Do video games make killers?

General Forums Off-topic Chat
1

I just read in the paper today that there is yet another parent who wants to ban a violent video game because her son was killed by a lunatic who was obsessed with the Rockstar game Manhunt.

People have tried to do the same with GTA in the past. So my question is, does anyone seriously think that video games can provoke a person to commit violence?

I personally think that the whole video game and film influence for violent crime is a method that they are using to pass blame from the criminals so that global society doesn’t point the finger at the parents or the criminals’ local society.

I also think it’s just another way for greedy lawyers to get more money - I reckon they probably even encourage their clients to pursue such legal cases. If so, they’re even more sick than I thought, taking advantage of emotionally vulnerable people.

If anyone does think that disturbing media provokes violent outbursts, what methods would you suggest to prevent the outbursts? Would banning the media supposedly to blame stop the killing?

2

I agree. btw; IF it is true people who are obsessed with games are more likely to be killers, that would be because people who are killers get obsessed with voilent games, but not the other way around.

3

I think it can yes. If you do it over and over and over and over again until you become hardened to the fact that you just bashed dome guys head in to steal his car, then yes, it can make a killer out of you.

Same for young, impressionable kids who play violent games like GTA when they’re 5-15 years old.

You cannot however ban them.

The issue comes down to lazy-arse parents who don’t teacht their kids right from wrong, or don’t teach them real from fake.

Crappy parents sue game companies. Crappy fat people sue miccy-dee’s.

4

hmm, i love voilent games, i am not a killer, my brother love voilent games He is defently not a killer.
voilent games can be a way to get rid of all the anger you got inside you(if you got anny anger)

But i do think that killers get etracted by voilent games

5

I think people who have emotional problems, may mental too, or who are young and impressionable certainly can be affected. I think if you play them in excess and obsess over them then yes they can affect you, however it is still your choice not to go postal on anyone.

This by no means should make them illegal.

6

A game will not push someone to kill…you have to look at the person’s mental state, how he was raised etc…however it could(like movies) give an idea of how to do it…

7

it’s not the games that make us violent… it’s the people around us… the way we are raised, the way we are treated…

8

Exactly. There is nothing more to say.

I’m playing violent game since what…since DOOM came out! lol…more than 10years. and comon…I’m not more violent than a damn mouse lol.

First person shooters or things like this just is a way to “vents” your anger or watever sometimes. When I’m pissed off, and want something to do to change my mind, LIKE TONIGHT BECAUSE OF A MORON ON BLENDERCHAT, I fire up Halo and kick some asses online to change my mind. It’s not like if I really want to kill someone, more like it’s just cool to beat the crap out of someone virtually without really hurting him.

9

I am sure movies and games can change or amplify your emotions. More than once movies made me want to take a crowbar to beat the villain into pieces.

Definetely a state where violent actions would be easier for me. I like to play shooters though :slight_smile:

I guess the main problem are the parents who don’t care what their kids do.

10

I sort of agree with those statements as I find it hard to believe that people can be influenced by media which doesn’t influence my own behaviour in any way. But I’ve been thinking a bit more about it and I reckon it’s along similar lines to the actions of people like Derren Brown. Is the influence that he projects onto others non-existent because it doesn’t influence me? Hypnosis and psychological illusion affect people who are susceptible to it.

Isn’t it possible that a single piece of media can alter any person’s perception of reality if the projected influence is made in a way that affects the recipient? Like the Matrix films, which offer a fictitious but believable perception that the world we live in is false and death is the way to reach the truth. There was a kid who killed his parents and justified his actions by saying he was freeing them from the matrix.

Again, I agree with this but do you think it’s impossible for kids who have had the most strict unbringings to commit violence? I could imagine that some kids who have had a very strict upbringing to be worse because they feel so oppressed.

It’s hard to tell if tell if the parents of the victims of crime are being irrational or not. It’s the same with parents whose kids have committed suicide who say that they were influenced by the internet. The thing is, the particular murderer who was obsessed with Manhunt was psycho-analysed, and it was found that there was nothing mentally wrong with him and he was completely normal.

What I want to know is whether or not age ratings are a good way to protect susceptible minds from going astray? Not all people of a certain age have the same mental capacity.

Banning the games is not the way to go about it. Just like you couldn’t ban the internet because it has horrific media. This would only lead to outrage in the same way when families in the uk have been prevented from taking movies of primary school events to stop images of local children reaching the hands of paedophiles. But are there any ways to determine whether or not a person will be influenced by something without exposing them to it first?

11

:stuck_out_tongue:

Martin

12

I didnt read all the post so if this has been said then forgive me.

I dont personally believe video games make killers. I have been on plenty of brutal killing sprees in GTA and I have NO erge to go out an hurt ppl. I believe that if someone will turn out a killer it is hardwired into their genetics and no game or anything else will make them any more have the erge to kill.

Now, with that said, IF the government thinks that games make killer out of kids %| , then instead of BANNING the games why not charge the neglectful parent, who is letting there young kid play these games, with child neglect. Now, I am not saying take the kids away permanently or anything but at least slap them with a nice hefty fine and confisgate all gaming stuff (including computer). Parents would watch what there kids play and the adults would have the games they want.

