The Bloodthirsty Gamer . . .

For those of you who did not watch the live Flash Gaming Summit feed, Brad WON Best Indie Game of 2008!! I’m sure he’ll post something when he gets back on Friday or Saturday. He’ll be at GDC until then. Here is something to tide you over though, I wrote this a while ago but had to wait to post it because of all of Brad’s news.

So here you go:

So let’s face it, the only reason any of us play video games is because we are all sick in the head. We look for blood. We try to find a way to let out the TRUE killer within us. 

Whether this is by playing zombie gamers where are victims are already dead or its a war game where we have true live prey . . . we all know the true monster within us all . . . 

So who actually BELIEVED I was serious when I said any of that? Be honest, raise your hand, it’s okay. I’m an amazing actress . . . er over text. 

I was going through some articles and I found this fairly interesting one from Psychcentral. It’s about how gamers play games not for the VIOLENCE but for the THRILL. Hm, wonder where they got that idea?

It’s a very different opinion from this (posted two years before). . . I will never understand the whole desensitization thing. A soldier becomes removed from gunfire in order to get the job done, but they never really get over the whole killing thing. So I refuse to believe that pushing a button to shoot a computer generated image is on the same plane as pulling a trigger to shoot an actual living, breathing person.  The major problem I have with that particular study is their method. They take people playing a violent video games and have them watch a video of real life violence and measure their reaction. Then they take people playing a non-violent game and have them watch the SAME videos.

“Participants in the violent versus non-violent games conditions did not differ in heart rate or skin response at the beginning of the study, or immediately after playing their assigned game. However, their physiological reactions to the scenes of real violence did differ significantly, a result of having just played a violent or a non-violent game.” 

I wonder why?

Honestly, in order to really have some kind of accurate study you would need to do a LONG term study. Even then you would have issues because every person is different. You can’t really pinpoint it to one thing. What movies are they watching at home? What kind of home environment? and so on and so forth.  

I’d also like a clear definition of “violence” and “aggression”. 

I wonder if they would argue that since I watch “Law and Order: SVU” that would desensitize me to crimes against children?

(Law and Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) is a TV show that focuses on crimes against women and children for those who don’t know) 

Anyway, I guess you see my point on that sooo back to the FIRST study. Does anyone else find it fascinating? When Brad finally got around to READING it (love you sweetheart) he was happy someone had finally done the kind of study he was interested in reading. Soo despite whatever aversion you have to reading studies, check it out it is really fascinating. 

At the same time I’m sure that if anyone had actually ASKED anyone why they play a certain game they wouldn’t say “BLOOD!” . . . but if they did, we might have to look into that person a bit. Then again, I’m sure that someone might simply say that the blood hunger was merely a part of our unconscious (thank you Freud (PS-Ick)). 

This study pretty much says that if the violence involved is too overwhelming it turns the gamer off. Realistic violence is completely different from the gratuitous kind  which can get pretty darn annoying. It’s one of the reasons why some games give the option of turning blood off in certain games or just changing the options around. For instance, Brad gave that option in Nuclear Eagle. Some people thought the extra blood was okay, some people thought it was too much. It’s just like some people have sensitive stomachs while others can get nails and experience no problems whatsoever. (By the way, I in NO WAY endorse eating nails. In fact, if you bite your fingernails, stop, it’s not good for you or your fingers.) If you want an example of this take Brad and me. Brad just got Madworld, I can’t watch that game, let alone play it. Apparently there is a co op mode that Brad wants me to play with him but something about the whole premise of the game makes my stomach turn. Yeah yeah I’m a GIRL, so sue me, but it happens. (And if anyone was looking for a review on Madworld, let me know because I will force myself to play it or tie Brad to a chair in front of his computer until it gets written.)

Ok let’s go at it from another angle. What makes you choose a game? Honestly, think about. Would you buy a game that isn’t challenging? What about a game that hurts to watch (bad graphics)? How about character appeal?

If a game that is challenging, good graphics, and amazing characters would it really matter if there was no EXTREME violence? If it did matter then Zelda wouldn’t be such a big hit or Mario Bros or SSBB. Violence is NOT what sells a game, the GAME sells the game. 

Some people might argue with Grand Theft Auto, I was kinda iffy about the game because I thought it was one of “those” games. Then Brad told me the storyline and I actually thought it was quite fascinating. Mature, but fascinating. I do not think that playing one of those games will make someone want to go out and take a bat to some random stranger on the street. If playing that game has made you want to put a bat to a stranger, I suggest you get help immediately before you make things even more difficult for us gamers.