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Video Games Versus Violence [Trend Chart]

i25.tinypic.com — Well well well, care to retort?

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  • ArnoldPettybone, on 04/07/2008, -6/+79So stunning and beautiful. It's like a piece of art...
    • robbh66, on 04/07/2008, -12/+4Or a result of the general Economy...
      • Osirus1156, on 04/07/2008, -9/+5Er..sorry to break you bubble, but the economy also follows pretty much the same graph.
        • h3lx, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1I don't why you are being dugg down... it does.

          That said, can we do a cross analysis with law enforcement growth and expenditures during this same period... this covers the same period that every goddamn local municipality felt they needed a special operations SWAT unit to respond to everything from spousal abuse to animal cruelty.
          • clemdionisio, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1Um, not saying that the correlation exists but assuming the numbers reflect what you say couldn't you say that increased spending on law enforcement and SWAT teams could also be contributing to the decline??
            Anyways looking forward to GTA VII when violent crime can finally be eradicated.
    • addiktion, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2The reason why the crime is going down is because its much easier to blow someones brains out in a video game then it is in real life. I mean after all your shooting your boss right?
    • Bilabrin, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5I like what the data implies here but this chart is manipulative because the bottom value of the chart needs to be zero. Showing only the high and low value of the range does not represent the percent change properly and exaggerates the visual implications.
    • fusionFactor, on 04/07/2008, -1/+7It's actually more like a piece of chart.
    • robbiemuffin, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1yeah visually it is designed for impact, but its silly to complain about that... I mean there is no Causal correlation, it is circumstantial.
    • JasonMcAuley, on 04/08/2008, -0/+3Bilabrin: You really miss the point. This graph doesn't mean to reflect the current number of crime victims per 1,000; it is used to reflect the DECRASE in crime victims over time, despite the increased graphic nature of violent video games.
  • Chazx, on 04/07/2008, -0/+89http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/tables/viortrd ...
    • Spuy767, on 04/07/2008, -0/+14Looks like the 30+ states enacting concealed carry laws over the last three decades have really made violent crime skyrocket. I mean, seriously, with everything that the nanny-state pandering politicians tell us is hurting society, every form of crime is at it owest point in 35 years.
      • Commodore84, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3Exactly. People with concealed carry permits are over 5 times less likely to be involved in violent crime than the general population.
        • quandrum, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Um, How exactly does carrying a "concealed" weapon make it more likely someone won't initiate a crime against you? Presumably they won't be able to tell the difference between a concealed carrier and someone without a gun.

          Perhaps the people who think they need a gun to protect themselves are less likely to be the victims of crime regardless of what they carry? If you told me people with concealed carry permits were less likely to be the victims of successful crimes, then maybe I'd think you had something.

          Or maybe people with concealed carry permits don't conceal their guns, but wear them blatantly and proudly. If so, must not be many in my area.
          • Spuy767, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3Perhaps the mere knowledge that no matter who attacks you, barring expert ninja assassins, you have a means to defend yourself, makes you walk wth that air of "don't ***** with me" mojo.
          • Observer001, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3The theory goes that the knowledge that any potential target could be carrying the impetus of a criminal's death will dissuade a logical criminal from attacking anyone he is not sure is unarmed. It makes sense, but only for logical criminals; it is unfortunate then that common criminals are not known, by and large, for their critical thinking skills.

            Still, you can see their logic. A society in which you could die for acting improperly is a society in which the vast majority of people act properly.
          • daimposter, on 04/07/2008, -2/+1how did that work back wild wild west era? oh wait, it didn't!
      • bullhead2007, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Maybe the connection is that people who can afford to legally own guns, and pay for a CCL are in areas with less crime to begin with.
    • Observer001, on 04/07/2008, -5/+4CRIME INCIDENCE COULD BE LOWER

