Violence In Games Has Almost Nothing To Do With Mass Murder

I would go psycho if someone took my video games away from me. Just like any other art form, video games help keep me sane in an insane world. Video games are just as much an example of human expression as books, music, or movies. The problem with too much "simulated" violence in videogames is at the fault of capitalism. If the large majority of people who play videogames stopped buying violent games, publishers would make fewer games with realistic violence. The same thing goes for all other media. People love violence. We are all only animals who think we're civilized. Sure, most animals don't kill each other. I think people who snap and go on mass killing rampages have been driven mad by civilization itself, as a whole. There is not one thing you can point at and say "that is why this person killed all of those people". Anyone trying to look for reason in madness is stuck in the delusion that there is a purpose to why someone would kill over 20 kids and then themselves. I think the purpose behind mass murders is to show people the absence of purpose in life. Sigmund Freud people, he is important.

“Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman--a rope over an abyss." - "Friedrich Nietzsche"

There is no violence in games, only the artistic depiction of violence.

Now to get me some of that sweet, sweet imported Freud. Can't get this stuff 'round here.

@toowalrus: Good point... Sorry, my dyslexia was acting up... Oh no, now here comes the engxiety.

@toowalrus: I myself am not saying there is simulated violence in games. Thats why I write "simulated" in quotes. There is violence however... violence is violence. Whether or not its a depiction of violence or the actual act of.

I'm glad to see the Giant Bomb community is just as open minded and friendly as the rest of the internet.

I wrote this blog in response to the various politicians lashing out on video games.

I can't agree with this. It sounds too much like the nihilism of someone in their late teens who just picked up a philosophy book.

Though, this also doesn't really seem to be about videogames at all. While it's true that videogames don't have anything to do with mass shootings, the rest of this post just comes off like a fine puree of nonsense from a bored mind. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but I'm a bit at a loss when it comes to finding a more courteous way to say it.

@n0nametaz: Was referring to your title.

@truthtellah: Well you couldn't be more correct. (However, Existentialism is different from nihilism. Oh, and I'm 21) Thanks for your support in never expressing my opinion on anything in public. Now instead of being an anthropologist or sociologist I guess I'll just study car mechanics.

@n0nametaz: heh. You can express your opinion any time, n0n! We all can. Though, it doesn't always mean our opinions are good or meaningful. Sometimes what we say is just bullshit. It happens. Maybe you have more of a point here than you're letting on, but I can only go off what you've actually said. And even if you speak well, it doesn't mean you won't possibly face criticism or disagreement. Such is the reality of speech and communication. So, don't overreact. I'm just saying that, in this instance, it sounds like you're basically saying nothing of any substance. I agree with your premise that politicians idiotically play the blame game and videogames really don't have to do with mass murders, but everything else you said just seems as empty as words can be.

Barely saying anything of note is better than saying something truly idiotic or offensive though, right? We all have our off days. :)

While violence in games might not have much to do with whether a crazy decides to get all crazy the level of hyper realism in certain ridiculously popular genres and gun culture obsessiveness can introduce an otherwise only able to kill a handful of people crazy to more efficient methods of crazy murder craziness.

@truthtellah:Well I agree with you for the most part. What I wrote here was just me rambling without any real point. But I liked it enough to share it. I don't think it's stupid, maybe not entirely thought out, but not stupid. After all this is my opinion of mass murder. If you disagree with my opinion that’s all fine and dandy but you don't have to make a critical analysis of a user’s first blog on a video game website.

Also, is what I wrote offensive?

I wish I was born in a civilization where individuals had no opinions, only the opinion of the collective. Maybe then we would get more done, instead of arguing all the time.

How are you so sure this isn't your off day? God only knows who's right or wrong, and who is God? That depends on the person perceiving God.

@n0nametaz: Your personal perception of God might change but in the sense that God is an extant entity of some sort God himself is not subject to any sort of human influence. God as a philosophical construct or literary device is also generally unchanging though frequently plot or argument convenient.

