http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...mment-opinions

I figured I'd try to spark a "Serious Discussion" about the issue of video games and violence. I found this article to be highly informative on the subject, and it raises an interesting point... are the repurcussions of a child playing video games any worse than that of a child playing highschool football?

Personally I'm an avid gamer. There are few things I'd rather do than fire up a couple of Xboxs and lay waste to friends and strangers alike. I've been playing video games since home gaming systems were available, and minus a few antisocial tendencies, I think I turned out OK. I have never once had a problem differentiating between fantasy and reality. I know, and always have known, that just because I can steal a car in a video game, doesn't mean I can do it in real life. Because of PC games and the knowledge needed to run them, I have a fairly good grasp of how computers (and therefore a lot of other tech) works. I think its time to stop demonizing these games. They have a rating system, fine. Put an adults only warning on the PC version of GTA:SA, fine. God knows its rockstars fault of a kid happens to accidentally magically download the hot coffee mod, stumble upon installing it, and then see a lame softcore sex scene. Fine, rate the games, but leave it at that.

There is violence in games, but there is violence in the world, kids need to be made ready for that just like anything else.

She's trying to getting media coverage because I bet she wants to run for president in 2008. She wants soccer moms to vote for her.

I hate Hillary Clinton, sucks that she will be our next president. But I figure better her than Cheney.

Too early to tell, in my opinion, if she's going to be the next president or not. She is trying to stay in the spot light these days though.

She is going to run, its almost a definate she just cant say anything right now beause we got the congressional elections comming up and she doesnt want to steal the wind from anyones sales especially if the demos can pull back some seats. I figure she will say something within 2 years.

She will run and she will win, too many fond memories of the Clintons in the publics eyes, the right will do what it can to beat her but they know they dont have anyone who can successfully run against her, unless they run McCain, but he spent his credibility when he got down on his knees and literally sucked Bush off during the RNC convention.

I knew that would happen if I put her name in the topic, I actually wanted the discussion to be about games

BAN EVERYONE WHO DERAILED MY THREAD! THAT MEANS YOU GARG!

thread title:Hillary Clinton is being a twunt again.
Forum: Politics

First line of thread.

Ok. Sorry.

Football does has violence than video games. Football encourages kids to take performance enhancing drugs. Football makes some kids have self esteem problems while others develop ego problems.

Videogame violence does not even prepare kids for the real life. According to the PTC videogames teach kids to rape, murder, pillage or something.. Try throwing one of the counter strike kids into a real life hostage situation and they won't be able to do anything. (ok maybe weak example.. )

if you knew that would happen...why would you do it? you have no one to blame but yourself.

mod edit: I'm trying to get the discussion back on track. Please don't further derail it. Thank you

The arguement doesn't hold water... If you put a computer gamer who is good at playing a boxing game on the X-box into a ring with a boxer, you'd find that the results would be one sided and predictable...

I think maddox put this idea pretty well.

I think it's only fitting for Rockstar Games to go out of business, and all the programmers lose their jobs over this. God bless Hillary Clinton for allocating tax money to have federal regulators investigate "the source of this content," because if she hadn't, consumers might have to go through the trouble of reading the label on the cover of the box.

As much as I hate Maddox, I agree.

I just dont understand why angry parents have to legislate MY life, because they are too busy or lazy to properly parent their children. Its the same as the Explicit Lyrics Label war that was going on in the 80s, its bullshit.

As an avid gamer since my dad first managed a video arcade, to the time I got my first Atari 2400, to the present day, I have to agree that a crusade against violent video games is stupid and missing the real problem issues that cause people to commit violent acts.

However, just to play the devil's advocate, I'd like to bring up a question:

What do they use to train fighter pilots and other armed forces members to be killers? Advanced computer simulations of combat situations...otherwise known as video games. Any corellation there?

Has it helped make them any better at what they do?

other than hand eye coordination and faster visual reflexes no, youre trying to draw a distinction that video game smake them violent or killers, it doesnt, they become violent killers after being systematically starved and drilled for 6 weeks straight. The 1st rule of military training is to strip down thier individuality, make them feel like they are not a person but part of a unit and take away thier morality on the battlefield.

The video games just give them sharper skills. Does firing a gun at the practice range make people into killers/? No it simply sharpens thier skills.

Yes, but only a little. It doesnt change who they are it oonly makes thier skills better, again the kiler mentality which is what everyone blames violent games for comes from other sources.

so, let's say that Al Qaida uses counterstrike (only playing T of course) to get their people to train in group tactics and whatnot...

should we sue Valve and Gearbox and prevent them from making new games because some assholes across the world have taken a game about building teamwork and defeating your opponents and made it into a training toll about building teamwork and defeating your opponents?

not to mention that it teaches us that mag-whores are little bitches and bombs are all made exactly the same so that any idiot with a pair of wire cutters can defuse one in ten seconds.

Counterstrike taught me to play Day of Defeat instead ha!