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Old 07-15-2012, 07:54 PM   #1
Saya
 
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Violence in Video Games

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...-shooter-games

Quote:
In early June, at the E3 convention in Los Angeles, I attended a demo for a game called Splinter Cell: Blacklist. In the demo, I watched the Splinter Cell franchise's long-established hero, Sam Fisher — operating somewhere in Middle Eastistan — enter a tent, kill two gentlemen, and grab a third. Sam asks this third gentleman where a certain colleague of his might be. The gentleman declines to answer, so Sam sticks his knife into the gentleman's clavicle. The gamer is then given an onscreen prompt to twirl around his controller's joystick, which in turn twirls around Sam's knife in the gentleman's wound. The screaming gentleman gives Sam the info he needs — and, suddenly, it's "moral choice" time, for Sam has to choose whether to kill or knock out his freshly tortured victim. Let's review: a moral choice — after an interactive torture sequence.

We've arrived in a strange emotional clime when our popular entertainment frequently depicts torture as briskly effective rather than literally the worst thing one human being can do to another — yea verily, worse even than killing. Inflicting pain and suffering on a captive human being because one person feels like it and the other can't stop it … is this not what we're told awaits sinners in hell? Is this not the domain of Satan?

I left the Blacklist demo sick and infuriated, which was a shame, because the person introducing the demo was a game designer I admire and have long wanted to meet. I really wanted to ask this man how he felt, demo-ing that. Ask the programmers and artists, too, how they felt, bringing that moment into this world. I wanted to ask them all what the deal is with this industry we're a part of. I didn't. Couldn't. I know people who've been tortured. Someone I know was tortured because of something I wrote about him — a cold little bibelot I'll take with me to my grave. I described my Blacklist experience to some gamer friends, a couple of whom thought I was overreacting. Overreacting to a blithe, shrugging presentation of the very definition of human evil, all in the name of "entertainment." I spent a couple days feeling ashamed of being a gamer, of playing or liking military games, of being interested in any of this disgusting bullshit at all.
I really recommend reading the whole thing, its really good. I don't know if its because games are looking more and more realistic or if the boundaries are getting pushed more and more or if I'm just getting more squeamish as I get older, but excessive violence in video games has been bothering me lately. I don't think it makes us more violent in real life, but I do think it says something about us that we view it as entertainment.

It particularly makes me think about the new Tomb Raider game, but instead of it being a power fantasy, its supposed to be a protection fantasy and Lara suffers seemingly as much as everyone she kills.
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Old 07-16-2012, 05:16 AM   #2
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Pretty insightful article. While I expect video games to be a little violent, to have you torture a character is crossing a line that I'm not sure we'll be able to take back. It makes you ask what's next, because the GTA series has purposely tried to push the envelope numerous times over the years.
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Old 07-16-2012, 08:52 AM   #3
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I don't see a difference between violence in video games as opposed to other forms of media, but okay. I'm sure it means different things to different people. Anything represented in a media platform is nothing like realty so it's not something that bothers me.

Also, torture in video games is nothing new. The Metal Gear Solid series has had a torture scene in every game since the Super Nintendo, as an example.
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Old 07-16-2012, 09:02 AM   #4
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And another thing about context; Sam Fisher is a very angry man who had been shit on by the government, captured by Iraqis, and his daughter was fake murdered so she could be used as leverage against him.
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Old 07-16-2012, 10:12 AM   #5
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So I just read the whole article. Guy doesn't play too many shooters, I think. Either that or he hasn't played anything made before the last 5 years. There is a little gem from 2003 or so that makes you cross a river full of every single person that you have killed thus far in the game. If you killed 300 people by slitting their throat or setting them on fire, you wade through 300 bodies with split necks or charred bodies. If that isn't indicative of a game that forces you to ponder the aftermath of of your virtual actions, I don't know what is.

I think what's more likely is that the writer just doesn't recognize when a shooter actually is commenting on the brutality of violence or actually does have a cohesive story that provides context to it's violence.
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Old 07-16-2012, 09:17 PM   #6
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What game is that Versus, I love games that slap you in the face with the decisions you made throughout the story. Also, the article had too much "is this what Jesus died for?" bullshit for me to actually care about the article.
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Old 07-16-2012, 11:44 PM   #7
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Here's the scene.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

In the same game, the main character has war nightmares and they talk about the dehumanization of people during war time.

The whole series is really great. One of the characters talks about the myth of war,, the lionism of soldiers, the guilt of killing civilians, of developing WMDs,, the way war destroys civilian lives, radiation poisoning, the list goes on, every boss character in the series even suffers a hyper form of PTSD. It's actually pretty depressing, but totally worth at least watching all the cut scenes on youtube.
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Old 07-17-2012, 03:03 AM   #8
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Violence is ok in video games. It is not true. Anyway, I like the game
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Old 07-17-2012, 08:36 AM   #9
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Err. This should be the seventh link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w_73xmGHc8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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Old 08-09-2012, 09:58 PM   #10
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Saya; have you played Adam's Venture series?

It's a collection of games that revolve around going on an adventure and finding non-violent means to solve problems set in the 1920s~30s.
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Old 08-09-2012, 10:04 PM   #11
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Ha, I haven't, but I shall look it up!

I forgot to come back to this thread, and I just want to say that while I don't think video games do much more than desensitize, I do think its an interesting reflection of our culture, that not only will we watch movies passively where people are tortured, but there's a market for games that have interactive torture scenes.

ETA: Is that the one that has Bible passages? I'm gonna have to play it if only to have more material for a religion and media course I want to take.
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Old 08-10-2012, 12:36 AM   #12
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Maybe I'm just a wuss or something, but I tend to play some VERY VERY violent video games and I can't stand to see real violence. It creeps me out when people just start screaming at each other. Even if that real violence is on video... it just disturbs me.

I don't have this trepidation with MMA fights, so long as there isn't any serious injuries to the fighters.
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Old 08-10-2012, 03:15 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Versus View Post
Here's the scene.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

In the same game, the main character has war nightmares and they talk about the dehumanization of people during war time.

The whole series is really great. One of the characters talks about the myth of war,, the lionism of soldiers, the guilt of killing civilians, of developing WMDs,, the way war destroys civilian lives, radiation poisoning, the list goes on, every boss character in the series even suffers a hyper form of PTSD. It's actually pretty depressing, but totally worth at least watching all the cut scenes on youtube.
Damn, and that just came out for the 3ds. I'm definitely going to need to pick that one up.
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Old 08-13-2012, 08:49 AM   #14
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Also, I have a secret love for Katamari. Like whoa.
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Couldn't rest, nah nigga I was stressed
Had me creepin' 'round corners, homie sleepin' in my vest.


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Old 10-29-2012, 01:09 PM   #15
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Insightful. I am not much for violent video games though.
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Old 10-29-2012, 08:01 PM   #16
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Totally understand.
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Couldn't rest, nah nigga I was stressed
Had me creepin' 'round corners, homie sleepin' in my vest.


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Old 11-02-2012, 02:37 PM   #17
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The more violence the better imo. Torture, violence, porn/sex... all these things are what makes a game great.
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