@n0nametaz: Actually, that's my point. What you said wasn't necessarily stupid or offensive. It was just "rambling without any real point". And as I said, that's perfectly fine. So, don't take my point that this just comes off as rambling without any real point as some suggestion that you shouldn't share your opinions; sharing your thoughts is what a forum like this is for. Same as me sharing my thoughts regarding your thoughts.

As far as agreeing with you on mass murder or not, I don't really think you said much, and you seem to admit as much. Thus why I don't think I could really agree or disagree. I agree that mass murders aren't related to videogames at least. So, that's something.

And @fredchuckdave, while I agree that videogames could be misused, that case can be made for a lot of things. We still teach people how to use computers even though many use them for bad things. It's just the nature of how information is power, and power can be misused.

@fredchuckdave: The way guns are portrayed in video games is pretty ridiculous. I wish a lot these popular big budget games were more varied. Like I said though, I don’t think it’s the fault of the video game industry, people love violence. We pay for entertainment. If the majority of the gaming community buys games with guns what do you think publishers are going to want to do? They are going to want to make more games with guns. Why, because guns sell. Why, because violence sells. Why, because people love violence. Why? Because no matter how civilized we think we are, we are still animals. Killing is in our nature. Civilization tells us murder is wrong. But then it tells us war is fine. Civilization is just one big contradiction created by the human mind in order to hide the overwhelming meaninglessness to our existence. We are very confused self aware animals. When someone truly detaches themselves for the delusion of civilization and loses all hope in humanity, they go mad. They lose their grip on reality. The guy that shot up that school was influenced by guns to some degree that much is clear. I don’t think it was guns in games that influenced him though. I think it was the fully automatic assault rifles is mother owned that influenced him… I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I was born a rambling man. I agree with you entirely.

@truthtellah: Ok, I completely agree with you now. Yay! Maybe freedom and democracy aren't so pointless after all! Lol jk... no but really, I am more of a communist.

heh. If you're trying to fit some kind of stereotype, you're doing exceptionally well. Why'd you have to mention communism?

[Edit: Alright, reviewing the forum rules, I can't bring up that topic. Carry on!]

@truthtellah: What? How so? Are you trying to find out if I'm a hypocrite? Yeah I know what kind of person I am. I don't like it any more than you do.

@fredchuckdave Agreed

@n0nametaz: Well, you're young. There's always time to change and grow. :)

@truthtellah: In to what exactly? A consumer? I already do plenty of that.

God only knows what I'd be without you.

@n0nametaz: heh. It's a hopeful note! We all have room for improvement, and we can all change for the better. Just takes working on who we decide to be each day.

Why do I matter more than a starving family in China? Why was I born into a wealthy family? So that I could have an opinion? Why do I have an opinion? So I can someday spew my bull to people who are full of just as much bull as me? Am I going to to be an artist or a doctor? What do I offer the world that another person wouldn't be able to offer? I am just one outcome of infinite possible outcomes of a sentient life form in a three dimensional universe.

Sssssssllllllllllooooooooooowwwwwwwwww ddddddddddddooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnn there buddy. Do you want to talk about violence in video games or do you want to talk about... uh... whatever you're rambling about here? No one can answer all of your questions with anything beyond "that's the way it is" or "life ain't fair", and I don't think there's much deeper to it unless you're searching for meaning in Providence.

Be glad you're on the greener side of the grass and use what you've got to the best of your ability.

I'll never understand why people are so freaked out about this. Let the research speak for itself. If the research is strong then whatever comes from it should dictate how we proceed. That's how science interacts with society. I personally don't think there's a strong tie between violence video games and violent behavior but what if there was? That doesn't necessarily mean all violent games will just up and disappear. Plus, lets just pretend that all violent video games are wiped out never to return. So fucking what? We'll all survive. It'll be fine.

