pass muster with the leather-elbow-patch set (leap over the running dogs of Capitalism , liberate the oppressed Proletariat , and accumulate enough petition power to defeat the evil Murdoch ).'' (Herz, ''Joystick Nation'', 1997). Specifically, Herz claimed that such things as a "lack of cooperative behavior" and "aggressiveness" are both necessary and useful traits in a capitalistic society, but that academic psychologists tend to ignore this. Also, it should be noted that the majority of video gamers are adults. “The average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 9.5 years” {Link without Title} “The average game buyer is 37 years old. In 2005, 95 percent of computer game buyers and 84 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.” {Link without Title} Some psychologists claim that while causation has been linked between playing violent videogames and an increase in hostile behaviour, the effect is very low. They also claim the effect tends to increase depending on how angry the person was to begin with. Some also claim the effect violent videogames have on adults is very similar in magnitude to the effect they have on the behavioural processes of children. {Link without Title} While not a noted psychologist per se, Brian Clevinger (author of 8-Bit Theater ) makes an eloquent statement against efforts to censor video games, sharply criticizing parents who fail to involve themselves in their children's lives as the cause of flawed intellectual development. He accuses said parents of using video games as a convenient scapegoat -- when ironically they are generally the same people who purchase the games for their own children. ''"It's not my fault my kid doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, or fantasy and reality, it must be those darn video games I kept buying him in lieu of parenting."'' {Link without Title} Criticism from religious organizations See Also: Censorship by organized religion Video games have received criticism from religious sources. A large percentage of criticism of video games originates from religious sources, often in similar response to claims of violence, crime, sexuality, nudity, rebelliousness, Materialism , Occult ism, and offensive references to religion in these games. Such content found in video games are often criticized by religious groups of specific denominations. Games such as '' Breath Of Fire II '', '' La Pucelle Tactics '', '' Xenogears '' and '' Xenosaga '', '' Final Fantasy Tactics '', '' Final Fantasy X '', '' Castlevania '', This refers to the modern games in the Castlevania series. The earlier games removed religious references. '' Tales Of Symphonia '', and '' Grandia II '' contain religious themes that some might find offensive. Often, RPGs in particular make use of a corrupt and powerful Church as the game’s Antagonist . It should be noted the corrupt and powerful church is a common story element in all entertainment mediums, including literature (such as novels by the popular Fantasy Author David Eddings and Sci-fi author Frank Herbert ). In response to potential criticism, religious content has been Censored in some Western releases of Japan ese-origin video games. Nintendo in particular censored many of its US releases back in the NES and SNES era. '' Castlevania '', '' Dragon Quest '', '' Final Fantasy '' and other games containing such references as crosses, the words holy, monk, and names of Biblical figures were censored for their US release. The game '' Terranigma '' was never released in North America, one of the stronger reasons being its religion-influenced plot. One trophy in '' Super Smash Bros. Melee '', Tamagon, was locked out of the US release of the game, possibly due to religious reference and the title of the game in which he originally appeared ('' Devil World ''). In 2002, the Xbox fighting game '' Kakuto Chojin '' offended many Muslim s with the use of religious chanting in background music. The Saudi Arabia n government made a formal protest, and Microsoft pulled the game internationally in early 2003.6 Many Muslims were also offended by the . In one of the game's dungeons, Muslim chanting can be heard in the background music. This was changed by Nintendo in later versions of the game, with to the older versions being discontinued. As in the film industry, many groups promote restriction on games children should be allowed to play, but do not believe that games themselves should be censored. These websites are directed at parents who want to avoid video games they consider too explicit and graphic for their children. Many of them (especially those that review games based on their view of the game's permissibility) receive criticism for being overly harsh, but some of them have large followings that appreciate their service. Some of these websites have stopped reviewing "M" rated games due to criticism from Fans of the game upset at its low rating. Criticisms of the gameplay in and of itself Some criticisms from both game players and non-game players alike are directed at the gameplay in and of itself. This primarily is focused toward RPGs , especially MMORPG s, and '' First-person Shooter '' (FPS)'s, whose gameplay, critics feel, causes obsession or addiction. This is often joked about and admitted in the MMORPG communities. A prominent aspect of RPGs is the immersion factor, or Virtual Reality , which is seen by critics as escapist. Finally, as most RPG levelling mechanics allow for getting stronger by repetitive fighting of weaker enemies for a long time, this is seen as discouraging risk taking or instilling a fear of losing in the gamer. In fact, most MMORPG s place a level range requirement for getting Experience Points , in which the lower the enemy's level is relative to the player's, the less experience is gained (until it reaches zero). The '' First-person Shooter '' is the other type of video game, with arguably the highest immersion factor, since the player "sees through the eyes of the character the player is controlling". It was the 1993 first-person shooter '' Doom '' which some activists blame partially for the shootings at Columbine high school by '' Dylan Klebold And Eric Harris '', a game that the two played a lot and mentioned in their suicide video. Critics of FPS games claim that the immersion factor is just too high, and that the U.S. armed forces uses them for training their soldiers. Uninteresting and uncreative games Some critics of film and literature look down on video gaming as an inferior form of entertainment.7 The majority of criticism of video games from within the video-gaming community also relates to quality. This is probably because of the impression that earlier video games had either simple, linear story structures with very little Plot or essentially no story whatsoever. A frequent counterargument is that this is like complaining that a game of football does not contain much plot or character development, and that although most video games contain a Narrative , it serves only to propel the player's actions in and against a Virtual world, which is not primarily based upon passively seeing and hearing. Another point of view compares video games to the movies, which during the silent era were also considered mere entertainment. Other criticisms include unrealistic aspects of graphics or gameplay, games that are simply not fun to play, a perceived lack of games that appeal to women and girls, and a strong and increasing tendency of Video Game Publisher s to avoid risks and originality by only funding games which have very clear promise to succeed financially. For example, the use of violence in games is seen as a crutch for creativity; it is alleged that if a developer cannot invent an original, fun activity for the player, he'll end up giving the player the time-honored task of shooting a monster, usually in a violent manner (as opposed to shooting a monster in a nonviolent manner). In particular, there has been a perceived increase in:
It should be noted that problems with low creativity are also seen in the Movie industry; many movies are based on TV shows, novels, or previous entries in series. Highly-publicized tragedies Several high-profile tragedies relating to video games in recent decades have helped fuel controversy.
Counter-criticism by proponents of video games |
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