Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
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Are Video Games Evil?
Violent video games teach our kids to point and shoot, say their critics. The truth may be every bit as frightening to members of a generation raised to believe they’re thinking outside the box.
On a monday evening last fall, in the Crystal Gateway Marriott a few blocks from the Pentagon, a group of academics, journalists, and software developers gathered to play with the U.S. military’s newest toys. In one corner of the hotel’s ballroom, two men climbed into something resembling a jeep. One clutched a pistol and positioned himself behind the steering wheel, while the other manned the vehicle’s turret. In front of them, a huge, three-paneled television displayed moving images of an urban combat zone. Nearby, another man shot invisible infrared beams from his rifle at a video-screen target. In the middle of the room a player knelt, lifted a large, bazooka-like device to his shoulder, and began launching imaginary antitank missiles.
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Chris Suellentrop writes The Opinionator, an online column for The New York Times, and has written about video games for Wired and the online magazine Slate.
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The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and in no way represent the views or opinions of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. This section is moderated by Wilson Quarterly staff.
Coloring in the lines
I disagree that gamers are all trained to work within the system. If advanced gamers ahve shown us anything it is that it is possible to change the rules on your own and make the game better. Look at the enormous influence of modding on game. Advanced players will create their own modules to PC games that build upon the base of the game and expanding it in unexpected ways. Gamers who understand to win you follow the rules will lead successful lives, but those who know you can change your world and make it better will be our next leaders.
Posted by: sbz | 10/15/06
Video Games
anyone who thinks video games are evil are total n00bs!
Posted by: VoltzCartoons | 10/12/07
......yeah
I laugh at this debate. the crap the press pulls out of the hat to say "Video games are "Evil". Heres proof." Hey Press...Not our fault more and more 12 year old kids buy M rated games... Blame the parents. So heres a suggestion for your next Article: "Video Game Designers and ESPR not at fault, the Parents are"
Posted by: Sierra117 | 11/25/07
cool
in your face video game h8rs
Posted by: meeeeeeeee | 3/6/08
Oh yea!
Take that and stick it in your pipe and smoke it video game h8rs!! lol Very well done article.
Posted by: Commander Skywalker | 4/19/08
Video games
Video games are the fuel of the american spirit and drive the economy anyone who thinks they are evil must be a villain themselves
Posted by: Dropout millionair | 12/11/08
the army manipulates
Sure it is the parents job to moniter what their child plays but few do. However the army is manipulating. Just because the tag says "mature" doesn't mean that they are really targeting only 17 and older. the army really doesn't care who buys these games and who gets screwed up because of it they are looking to sell and to get recruits. Also, if they did intend to sell these games only to older and mature players why would they fight video game restriction laws like they have the last 5 years?
Posted by: accacia | 1/16/09
school shootings
THe colombine shootings, kip kinkel, and every other school shooting have had one thing in common; an excessive amount of video games.
Posted by: accacia | 1/16/09
video games are liers
one final thing if the army really isn't trying to manipulate and lie to gamers the why don't they come out with a real realistic game? cuz from what i've seen apparantly video game designers believe in some weird sect of buddihism in which you instantly reincarnate painlessly. thats pretty odd... huh? would someone like to explain that to me?
Posted by: accacia | 1/16/09
...
war is not a game, people should quit pretending it is.
Posted by: accacia | 1/16/09
what are you smokin?
are you stupid or can you not see whats going on? they do not fuel some american economy in fact there are very few video games actually produced in the us. the money will most likely go to a couple of big shots and the a penny or two to some chinese kids! the american spirit? what spirit is that? callously kill it if it moves or sit around all day waving some plastic at some more plastic? oh wait maybe that IS the American spirit. mmmh? well, america's great aint it then? you are ignorant.
