Does anyone else find it suspicious that Mr. TorMasturba falls into the category that, in my eyes, gets the best of both worlds? Not only are you a member of the PC gaming god-king slumber party, you also are a sane, rational, fiscally responsible human being. HMM. XD
I avoid them if only because I do not think I am very good at using them. Shotguns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, sub-machine guns, machine guns, pistols...I prefer all of those, to be perfectly honest.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. I love it so, SO much. For some inexplicable reason, I cannot muster the energy to do the last mission (I saw the completed "The World" map thingy, so I know it is the final thingy!). Maybe I'm just worried that the ending will be unfulfilling. Maybe I am just a lazy bastard.
I had a similar experience with Red Dead Redemption. My mind had created this fantastical western world, and, within one week, I had put fifty or so hours (including multiplayer) into it. I took a short break, tried to continue my Marstonian adventures, and I just...couldn't. Darn.
Maybe I had just devoured the major bits of content far too quickly, but I can usually play open world games far longer than a measly fifty hours. That story, though...one of the best western narratives in any medium.
I don't know where you conjured "no one should ever", because that was neither what I said, nor what I intended to implicate. I'm saying there are people who, like I said, can't handle these games. Or these books. Or music, some times. And security measures to determine this are sadly lacking, especially compared to movies.
A five year old can walk into a store and buy an R-rated movie just the same as they could buy an M-rated game. Should they be allowed to do this? In my opinion, yes. Should the PARENTS allow this? In my opinion, no.
And with that point, I do think it is the game designer's responsibility, because they make these games with realistic violence and affecting scenarios, and know full well that the security measures to protect this content from young children is lacking.
Alright, following your logic...if a man cuts me with a knife, it is the knife-maker's fault? We are human beings. We possess the ability the rationalize, to think!* We should ultimately be held responsible for our actions, not videogames, not the developers.
*For individuals that have any number of medical/psychological conditions that may impair judgement or increase aggression...Yes, they can certainly be affected by the visuals depicted in violent videogames. However, I will not begin to place blame upon developers for expressing their creativity, nor we should place limits on how their creativity is expressed.
"rather me carve out another anus in his face than continue the current conversation. "
woah, this guy already had an anus on his face? give the poor guy a break, i'm sure he gets a lot of flak for his freakish features.
Yup. We all do. The mouth is the butt crack of the head, after all.
3. we stop aggressively boasting the amount of reasons we're making an internet thread on a subject that has been beaten to death already?
I like beating things to death. It's one of the reasons I created this thread. People need to know that it's a perfectly acceptable hobby.
@the_hiro_abides said:
As for kids getting their hands on violent M-Rated video games, I've worked at a couple of retailers, the Point of Sales systems forces you to scan IDs. It's like buying cigarettes or alcohol. Having said that, you can buy an R rated movie without an ID. Seeing one in a theater is the only time that gets enforced. So it is parent's responsibility and fault that kids get that stuff. I haven't worked at every retailer so I don't know if the employees can skip the age gate or not. And of course online they can fake it if they have access to a credit or debit card.
Exactly. Shouldn't parents take some amount of responsibility for where their child's money gets spent? I'm all for allowances, and teaching the value of currency, but parents should take an active interest in what their children buy. Kids don't really have any sort of economic freedom until their 15, or so (that's when you can get a part time job, I believe). For most M-Rated games, that's old enough to comprehend many of the themes that are being presented.
"Games do have influence on people, everything we do does. It's just the question of how much which is not easily answered. "
You should also be asking "How?". Videogames can be a great way to vent, or they can can cause a resurgence of aggression. It depends on the individuals.
Question: What kinds of troubled teens are we talking?
Doesn't it seem a little risky to just "hope they make the right decisions"?
As any parent will tell you, that's pretty much all you can do. You teach them to be nice and culturally accepting. When they go to school, you hope that they will be. You teach them that bullying is never the right course of action for conflict resolution. When they interact with other children outside of your care, you hope that they were listening.
@StrawHatLaw13
said:
" I wouldn't take anyone who stereotypes too seriously. Especially if they can't get over it. "
I don't mean to give to much validity to those who stereotype, but there are probably some who are uneducated about games and their affects (I care about these duders), and others still who simply could give a rats ass about what science says (I don't care so much about these duders).
EDIT: To some of you who seem to think that stereotypes are cyclical...they aren't, and they rarely just "disappear" (as has been suggested). While I may have posted a general inquiry about gamers and stereotypes, I don't think this issues is LIMITED to just games. That would be both foolish and irresponsible on my part.
"But are those looks just because they think I'm weird because I'm an adult who still plays video games, or are they automatically putting me in some stereotype?"
That's exactly the type of stereotype that I am talking about. Why should it be a negative to be forty and gaming?
"When I learn how to read minds, I'll let you know."
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