@believer258: Lol I apologize for my rambling.

Well, you're preaching to the choir here, so people are only going to argue against your reasoning, not the actual point being made. Speaking of which, Sigmund Freud's theories are quite outdated and not really used in the world of psychology any more so bringing him up in an argument isn't going to get you anywhere.

@jasonr86: I agree with you. This is just the way I feel about it. Right now the studies are all over the place. There is no real clear yes or no answer. In my mind however, there is. That answer is an irrefutable no. Violence is part of our nature. Whether violence is depicted in video games, movies, TV, music or not.

Also, yeah I was kind of exaggerating when I said I would go crazy without my video games. I was kinda just trying to be ironic but every joke there is a bit of truth... Right? I don't... What? I'm rambling again aren't I? Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhh I'm rambling.

@rollingzeppelin: Mmmmm, yeah most of his ideas are quite outdated but I think he is still extremely fundamental to psychology and philosophy. Especially when it comes to his theories of god and civilization in relation to humanity. But what the hell do I know. You probably know more about modern psychology then I do.

Yeah you're right I should have expected people to disagree with my reasoning behind madness.

I think this is relevant to where this conversation has gone...

I like Jeff's opinion on the matter.

@truthtellah: HA! Absolutely.

@themanwithnoplan: Yeah, everything he says in that video is so true.

Hey don't feel bad for saying this, it shows you're developing a degree of humanity despite your socialization. The fact that you're not saying "Life isn't fair" or something equally trite shows that you have a brain, and that you're able to perceive the entirely too obvious yet extremely understated flaws with American society. Granted China isn't where the starving families are and soon enough the US will be impoverished relative to China, but I digress.

That was deep dude *bro fist*

@fredchuckdave: Thank you but uuhhh... there are plenty of starving families in china working for nothing but the bare essentials. Ok they aren't dying of starvation like people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Sudan, Angola, Haiti, Vietnam, Niger, or Yemen but the majority of people in china live below our standards of living in capitalist countries. Hell we have plenty of people going to sleep hungry even in America.

All I really know is that I'm not going to sleep worrying if I have enough money to eat at night. My luxury is brought to you in part by--exploited poor people who will work for next to nothing! Yea!

@thedudeofgaming: Thank you, (fist bump)

We have to be honest about this topic. On the one hand, nothing about a violent video game creates violent people (although it may alter their mood but that is another topic). However, no one can not deny that mentally unstable people are attracted to content like violent video games. No one should say these are not related but they should instead focus on the direction where the unstable person was already having these psychotic thoughts where a game provided them an outlet.

And you misuse Nietzsche's quote. He wasn't talking about madness or sanity but virtuous drive that he believed was inherent in man.

@extomar: Agreed.

This is what I'll say... The virtuous drive is what keeps us from falling it to the endless abyss.

We are the rope stretched across the abyss. Our civilized humanity is a fine line we walk across. We put more trust in people then we do distrust. Why... because we have to in order for our lives to be sustainable and comfortable, for the superman! That is the virtuous nature of man. Faith that we won't fall into the meaningless abyss. Faith in ourselves as a whole. The virtue of man is to give themselves to the superman... God, I'm not making much sense am I?

Ok... I agree with you, perhaps I didn't explain the quote well enough... Humanity is a rope stretched across an abyss between animal and superman. The abyss is absolute meaninglessness (this is what I think "mad" people fall into). Our existence is our virtue. Without humanity, humanity has no virtue.

While I did say violence is inherent to all of mankind because we are still only animals. I did not say that our animalistic violent tendencies are what drive people to conduct mass murder. The abscess of purpose, meaning or virtue is what drives people to absolute madness. Soooo yeah, like I said, I agree with you. He was talking about the drive within man to become something more than just man.

Man is both over-going and down-going. People who sacrifice themselves and cause their own down-going for the betterment of of the over-going of the superman...

I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.