The case aginst 'Manhunt'

[Mr. Viewtiful]

Like krylo mentioned, this is all common sense, and unfortunately some people lack that.

However, sometimes videogames inspire people to do good things. For instance, I'm sure that after playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, people went out and tried skateboarding.

Another good example is the use of videogames for training people. I know that in some counties Driver's Ed. classes use games to practice driving. As for myself...I got Crazi Taxi

[Otaku Son]

Originally Posted by The Mirror King

some reporter said that a video game had something to do with the Columbine thing

I'd heard it was caused by Maryln Manson's music. Point is, it was still blamed on some form of media.

crazy or unbelievably stupid people think life is Halo or GTA.

Originally Posted by Mr. Viewtiful

However, sometimes videogames inspire people to do good things.

Damn right. Now, pardon me while I go infiltrate a terrorist base by myself with no weapons or anything and need to perform On-Site Procurement, fight off some psychoatic sons of bitches with bizarro powers, and eventually make my way to that walking nuclear-eqipped deathmobile of destruction, only to find my separated-at-birth twin brother is the one behind this whole thing.

[Edit]

For instance, I'm sure that after playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, people went out and tried skateboarding.

Yeah, but here's the kicker: in Tony Hawk Underground 2, you get points for graffittizing the 'hood.[/Edit]

[Sithdarth]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Full Spectrum Warrior. The game was actually developed for training US Troops in urban unit tactics. Then the game developers that wrote the trainer for the army got the ok to release a commerical version. While the commerical version of the game isn't doing any good the military version definetly did quite a bit of good. Who knows maybe one day all the civies that play Full Spectrum may find a use for what they learn playing the game.

[Mr. Viewtiful]

Originally Posted by SithDarth

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Full Spectrum Warrior. The game was actually developed for training US Troops in urban unit tactics. Then the game developers that wrote the trainer for the army got the ok to release a commerical version. While the commerical version of the game isn't doing any good the military version definetly did quite a bit of good. Who knows maybe one day all the civies that play Full Spectrum may find a use for what they learn playing the game.

That's the prime example that slipped my mind. It's a lot better for soldiers to learn combat tactics and such in a training program, as opposed to in real life. That way, a screw-up won't force them to pay the ultimate price...

Off-topic: I actually heard somewhere that you can use a code to make it like the official Army version. Can anyone confirm this?

Originally Posted by Otaku Son

Now, pardon me while I go infiltrate a terrorist base by myself with no weapons or anything and need to perform On-Site Procurement, fight off some psychoatic sons of bitches with bizarro powers, and eventually make my way to that walking nuclear-eqipped deathmobile of destruction, only to find my separated-at-birth twin brother is the one behind this whole thing.

Dang, your life must be pretty screwed up.

[Thaumaturge]

All right, I'm willing to concede that violent games probably do encourage violent tendencies in very young children, i.e. those not yet old enough to understand the difference between reality and fantasy (and you'd be surprised at how young this distinction can exist). In older children, the parents have a responsibility to monitor theie children's gaming, since they know best what their child can handle. If they are not sure, I would recommend erring on the side of caution.

However, I might point out that there must be some prior propensity for violenc in children old enough to discriminate between fantasy and reality. A fairly young child (7 to 10, perhaps) can watch violence without becoming violent in real life, as I know from experience.

[The Infallible]

I am not a fan of ultra-violent games, but i do not think that those kinds of video games cause violence. anyone who would do what he saw in a video game is clearly an already troubled individual. If you believe that playing GTA will make a kid start to make stuff bleed profusely then you must also belive that playing Final Fantasy will make you try to ride fuzzy yellow birds.

To say that Video Games cause Violence is to say that we cannot control our own actions. If thats the case then there would be a whole hell of alot more violent crimes.

Also, Japan has more video games then any other country but they are one of, if not the, least violent countries.

I like video games... especially starcraft, I do not want video games to be censored. Maybe it is because im a gamer that i feel this way, probably is. if you want a real argument for our side then you have to get an objective source. No one from the other side will take you seriously if your the one who plays these games. Unfair, but thats the way it works.

[Capt. Badass]

One problem with violence in Movies, Video games, TV ect. is that the violence is too unrealistic a lot of the time. For example, in many movies you'll see someone get kicked in the head pretty damn hard and then get back up and fight some more. The characters will beat eachother senseless for a long time. This is completly unrealistic, if you get kicked in the head hard, you DON'T get back up, at least not immediatly.
Now we do have games like Manhunt where the violence can seem very real at times, however, it still lacks a certain amount of realism. I work in a hospital, and if you ever see a person that has been shot, stabbed, and/or beaten, you see the blood, a lot of blood. Many will scream in a way that seems almost inhuman, some people who have no religion will all of a sudden find themselves screaming for a god, any god, to save them. You don't see that kind of thing in Manhunt, its dumbed down ultra-violence (if that makes any sense).
It can be said that people who see this in entertainment media, start becoming desensitized to conseqences, not the violence itself. Should violent media be changed so it shows these consequences? I don't think so personally, but that is because I, like most gamers, am a rational human being that understands that although art imitates life, that is all it is - an imitation - and not always a good one.

[RMS Oceanic]

While the game may have increased this person's violent tendancies by a degree, I don't think it alone was responsible. I believe that:

A. He has issues.

B. He was unsatisfactoraly unsupervised. What's going on with a 17 year old playing something for 18 year olds?

Don't get me wrong, I like GTA:VC, but I point blank refuse to let my 9-year old sister watch it. I know she couldn't handle it.

[C-dog]

Originally Posted by RMS Oceanic

B. He was unsatisfactoraly unsupervised. What's going on with a 17 year old playing something for 18 year olds?

That's a little much. I'm all for the rule, but I was watching R rated movies and playing M games when I was 15-16. It would have driven me nuts if my parents were still putting on all the restraints when I was 17. That's the kind of stuff that wrecks your relationship with your parents. I agree on not letting your 9-year-old sister play this stuff though. It all depends on the situation. For instance, this guy must have been showing some kind of signs that he had issues. If my kid was twitching and mumbling to himself all the time (example), I sure as hell wouldn't allow him to play violent video games, regardless of his age. You can't kill your friend on a whim and act perfectly normal the rest of the time.

It's not Rockstar's fault this guys is screwed-up, but I can't blame the dead guy's mom for trying to sue them. I mean, the woman's son is dead. She could go after the killer's family, but they're having problems of their own. Their son killed somebody. God. So, why not go after a faceless corperation?

[Living Bobbeh]

I played GTA when I was was underaged. I played GTA1 when I was about 7 i think and GTA3 when I was 10-11. It was hasn't changed me a bit, I has made me thought about killing one of my class mates(though, He is a total prick that needs some medicane of something), But I could never kill anyone. Watching the matrix only made me think that slo-mo effects are super cool and ocasionly making me dive at my sofa(in fact, I'm gonna do that now. one battered sholder later and he returns to his seat)