Where Do We Go From Here

1
Where Do We Go From Here?

• A Critical Review of Violence, Video Games and
  Humanity

2
Who We Are

• We are a peace loving alien race ready to give
  the people of earth the secrets of the UNIVERSE!
• We travel the galaxy in search of enlightened
  civilizations.
• And judge them by the games they play.

3
What is Violence?

• According to the Webster's Dictionary definition
  of violence, "exertion of physical force so as to
  injure or abuse,"

What makes a game violent?

• Is it subjective? Is Mario Bros. violent? Is
  Madden Football? (is football?)
• Katamari Damacy?
• Smash Bros.?

4
What makes a game non-violent?

• A lack of hitting?
• Non-competition?
• Something that encourages co-operation?
• Puppy Love?

5
At Look At Some Violent Games

• 1. Doom 3
• 2. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
• 3. Gunslinger Girls 2
• 4. Half Life 2
• 5. Halo 2
• 6. Hitman Blood Money
• 7. Manhunt
• 8. Mortal Combat
• 9. Postal 2
• 10. Shadow Hearts
• List provided by www.iccr.org

6
Family Media Guides List of Top 10 Most Violent
Video Games

• 1) Resident Evil 4--"Player is a Special Forces
  agent sent to recover the President's kidnapped
  daughter. During the first minutes of play, it's
  possible to find the corpse of a woman pinned up
  on a wall--by a pitchfork through her face."
• 2) Grand Theft Auto San Andreas--"Player is a
  young man working with gangs to gain respect. His
  mission includes murder, theft, and destruction
  on every imaginable level. Player recovers his
  health by visiting prostitutes then recovers
  funds by beating them to death and taking their
  money. Player can wreak as much havoc as he likes
  without progressing through the game's
  storyline."

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Top 10 Cont.

• 3) God of War--"Player becomes a ruthless
  warrior, seeking revenge against the gods who
  tricked him into murdering his own family.
  Prisoners are burned alive and player can use
  'finishing moves' to kill opponents, like tearing
  a victim in half."
• 4) NARC--"Player can choose between two narcotics
  agents attempting to take a dangerous drug off
  the streets and shut down the KRAK cartel while
  being subject to temptations including drugs and
  money. To enhance abilities, player takes drugs
  including pot, Quaaludes, ecstasy, LSD, and
  'Liquid Soul'--which provides the ability to kick
  enemies' heads off."
• 5) Killer 7--"Player takes control of seven
  assassins who must combine skills to defeat a
  band of suicidal, monstrous terrorists. The game
  eventually escalates into a global conflict
  between the US and Japan. Player collects the
  blood of fallen victims to heal himself and must
  slit his own wrists to spray blood to find hidden
  passages."

8
Top 10 Cont

• 6) The Warriors--"Based on a '70s action flick
  that set new standards for 'artistic violence,' a
  street gang battles its way across NYC in an
  attempt to reach its home turf. Player issues
  several commands to his gang, including 'mayhem,'
  which causes the gang to smash everything in
  sight."

• 7) 50 Cent Bulletproof--"Game is loosely based
  on the gangster lifestyle of rapper Curtis '50
  Cent' Jackson. Player engages in gangster
  shootouts and loots the bodies of victims to buy
  new 50 Cent recordings and music videos."

9
Top 10 Cont

• 8) Crime Life Gang Wars--"Player is the leader
  of a ruthless street gang, spending time
  fighting, recruiting new gangsters, looting, and
  of course, more fighting. Player can roam the
  streets and fight or kill anyone in sight for no
  apparent reason."
• 9) Condemned Criminal Origins--"Player is an FBI
  serial killer hunter in one of the first titles
  for the Xbox 360. Game emphasizes the use of
  melee weapons over firearms, allowing players to
  use virtually any part of their environment as a
  weapon. The next-generation graphics provide a
  new level of detail to various injuries,
  especially 'finishing moves.'"
• 10) True Crime New York City--"Player is a NYC
  cop looking for information regarding the
  mysterious death of a friend. Player can plant
  evidence on civilians and shake them down to earn
  extra money."

10
What some of you said

• What about Animal Crossing? Its got some violent
  moments in it and caused my sister to throw the
  controller at me and almost rip my arm off! -
  dungeonboss
• Man, why the hell ain't Barbie Horse Adventures
  up there? My sister rented it and it drove her
  crazy. And I really hate the way they say
  "Finishing Moves". bulletsword
• lol im 14 an my parents bought me almost all
  those games, lol they dont care wat i play just
  how i act Federico_angel
• i don't care what adults say...........
  gamerkid
• ha, i'm 13 and have the first 3. they are like
  the best games i have!- DeathBlitz

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The 2 PsPassive vs. Participatory

• Passive Movies, TV Books, for some life.

Participatory Games (video, role playing
(cowboys and indians for example) sports)
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Can children tell the difference?
13
Can an Adult?
14
What Can We DO?

• Duke Farris of Game Revolution writes, Gaming is
  also a new medium, one that has recently become
  wildly successful. Young people play them and old
  folks don't understand, so they must be bad.
  Don't forget that in the 1950's, rock and roll
  was linked to youth violence in the same way. The
  hedonistic, tribal rhythms were going to turn
  America's youth into a bunch of violent maniacs.
  Rock and roll was banned and censored all over
  the country. A bill was even put before Congress
  in 1955 to ban rock and roll altogether.

15
As Game Designers

• Have a purpose
• Does it help tell the story
• Remember your audience

16
As Parents

• Educate your children
• Watch, and play, what they play.
• Take an active part in your child's life

"To shield children right up to the age of 18
from exposure to violent descriptions and images
would not only be quixotic, but deforming it
would leave them unequipped to cope with the
world as we know it. Federal Court of Appeals
Judge Richard Posner
17
Will it Be Enough?

• Many of the games which include violent content
  and are sold in the and some with far more
  violence are also sold in foreign markets. But
  the incidence of violent crime in these non-U.S.
  markets is considerably lower than in the . This
  suggests that the cause of violent crime lies
  elsewhere. - Entertainment Software Association
  (ESA)

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Where do we go from here?

• Violent crime, particularly among the young, has
  decreased dramatically during since the early
  1990s while video games have steadily increased
  in popularity and use. 
•  Thirty-five percent of American parents say they
  play computer and video games. Further, 80
  percent of gamer parents say they play video
  games with their kids. Sixty-six percent feel
  that playing games has brought their families
  closer together.

19
Conclusion

• Violence is part of our culture, it has shaped
  our world from the beginning of time and it will
  continue to shape it. It is evident in almost
  every facet of our society and yet we have found
  a way to evolve and develop a largely peaceful
  and law abiding society. Will violent video games
  cause us to grow up and become more violent? Who
  knows, but we are the 'parents' of the gaming
  industry and what we (as game designers) must do
  is to make sure violence has a reason for being
  there, that it serves the story we are trying to
  tell.