13

Uhh, hi, I’m 15, been playing Quake III for 3 years, Half-life since it came out, I’ve played Postal 2, Chaser, Severance:Blade of Darkness, Unreal Tournament, and many many other bloody, gory games. But, although there’s a bit of a pyro in me, I’ve never felt the urge to hurt anyone, especially after playing video games. Hell, I wouldn’t even say sh!7 if I had a mouth full of it.
The only time I’ve ever gotten really angry is when they told me I had to go to anger management, and I had to stop what I was doing every day and go. I don’t even know why I was there, I think the school got me confused with someone else. But, I just let it go. But, why is this, exactly? My parents aren’t lazy bums. I’m patient. I’m a hard worker, and reap the benefits from that. I dont expect anything out of anyone, but am willing to help everyone. And to top it off, it got me out of the house.
Similar to th other scenario, I think if they cut out video games, the teenage crime rate would increase because since parents are so lazy these days, and don’t watch the kids, and without video games there would be nothing like a babysitter (My little brother turns on the Xbox, we know right where he is… and it isn’t hurting people). How angry do you think people will get if they can’t play Counterstrike or halo?

Aside from all that, though, it is my firm belief that if you’re killing/generally hurting people because of a video game, then you had problems BEFORE you played the game. I mean, I’m an obsessive gamer (unless you don’t call playing Quake 3 for 36 hours straight obsessive) and since I don’t have any issues, do you see me killing anyone (metaphorically speaking; I do know that you can’t see me anyways). The whole video game banning and gun control thing has gotten way out of hand.

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

If parents would just spank their damn kid and stick them in a corner till they get under control (as was done with me when I was little), I think a lot of problems would be solved. Otherwise, if you dont plan on watching and disciplining (to an extent) a child then ding DON’T HAVE ONE! Don’t go blaming your child’s actions on something like video games and puke music when you know damn well it’s your fault they did it in the first place.

14

when doom 3 comes, it will be Hell alot of killers! :smiley:

Mehbe im right %| ?

15

Yeah, I think you’re right. :frowning:

I think it is worse for people who’s brains are still developing.

16

your mamma

…makes killers.

basicly its society, video-games are one area of society.

someone like X-W will not kill anyone because he lives in canada, and canada is a nice society (lol). he has surroundings like school, his parents, and such that have instilled values other than those from the computer games.

therefore X-W through education and upbringing has the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy, good and bad, right and wrong. the video games can be dismissed under all his understandings.

however some kid in a bad neighbourhood, with friends who kill cats for fun, with parents that don’t care or educate, people who have been abused and never had the ability to deal with it. people who were neglected… or just people with mental problems that are not to do with upbringing, but perhaps genes.

will not have the ability to make these decisions in a “socially accpetable” way. and will kill.

and unfortunatly YES COMPUTER GAMES ARE PART OF THIS. but they are not the only part.

there is never a single scape goat for these social problems.

Alltaken

17

Wow, you completely identified the problem. :smiley:

18

I agree almost entirely. But this still doesn’t excuse most acts.

19

Video games are blamed just because it’s easier to. Try arguing with somebody that a book or a play was to blame instead of a video game or a movie. Games, movies, and music don’t make killer. If the rating system was actually enforced the younger more impressionalbe kids wouldn’t get ideas in there head about murderous rampages.

I’m going to steal a line from Chris Rock here… “What ever happened to just being crazy?” Sometimes things happen for the simple fact that something was/is terribly wrong with a person…with really nothing to blame. Did jonny play doom? Did jonny listen to death metal? Did mommy and daddy not love jonny enough? …No, jonny was just out of his flippin’ mind! ahem sorry for ranting this crap but I’m starting to hate seeing discussions like this. There’s never a solution and the arguments go on and on…Nothing against anybody here it’s just the topic of discussion.

20

But isn’t there a similar issue with this and the age of sexual consent? How can you determine every person’s mental/physical development by their age? The murderer I mentioned in the first post was 17. Would he be any different less than a year later?

Good point but as I said before, the particular killer who was obsessed with the game Manhunt underwent psychiatric evaluation and was found to be normal.

I hate seeing discussions of similar topics in papers too - that’s why I wanted to know if anyone thought there was any truth behind it. I don’t think anyone would deny that media can affect a person’s behaviour - that’s the basis of propaganda but I wanted to know if it could lead someone to kill.

Don’t you think that a newspaper article describing a child molestor who moved into your street would lead perfectly normal people to want to kill? Ok you say, but games are entirely fictitious. However, can’t they project a different perception of real life?

Maybe, but how do you define what a good upbringing is? Like I said, a person who is raised in a strict background might go postal just because they feel isolated or oppressed. Someone in Canada might go mad because everyone’s so damn nice all the time.

I partly agree here but lets imagine I produce a video game. Now the purpose of the video game is to go around a city raping and beating women and children where you get more points for each attack. Would you ban the game or not? Why would you need to if the media alone doesn’t affect an individual’s character?

You may argue about obscenity but I’m sure some people would want to buy it. Why would your perception/boundaries of acceptibility override those of other people when you’re not prepared to accept the boundaries of the people who abhor the violence that currently exists in media?