Title: Killer Instinct.

For as long as i can remember, the discussion regarding as to why it is we love playing games so much - have always flourished. Non the less now, when MMORPG’s have never been more popular and large in numbers. So what is it that attracts such large numbers of people, escaping reality in other peoples fabricated fantasy worlds? Well let’s not kid ourselves and put to much psycho analysis into the sheer pleasure of experiencing something completely different then our everyday lives, when discussing this - but since the experience itself is so different from person to person, surely the reason for playing must differentiate as well? What i take with me from a gaming session, is probably not the same as what you would be left with. The very same thing goes for music, movies, art and anything else that might leave an impression on us.


And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to the much debated issue of whether video games generally do lead to youths being more prone to commit acts of violence - or not. On this subject there appears to be just as many opinions as there are people tossing them around - and there are many. Most of them are stereotypically (and predictably) divided into two camps - the mothers of teenagers who are certain that video games do lead to increased aggressiveness and destructive behavior - and the ones that stand aside, laughing at the other side’s assumptions and misplaced blame. So which side is more right then wrong? Well, let’s break it down.

There sure have been plenty of studies regarding whether there are behavioral changes that can be directly linked to long term exposure of ultra violent video/pc games, but let’s face it - these are often studies performed or requested by partial parties, with such names as ”the concerned parents association” etc. Furthermore, there only seem to be an interest in these ”studies” immediately following tragedy and doesn’t seem to generate much endorsement when things have settled down. My point? Well, there doesn’t seem to be any real interest in a thorough study, as there is of finding someone to blame for acts of violence immediately after they have been committed - leading me to believe that these sporadic studies are anything but fair and done with the right intentions in mind.

Enough of this - games are there for only one reason and that is to entertain. What people then take in to their minds from the experiences they have within the games they play - is wildly different between individuals and heavily based on their character to begin with. That leaves what? Well, the strong possibility that people that have been claimed to be acting out violent crimes solely influenced by video games, might have been just a tad violent and dysfunctional to begin with..

Conclusion - there is no doubt regarding the fact that we get influenced by video games, as do we get influenced by everything we see, smell, touch etc - but whether or not the influences of daily life has any negative effects relies heavily on how we are as people. So parents, stop pushing the blame for your in-capabilities to shelter and provide a good home and a stable loving environment for your children, on game developers. It’s time to take some responsibility for your lack of parenting skills and look upon your selves as parents. A child's ability to tell right from wrong, isn’t something that a video game can simply destroy, if that child was brought up right. End of story.

By: Richard A.