Colton Duby

Nov. 12, 2009

Response to

Did you know that I’m a trained assassin? Yes, it’s true. Having played video games in which the protagonist I play stars as a super soldier-esque individual, I am skilled in various forms of combat, can shoot a pigeon from over a mile away, and know that checking the radar which hovers above me will undoubtedly reveal the location of my aggressors. And all of this thanks to video games.

If this is the line of thought one is following, they should stop before they hurt themselves. Video games may show a person how to do something, but that doesn’t mean you are always capable of doing said thing. I have seen people back-flip off walls, but that does not mean I myself can do such a thing. I have piloted a fighter jet in games, but this does not qualify me to fly in a real jet, and any attempt to make me do so would probably result in a lot of wreckage and my death.

So why do some select people see video games as training tools for murderers? By that logic, playing the playground game of Cops and Robbers is a child styled assassin training game. Playing hide and seek is training for how to find hidden enemies and how to avoid being seen, not simple child’s play! Squirt gun fights and water-balloon battles? Obviously children learning military tactics, how to fire weapons and honing their grenade throwing skills.

“But, there’s a huge difference!” I hear from across the room, “Violent games have blood!” Yes, yes they do. And so does real life! Haven’t you cut yourself before? I’d hope you bled. If not, I’m informing the FBI you’re not of this world. And yes, it is a paltry excuse, but it’s better than people sprouting flowers from a gaping wound. Why better you ask? While it may draw some to the game, it pushes the younger audience away via parents. “What about overly-excessive gore?” Ah, your counter I see. Well, on that topic, I do believe there is a limit to which the level of gore is acceptable. When oceans of blood poor from a paper-cut, the game probably needs a different thing to pull crowds in rather than using excessive violence as a sort of twisted art style. It does nothing good either to provide the person with endless tries and nothing challenging, as the gameplay will become dull and monotonous, which will cause a person to be desensitized to the violence. This is especially true among the younger audiences. The ESRB ratings may not always be spot on, but they are there for a reason.

So my final consensus on whether or not violent games make people killers? No, they do not. While emotion is sparked when playing violent games, which leads to desensitization, and aggressiveness may spike, these two things alone do not make someone into a killer. What’s more, aggression can be maintained or lowered through hundreds of different methods. So, what argument have you now, oh gore-in-game seekers? Your first thrust has fallen short, and I parried the blow before delivering my riposte. Your move, violent video game critics.