The governor, well the governor's wife actually is pushing this new bill in Illinois barring retailers from selling mature rated games to minors. I suppose it doesn't matter one way or the other to me because it should be parents who regulate what their children interact with and not government. That having been said, do you think violence influences people to do commit violence? I suppose the same question applies to music and such but that's another topic for another day.
First off, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I am against the whole "Video Games make people violent" bullcrap. Having said that, however, I respect the opinions of parents who feel they should monitor what kids are doing, and as such, ESRB was created. I really think it shouldn't be regulated by the government however, because if a child truley turns out poorly due to video games, then the parents pay for their bad parenting. Parents should be allowed to determine whether they wish to allow their children to play the video games or not. The government doesn't need it's nose up another *ss.
I believe that video games, music, cinema, images, a VGC post, a simple word spoken by a family member or friend, or even a slight gesture can cause the ejection of violence within someone. Video games can be quite inspiring in many ways. I don't see how that is so difficult to believe. Music especially has the power to change my moods and I have no doubt that video games has brought me into doing certain things. They can change your perspectives on your life and your relationships and get you easily frustrated. Art and entertainment hold immense power on this world.
Mature games have no business being sold to minors in the first place.
In California minors can't buy music or games with a "M" rating without a parent with them. I can see the positives of the law. It will help parents keep games and music away from their children, games and music they don't want them listening to. If the law is in effect, it is harder for the child to get ahold of the game or music, thusly making it easier for the parents to control what their children are seeing and hearing.
Do I think the government should ban curtain games because of their content, no. That is totally against the fist amendment right we all have. I think it stupid how they are trying to get games banned because of their content. Have they ever heard viewer descrestion? What business does the goverment have in decide what games I can and can't play.
To Dexter: I kinda agree, but say they don't change the mood forsay. I think they enchance a mood. If Im depressed I will listening to depressing music to kinda cope with it, or I will llisten to heavy metal music. I wouldn't venture to say that it changes the mood, I think they enchance what how we are already feeling. Personally I don't really listen to music if Im not in the mood to listen to that style of music, so music wouldn't change my mood or make me violen. I think most people are the same way.
You'd have to be quite psychologicaly abnormal for music and games to affect you to the extent where they control your actions and make you become violent. But I do agree that in the essence of stimulating the different parts of the brain, as music has indeed been proven to do, it can affect your mood in a slight way.
If some kid decides to kill his parents GTA-style, I highly doubt he was drawing kitties and bunnies beforehand. Some people just have issues and politicians and whatnot look for an immediate source to appease people.
There is such a thing as "snapping," which can come from constant stress or deep emotional turmoil. Thus it IS possible for a kid to be sitting in his room, drawing little bunnies and what have you, and suddenly, with seemingly no provocation or reason, becomes murderous. It's just the mysteries of the mind.
It doesn't happen often enough to blame one source, though.
Which is why I personally disagree that the government should have any say in the sales of the games, nor do I think that Video games cause them.
Sorry if im repeating what anybody said but, I believe the parents should be monitering what their children play not the government. It is the parents job to look out for their kid and monitor what their kids are playing.
Violence is not influential on young kids... unless their like total nutcases. : )
Funnily enough, I've heard some anecdotal evidence that driving games such as Mario Kart can actually influence people's driving mentality. I suppose that driving is a sort of muscle-memory activity and so is playing games... so playing games where speed is encouraged and crashing doesn't really matter can really alter your thinking or even behaviour.
Of course video games can make kids violent. Just the same way television or a book can. Dexter has explained this already. Kids emulate because kids are stupid.
However I am completely against the idea that letting an infant play an M game for 10 mins will instantly turn him into a phycho.
well if u think about it its not the kids falt or the publershers its the parents the game has a m rating for a reason soth eparents owuld have to buy the game then give it to the kid
and just playin a game dsnt make u violent i have play almost every death match to date and own 2 gta games and im a good kid ne body who think game make kids violent have too much time on their hands and can go shove this thread up their a$$
Your ratings aren't backed by the force of law, are they? Or is that just movies?
And this is the main reason why we, gamers (like me), missed a lot of the good games in the past and prolly still do. Anyway.
Entertaiment in the first place is meant to estimulate the brain. So obviously it has an effect or two on us. Now, if you tell me that can make you violent or a serial killer, the answer is yes and no, yes if: You are total nuts and some video game or movie or even a song, gives you the idea for some kinda crime, but really, you would have to be nuts to actually go and do it letting a game or a song run yer life. No: It is because people like that, that, the gorv. stereotypes, and video games were always the main objective to blame, why? I don't even know, someone who has played games all their life, like me, knows that games can't control yer mind, you do, and you make the game yer "mind", but that usually only happens if you are a little off, as I said earlier. I also agree with someone that said games can make you change yer outlook on things, and, that is true, it happened to me and sometimes I play a game and feel related to a character or the game touches a topic which I have the same view on.
So basically, the answer is no, the gorv. shouldn't ban the games, rating them is fair enough, children are the parents' responsability, IMO the gorv. made its job long ago with the rating system, but banning games it's a little too far.
What country's government are you talking about there? I'm curious, because whenever someone doesn't list their location, one tends to assume they're American, and as far as I'm aware the US government actually doesn't have any power to ban videogames.
Violence in games may help some people to commit violence in RL. But those people are the type that are most likely to commit violence with or without the help of video games, music, or any other medium.
I have played games since the SNES, but strangely, I am not a psychopathic killer. In fact, I have perfectly good grades in school and such.
I've been playing fighting games since Mortal Kombat 1.
I have yet to kill anyone.