Murder Simulator IV

[Wondermonkey]

This time, from CNN

[namehater]

+ YouTube Video

[Epyon MX]

I can't believe that the nutjob, Glenn Beck, is on CNN.

This is why TV is dead to me.

[Prophet0ne]

MURDER!!! Ba-Ba-Ba-Buuummm!!!! Shadap ya' moron. I use big words when I wanna' look smart. Love it.

[Jon Liu]

"Murder" is a big word to you, Prophet??

[Quo]

That was a pretty nice statistical manipulation by Mr. Beck... the human-shaped target, predecessor to the modern video game. And all this time I thought it all started with Pong.

Let them blame whoever they want, it's all ridiculous. Funny thing is, the woman holding the baby in the second interview... odds are that 8-10 years from now, she's buying that kid a video game (without even knowing what's in it) and letting him park himself in front of the TV for countless hours while she's at work or shopping, or watching TV herself.

[Causedawg 83]

This may seem crazy, but I really started getting into one of the GTA games a while back for a short period. Driving all over the place, running people over, smashing into cars, etc. The crazy thing was, when I went outside and hopped in my truck, my first instinct was to drive like I did in GTA. Obviously I didn't, but the instincts were initially there. I could see how playing it obsessively and not having a whole lot of activity up top could lead to people doing some pretty dumb things that they picked up in the game.

Cutting cops in half or setting them on fire? Doing things like that as a way to get street cred or for a laugh or whatever in a game can never lead to good things. It's just disgusting.


Now, I don't agree with the whole thing about conditioning kids to be killers by playing videogames, or by shooting silhouettes of men in a target range, or by playing cops and robbers, or any other silly idea.

[Quo]

Originally Posted by Causedawg 83

The crazy thing was, when I went outside and hopped in my truck, my first instinct was to drive like I did in GTA. Obviously I didn't, but the instincts were initially there. I could see how playing it obsessively and not having a whole lot of activity up top could lead to people doing some pretty dumb things that they picked up in the game.

That's pretty natural... if you play a game a lot, you're going to be reminded of what's happened in-game when you encounter similar real-life experiences. There's no denying that, and that's exactly what Beck and Thompson are feeding on.

Thing is, you can get that from any game. If you're not mentally strong enough or mature enough to overcome that, then you need to be kept away from that influence by whoever is in charge of you (because clearly if you're still at the point of not being able to distinguish between reality and a game, you need someone in charge of you).

I play Forza and Burnout... pure racing games, no killing. And when I drive afterwards, I get the urge to drive like a maniac. I play Tony Hawk and i get the impression when I'm out that I could huck off of a 6-story building and do some massive trick and land on a dumpster pad and be ok. Reality steps in, though, and corrects those impressions.

Parents have to judge whether or not their kids can make those distinctions. There's more to it than that (my 10-year old can make that distinction, but I still don't want him playing this game). But that's the main thing with the killing.

[namehater]

on the flip side, maybe its good that people live out their destructive sides through video rather than doing them in real life, maybe thats why a lot of people use games as stress release. after a long day of dealing with bullshit, isnt it better to just vent it out on some virtual people rather than to really go postal?

[Prophet0ne]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

"Murder" is a big word to you, Prophet??

No Jon. It is an eye catcher though. I was thinking more along the lines of the guys speech and wondering if he even knew or understood half the shit he was talking about. I think most of the time these people end up "caring" about something that'll give them the most exposure. Reading a pre-scripted cue card or memorizing a speech with some minimal ad-libbing does not prove the level of ones intelligence.

P.S. I just saw a news cast of some people in India throwing babies off roof tops to the streets below. I doubt those people ever even touched a 360 or PS3. Violence is what it is, mindless B.S. People all over the world commit atrocities against nature all the time without being directly influenced by video games. I'm over it.

[Causedawg 83]

Originally Posted by namehater

on the flip side, maybe its good that people live out their destructive sides through video rather than doing them in real life, maybe thats why a lot of people use games as stress release. after a long day of dealing with bullshit, isnt it better to just vent it out on some virtual people rather than to really go postal?

I see your point, but I disagree. I think it would be all around better to not have those inclinations at all, whether virtual or not. Think about it this way: If you were a postal worker and you had a shit day, maybe you have the inclination every so often to just "go postal". You would never do such a thing, but the idea makes you feel better. Lets say you go home and play this game you found on the internet that lets you simulate going postal and shooting everyone up in a post office.

Feel better? Sure you do.
PS: You're sick.

Ok, now... what's the difference between that and going postal on an entire city in GTA?


That being said, I'm very much pulled by the sandbox style games, and I still desire to play this game, It's just not the lawless activity that I find desirable about the game. It's the huge world and the ability to do just about anything in it. I guess I have Oblivion for that, though.

[Wondermonkey]

Originally Posted by Causedawg 83

I see your point, but I disagree. I think it would be all around better to not have those inclinations at all, whether virtual or not. Think about it this way: If you were a postal worker and you had a shit day, maybe you have the inclination every so often to just "go postal". You would never do such a thing, but the idea makes you feel better. Lets say you go home and play this game you found on the internet that lets you simulate going postal and shooting everyone up in a post office.