Posted by: accacia | 1/16/09
To accacia
Wow... First and for most, please do your research before you post random attacks... School shootings don't all steam from video-games. I know that you think that the Columbine and other incidents are the fault of only violent games, or at least that is what I can understand from your posts. But, if you even look into it a little you can understand why the incident occurred. Please look up a scholarly source that doesn't take a side and try and understand what actually happened. Second, war is not a game, most people do understand that. I have never met a fellow gamer who believes it is. Next, please don't talk about game designers as "believers in Buddhism..." and players "...reincarnate painlessly." That statement is extremely ignorant and shows a major lack of understanding for the reason of games at the most basic level. Next, when you take a whole group of people and assume that they all act and believe in the same ideals, etc. You are being prejudice and simply stupid. How can you say someone is ignorant if what your saying is just as bad. Lastly, with out a doubt in my mind, I can tell that you don't play games, or at least almost never, and I would ask that you at least don't attack something you don't understand. However, I do understand people's concern for America's Army being used as a recruitment tool, its true they do. But many don't understand that before players can play online they have to sit in virtual classrooms, learn CPR, medical aid, spotting enemies versus friendly units, teamwork, as well as the violent fighting aspect of the game. I have played America's Army and it doesn't make me want to run down to a recruitment center and sign right up. Please don't talk about things you have never experienced and act like you know everything about it. I am proud of being a gamer, and I feel that what have you written is ridiculous and with out evidence. Please, please don't ever have children so no they don't have to be raised by someone as ignorant as you...
Posted by: GM | 2/8/09
To accacia
I aggree with GM, accacia seems to not be hating on gamers, but the people who have manipulated the Market and also following the media. So I ask her simply, please please do some more research before you come complaining to us. I have played some incredibally violent games until four in the morning with friends and I still plan on going to uni and getting degrees and stuff. See were not all infantile maniacs shooting up schools( I myself am a pacifist)!!!
Posted by: Freddy9 | 4/30/09
asdfasdf
yes video games are the root of all evil... burn them in the great fire...............
Posted by: VIDEO GAME DEATH | 1/5/10
To Accacia
Firstly, your "budhism" idea is a pretty obvious idea to solve. Would anyone want to play a game where you spend 3 to 4 hours playing only to make one slip up and have to start all over? We don't "believe" in this so called reincarnation, it's just part of the game to make it playable. Secondly, video games are produced in established devoloping firms and are not outsourced. Many come from Korea and Japan, where the programmers and designers are payed a nice salary. And based on the figures from 2008, a nice cool 48% are produced here in the U.S. and the ones that succeed gross millions of dollars. Now if I was to take into account 2009, which hasn't quite revealed its statistics, I would say that that number has moved up to at least 52% when you take into account the success of western RPG's such as Mass Effect. Video games are America's new automobile industry. I suggest that before you continue to insult both me and the gaming community, that you actually take the time to PLAY one. Also, the reason that I, and the rest of us have been fighting these bills is because these bills are very discriminatory towards video games. There is no federal law mandating who can buy movies, but everyone has faith in the industry. In fact, at the library where I worked for a short time a 14 year old girl could check out one of those smutty adult romance novels(The ones marketed primarily towards cougars and other fantasizing women). We find it wrong that only video games should be affected and that once one law is passed that many more less merciful ones will more than likely ensue. You seem to have enough brain power to understand the concept of a slippery slope. It's not the army that's fighting these laws. It's the industry and the individuals. It's a culture that is fighting back.
Posted by: Lethal Phoenix | 1/21/10
damn...
nicely said
Posted by: impressed guy | 4/25/10
haha
This just made me laugh
Posted by: lol | 9/22/10
video games
I am a gamer before you judge video games as a whole play them i'm 14 years old and i don't want to join the army i don't feel the sudden urge to shoot or kill anyone i don't swear a lot and i use video games as a source of enjoyment and a stress reliever. people who said video games made them do the crime are either idiots or trying to use video games as scrape goat. I know war is not a game its terrible but sometimes required for human advance. please stop judging gamer society we are just people who enjoy video games when something new like video games come people always bitch about it but when a extremely violent comic or lusty comic book or book people don't complain
Posted by: badfusername | 8/17/12
14... Plays CoD and Battlefield
I was BORN into video games, in 1998. Playstation 1, 2, and a computer I was born with. I played M games... Started out T then able to play M. I was like, 8. I wasn't violent at all after that! Just more into games. What is also funny- is that I have/ had epilepsy since I was born, and take medicine for it I can now play 24 hours. I'm 14 now, I play Xbox 360, with LIVE. So- what the fuck? I'm not violent at all. Also it teaches us to look quick, use tactics (Depends what kind of game, and 14yr old you are, for me I have a deeper voice) and lots of other shit. I don't want to shoot people, I cuss only normaly- when mad or in pain- and I'm good.
Posted by: James | 12/30/12
?
In real life I am a caring and thoughtful person. In games Im a murdering evil killer. Who am I really?
Posted by: Steve the short | 2/12/13