Senior Research Paper: Violence in Video Games

Matt Hines
Mr. Irish
English IV
28 January 2014
Violence in Video Games

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “video games”? A fat plumber? A blue hedgehog? What about violence? Back in the day, it was rare that you could play a game with any sort of blood, and the violence was cartoonish at best. Nowadays, you can’t even play Call of Duty without hearing someone bickering about the blood and gore. The media believes that video games are a bad influence on today’s society because of that violence, along with things like drugs. Many gamers believe otherwise.

Video games in general are relatively young. According to “First Video Game,” ignoring the related-but-unnecessary debate on what the first game really was, the first well-known computer game was 1961’s Spacewar!, with the first home console debuting only five years later. Fast-forward to 1976, and you have the (in)famous Death Race, a game based on the cult movie Death Race 2000, and, according to Gross, was originally going to be named Pedestrian. Barely a decade has passed, and the baby industry is already receiving criticism! Almost four decades later, and we’re still hearing the same complaints from the same people. Many gamers will agree that those complaints are falsely acquired.

One game that has received its fair share of criticism is Rockstar Games’ title Bully. Making its debut in the latter half of 2006, it received plenty of jabs from Jack Thompson, who was known for his harsh views on Rockstar’s most popular violent gaming series Grand Theft Auto. According to TV Tropes’ article “Bully”, Thompson didn’t even let the fact that the aforementioned game was MUCH less violent than GTA stop his tirade. He wasn’t the only one who disliked Bully, either; “other moral guardians claimed the game was going to let kids think bullying was cool.” This isn’t even mentioning one very crucial fact about the game’s storyline: the game ENCOURAGES you to stick up for yourself, and treats things like hitting girls as punishable offenses. Most games don’t care what the other gender is, as long as the player kills or beats them first. This is probably one of the few games, if not the only one, to discourage hitting girls.

Before the 1990s, a ratings system for games never existed. Come 1992, and Midway’s famous fighting game series Mortal Kombat made its bloody debut. Two years later, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (or ESRB for short) formed, and began to add the ratings that we’re all too familiar with. It’s common knowledge that most of the ratings (i.e. all except EC) allow violence to a degree, but the amount of violence helps to determine what rating the game gets. (For instance, compared to games like Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong Country has slapstick comedy.) Critics usually only care about one rating, however, and that’s the M rating, which is intended for those 17 and up. (In some countries, it’s 18, but that’s beside the point.) Many games that have received criticism are those with the M rating. Why? Well, let’s see: intense violence, blood and gore, strong language, partial or even full nudity, alcohol and drug references… They gladly point out that children play these games, games that are apparently intended for adults! Kotaku, the developers of MadWorld, replied to accusations like these with this comment: "Hopefully, though, concerned parents will notice the 'M for Mature' rating on the cover, just to the left of the dude wielding a bloodied chainsaw” (Gross).

Duff explored the ratings system of Australia, which he notes as “the only Western nation without an adults-only classification for video games.” 14-year-old Peter Baee helped him out, going into six shops and buying games that were meant for those much older than him. Of those, only one refused to sell him any games. This is surprising because it shows that game retailers aren’t doing their job correctly. Duff also points out the following:
Research suggests exposure to violent video games makes people more aggressive, less caring children – regardless of their age, sex, or culture. A review of 130 studies on the subject – covering more than 130,000 young gamers worldwide – found exposure to violent video games was a causal risk factor for increased aggressive thoughts and behavior and decreased empathy. Lead researcher Craig Anderson, from the Centre for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University, says such effects are neither huge nor trivial.
The author seems to suggest that violent video games do, in fact, cause some aggression and whatnot, but not at the high levels most people believe.

Guy Cumberbatch doesn’t believe that “kids who like zapping people on screen…take their aggression onto the streets.” He referenced a study where it was claimed that violent games caused aggression, but failed to show any actual proof of the matter. What was proven, however, was that there was a reasonable connection between the two. This shows that all the hype about games helping to cause violence and aggression is based off of assumptions instead of facts.

Cumberbatch references a second study where participants played two games, Wolfenstein 3D (which the popular Doom series was based off), and Myst, a simple adventure-slash-puzzle game. After 15 minutes, they were to take a test where they were asked to repeat words of aggression from a computer. The ones who played Wolfenstein were slightly faster; however, that proved nothing, because there was the possibility that the non-violent Myst slowed their reaction time down. Another test involved a reaction game where the loser was hit with a blast of noise. The human player could set the decibel level, and even change the duration of the blast. The researchers claimed those who had been playing Wolfenstein made the duration significantly longer, but in all reality, there were only minute differences. These tests go to show that the evidence behind the accusations that games are violent, is very lacking, if it even exists. Cumberbatch even notes that the “blame game” doesn’t benefit the general public.

Mike Snider also points out that studies about games influencing violence have been inconclusive. He quotes Justice Antonin Scalla as saying, "These studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason: They do not prove that violent video games cause minors to act aggressively." This goes to show that even a member of the Supreme Court believes that games do not truly cause aggression, despite all the trouble the media goes through to prove otherwise. However, Snider also notes that “research into violent video games shows a measurable effect on aggressive behavior in youth.” This is to be expected, as many children have been known to play violent games, as many overprotective parents will gladly point out.

Overall, all of these media accusations about video games influencing real-life violence and aggression are incorrect, but due to events like the Columbine tragedy, the media refuses to listen. Even though many tests and studies have proven that any influence games may have on today’s youth is minimal, if not non-existent, people everywhere continue to claim that games like Doom and Call of Duty will turn their beloved children into antisocial, psychopathic criminals when they reach adulthood. If parents don’t like their children playing violent games, they shouldn’t buy the games for them in the first place, but that’s beside the point. Video games don’t cause real-world violence, as many avid gamers will testify again and again. Rather, it is the choices that people make.

Works Cited
“Bully.” TV Tropes. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Cumberbatch, Guy. “Only a Game?” New Scientist 166.2242 (2000): 44. Student Resources in Context. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
Duff, Eamonn. “Declare ‘Game Over” on Video Game Violence Degrading Our Kids.” Sun-Herald 14 Mar. 2010: 14. Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
“First Video Game.” Wikipedia. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Gross, Doug. “10 Most Controversial Violent Video Games.” CNN Wire 26 Aug. 2013. Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Snider, Mike. "Bill to Focus on Video Game Violence." USA Today 20 Dec. 2012: 06A. Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.