Feel better? Sure you do.
PS: You're sick.

Well, you can't just take human nature out of the equation just because you want to. I'd love to get rid of gravity sometimes, unfortunately, it's still there whether I like it or not.

Someone who wants to vent their frustration is better off doing it in a virtual world than in the real world. Much like pornography has shown to decrease instances of rape, violent video games will likely prove the same thing.

There are a number of studies out there that show both sides, but this is an old article relating to it:

Proof that Internet porn prevents rape. - By Steven E. Landsburg - Slate Magazine

[namehater]

i guess i dont see a difference, and it may be sick to want a release of sorts, but as long as your doing something that doesnt affect anybody what so ever, i feel that doing it in a game is a better release

in a perfect world, nobody would have bottled up agression, but its not a perfect world, and everybody needs a release of some sort. some people may get that release by mowing their yard, or painting, or whatever might occupy their mind. for some people its playing video games.

[SHIBUMI]

PARENTING!

There's no denying that kids these days are getting introduced to things at a much earlier age, at a greater quantity, and that are generally more "accepted" by society these days then the previous generations.

I mean, I remember being a kid and if you happened to find a Playboy [*gasp*] in the woods somewhere or behind a convenience store - oooooo man - you had entertainment for months!!

And as far as violence - I grew up w/ the cartoons that were actually fun to watch (the Bugs & Daffy days) and Elmer and Wile E were the violent ones.

Definitely all the stuff you see as a kid is influential - and the more you see of it, the more desensitized you are to it. And possibly the more apt you are to try something you've seen. (Am I the only one that tried jumping off the roof of the house w/ an umbrella for a parachute - ala cartoon style??)


So it really comes down to the PARENTS! Parents talking with their kids, educating their kids, DISCIPLINING their kids. It's a tough job - I would think tougher these days than it's ever been in the past because of all the things kids are exposed to these days. Unfortunately, not many are up to the task.


I remember 15 - 20 years ago, when all of this (I don't know what you call it) but like new age parenting came about... Ya know - when it became 'criminal' to smack your kid on the butt when they got outta line - or wash their mouth out when they started swearing at you. When everyone switched to "time-outs" as a form of discipline (ugh - sorry - I still have to laugh at that). The whole idea of "I treat Preston as if he were an adult - I like to enable him to make his own decisions - he can decide if he would like to watch this R rated move or not.." blah blah blah - your KID is freaking 8 years old!!!!!! He's not an "adult" - he's a "kid". Ugh!

I dunno - when all this started happening it just made me cringe, cuz you could almost see this coming - the days when kids felt there was no real consequences to their actions.

I mean, how else do you explain 6 & 8 year olds RAPING other kids... all of the school shootings... that fact that the biggest joke is to viciously "punk" some old person or something... 13 - 15 yr old kids posting half naked on their myspace pages!?!?

It really is kinda sad.

But I don't blame the video games, the media, the mtv's etc... Yes - they suck for marketing the crap towards kids - BUT - it's the parents' job to step in and set the rules and limits - and find the right ways to relate to their kids and let them know what is and isn't allowed and then stick to it.

I'm extremely pissed right now at one of my best friends because I gave her a heads-up about GTA4 coming out - and how I didn't want her to get it for her son (my "nephew"). I also stressed just how much worse it was from previous versions and that she really needed to impress upon him that he wasn't supposed to play and be around it at his friend's house.

Her response "how am I supposed to stop him from going over to so and so's and playing it if all of the other kids are over there playing it??" WTH?!?! btw - he's 11 yrs old!!


I don't know what kind of magic pixie dust my mom used when *I* was a kid - but I knew there was stuff that I just had to walk away from as a kid. I'm not saying I was squeeky clean - and I certainly got into more than enough stuff as a kid - but man... raping?? shooting?? beatings?? hardcore porn?? drugs?? Hellllz no - it's like you KNEW better - and besides that - just the fact that if somehow mom ever DID find out - forget it man, you were dead!!

Annnnnnnnyway - sorry - long rant. I just get so frustrated when the media goes on blaming games etc and lets the parents off the hook. And then they're also the first ones that will jump all over a parent for actually disciplining their kids.

Frustrating times - my heart goes out to the parents these days that actually are trying!

[SHIBUMI]

btw - i just watched the Beck video above - and sorry, but I have to agree with him - for the most part.

Or - at least what I got out of what he was saying - and that's that these games and movies and tv shows do desensitize the kids. And well - everyone else too.

I mean, the WWI points about the human silloheuts are true - and come on, for those of us say 30 and up, how many of you would say you'd have any problem these days pulling the trigger on someone if you had a gun in hand and were being attacked?

Now try to think back 20 years (or 30 yrs for the even old ones like me) - do you think back then it would have been just as easy?? Not for me at least as it is today...

I know that *I* have been desensitized quite a bit to stuff / violence over the years - thankfully not enough to thoroughly rid me of conscience - but - probably more than I'd like to be right now. :-/

The stuff is out there - and I think it should be kept from kids. Just like when we were kids, porn, smoking, drinking and this kind of violence was kept from us. But again - I think that it's the PARENTS' job to do so.