7 Reasons We Should Be Worried About Video Game Violence

1. Multiplayer Games

Many best-selling video games now have a multiplayer element to them. In fact, some games today focus more on the online content than the single player. Call Of Duty is one such game. If you have played video games online - particularly COD - then it's more than likely that at some point your sexual orientation has been called into question. Usually it's eloquently put across to you by a 13 year old boy with a breaking voice. Not only does he not appreciate your ability to use a sniper rifle effectively, but he also insists that he has had a coital relationship with your mother. The concern that violence in multiplayer gaming presents isn't necessarily the "keyboard warrior" element, but more the context of the violence. When playing a single player game, the violence against another character is more removed, as you aren't fighting against another person. However, in the online world, much of the violent games focus on player versus player (or PvP), which brings in the notion of telepresence. Telepresence is where an individual is able to feel that they are present in a world where they physically aren't, and this adds another dimension to gaming. You are actively trying to violently engage with another conscious being. Of course, the standard remains that it is just a game with no real consequence, but this notion of virtual PvP violence is where much of the new research is focusing - particularly in the world of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Another concern in multiplayer gaming is that the frustration that just about every gamer has experienced, is now often caused by, and directed at another person. Be it repetitively being killed, blocked, blinded by a teammate or simply hearing someone laugh down the microphone at your noobish attempt to headshot them. To conclude, games are extraordinary. They engage and enthral us more than any other medium, because we HAVE to think about them. When you play a game, you're entering another world, and are exploring new things (unless you are playing FIFA or COD - in which case it's the same as last year). There are games that test your reflexes, problem solving skills or your hand-eye coordination. There are games that involve you in fantastic environments and stories, or even let you build your own. Violence in video games is something to worry about, but not necessarily for the reasons many of us first think. Just about all the research I've read that has been published in the last few years suggests that violence in video games does not lead to violence in real life. A more important issue is how the industry now adapts to authorities like PEGI, and how it influences content. With the majority of gamers over the age of 18, there is a demand for more mature games... but with many parents still seeing games as children's toys, there is the danger of explicit content falling into the wrong hands. But there is no "magic bullet" or "hypodermic needle." If you are unsure about a game, grab the demo first. If you don't like a game, don't play it. In the virtual world the player has the power... and you don't need to eat any mushrooms, collect any gold rings or saw any opponents in half if you don't want to. So there you have it, the reasons we should be worried about violence in video games. What's your opinion on violence in video games? Do you think some games go too far? Or do some games play it a little too safe? Let me know what you think in the comments below.