Video games being blamed for violence

[Cockney_si]

Surely it's escapisma and you'd not go out and commit a crime after having played it on the games console?

You'd not suddenly go out in the car and speed past everything on the road after putting the steering wheel and pedal arrangement away from your game console.

The media are still blaming the first Manhunt game as a reason a 14 year old schoolboy was murdered.

BUT Investigating officers actually found a copy of the game at the victims house and not the murderers house.

The release of Manhunt 2 is now being delayed because of this. Anyone else think this is a bit old hat now and next they'll be blaming books for wars or something daft.

[ELVIS68]

After playing WRC at work, I do tend to slide the car round corners on my way home

[Skreecheeboy]

Look at the ill feeling towards Salmon Rushdie's book the Satanic Verses.

[Supernick]

After playing Super Mario i promptly bought 15 tortoises, jumped on them and then kicked them down the high street at a row of pedestrians, scattering them into the doorway of Woolworths like skittles.

Manhunt was a very poor game (I suspect the same is true of the sequel), and nastiness for the sake of it. The only difference between it and the glut of teen horror films out there is the interactivity element. Is this enough to push it into the boundaries of an outright ban?

[joko]

these games cause emotions and highs, that are usually not to be experienced by people in normal circumstances. they desensitize people to the horror of these situations if they were real.
it glorifies them and makes young kids enjoy them, and develop a sense of power and grandeur and perhaps want to emulate them.

after all being a god or a king of the world, killing people all day long is bound to stimulate feelings of power and even megalomania and they may hunger for bigger buzzes and everntually the ultimate - the real thing

- and these kids are too young to understand these new emotions, especially if they are being badly treated and feel terrible - this is a way for them to feel good and respected.

its ok for me to say i would not be tempted as the games only became this violent and realistic when i was already an adult, but when kids as young as 4-5 are growing up with this stuff... this is all they know.

i don't believe all crime can be blamed on this and i do think many will try to shift the blame for their actions, but its clear that a few, perhaps weaker minded kids could be influenced.

crime is nothing new, but the types of crimes seen are different as is the general behaviour of kids today

[Cockney_si]

Joko, i understand where you're coming from but sure only a person that may have issues with their would go out and commit such crimes after playing a video game....there is a cut off line between fantasy and reality and it takes loads to cross it.

i urge anyone to play the Manhunt game and understand the angle it's portraying the violence before passing judgement.

[Supernick]

Given that Manhunt was an 18 certificate, no children should be playing it.
There is a culture amingst parents that 18 certificate films are a big no-no for young children, but 18 certificate games are fine, which is ridiculous.

[Supernick]

Master Chef :)

[littleoldme]

Violent computer games are an easy and convenient scpaegoat for many of the problems in society, when the real blame lies with parents who don't teach their children right from wrong, schools being unwilling to discipline children (I'm not talking about bringing back the cane, just taking a firm line) for fear of reprisals, the prevailing gang culture, and a so-called "justice" system that hands out piffling penalties (if any) for wrongdoers.

Just like those lunatic parents in the US who seek to blame their kids' suicides on heavy rock bands supposedly putting satanic lyrics backwards on their records, the people seeking such bans need to look at the real reasons behind the problems, rather than settling for a nice easy target. As supernick so rightly says, children should not be playing these 18 certificate games anyway. If a parent allows a child to play such a game, it's hardly the game makers who are the irresponsible ones.