      IF ONLY YOU WOULD SUBMIT TO OUR RULE; BODY, MIND AND SOUL

      SUBMIT

      SUBMIT
    • Rodalli, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Thanks for saving me the typing. : )
  • eladriano, on 04/07/2008, -0/+105Someone mail this to old Jack T.
    • l0k0, on 04/07/2008, -0/+13Don't forget the flowers.
    • aaaleman, on 04/07/2008, -14/+12And the anthrax.
    • negativenancy, on 04/07/2008, -0/+9Grandpa Jack loves letters!
      • Murdats, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7he must, he sends so damn many of them himself.
    • hpfreak26, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1We do not speak his name!
    • wankelrotary, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Don't be ridiculous. Never let facts get in the way of a good gimmick!
  • Bukowsky, on 04/07/2008, -0/+63wow... I'm just surprised that the crime rate dropped so much during that timespan.
    • skywake, on 04/07/2008, -5/+4yeah, I was thinking there must have been some legislation passed in '94 or something because that is VERY significant even when you start the scale from 0. I doubt that games alone could have made such a huge difference. Still the point remains, whatever argument you make using this data it would be very hard to argue that games are making people more violent.
      • HOTM, on 04/07/2008, -3/+29Freakonomics said it was Roe vs. Wade. Good book, go read it.
        • Akaji, on 04/07/2008, -11/+6What? Roe v. Wade was in '73 and dealt with abortion. I really don't see how that coincides with a drop in crime rates after '94...
          • jmpeagle, on 04/07/2008, -1/+18those most likely to commit crimes are of the age group that were being adolescents and young adults 20 years after Roe v. wade

            if you reduce the number of at risk households with drug problems and impoverished having children then you reduce the future rate of violence
          • m0shen, on 04/07/2008, -2/+20Yes, it did deal with abortion. The mid nineties is when all of those unwanted children would have started to grow up and do what a very high percentage of unwanted children do... commit crime. He makes a very good case for causation and correlation. You should really read it.
          • Akaji, on 04/07/2008, -1/+12Thanks for explaining, I see it now... I may have to check it out.
          • sodade, on 04/07/2008, -6/+1Too bad all the wackjob christian pro-lifers will never absorb that very telling piece of information. Pragmatic solutions FTW!
    • pilot3033, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I saw a similar graph specific to youth violence. It seemed to imply (as this one does) a correlation between the popularity of video games and violent crime (that the generation was venting aggression with video games, not outside...though I think it would not be a good idea to keep kids in all day...)
    • Kral, on 04/07/2008, -1/+5That age group is also a much more indoor age group now due to computers and video games - kinda hard to commit violent crimes against others when you're not around any others.
    • travis1982, on 04/07/2008, -0/+10I am from Canada, I take criminal law and theory. Canada and the US have had the exact same crime trends, obviously we don't have it in proportion to you guys, but it generally follows the same trend of highs and lows. That would indicate that the change in either legal systems are irrelevant seeing that we both have very different legal systems. Its thought that its the times we are in, oddly enough. People are getting smarter, better educations, not as much poverty and so on.
    • dentakukatateni, on 04/07/2008, -3/+14Read Freakanomics: the drop in the crimerate during the nineties can be solely attributed to the legalization of abortus in the sixties and seventies, which prevented a lot of 'unwanted' problemchildren (ie children of drugusers, alcoholists) to be born.
      • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/07/2008, -2/+4Inconceivable!
        • ThndrShk2k, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2You know, The Princess Bride may be awesome, but that quote is overused.
          • petebot, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4It seems quotes from the Princess Bride do not make ThndrShk2k *enthused.*
          • ThndrShk2k, on 04/08/2008, -1/+2It's not that, it's just that I seem to come across the same quote everywhere, the movie has plenty of other quoteables.
    • deuceswilde, on 04/07/2008, -1/+22First off, Freakonomics proposed that and provided other evidence to back it up, but nothing like that can be proven and nothing can be attributed "solely" to a factor using regression analysis. There have been a number of theories on the drop, no one expected it and no one knows for sure. Another one with some solid evidence behind it is that when gas became unleaded the environmental levels of lead dropped significantly, and people with higher than normal concentrations of lead in their bodies tend to have a higher probability of being criminals. Again, nothing that can be absolutely proven but interesting nonetheless.
      • brettmurf, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4I won't bother with any kind of research since this is all speculation, but what about developing Eastern Cities like Beijing? The lead content in the air is probably skyrocketing, is their violence as well? I mean the government beats up on monks so I think they're good when it comes to the home area. They've already vented. Some things aren't really worth speculating on.
    • dukeochutney, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2just cuz were all too fat and lazy to bother hurting each other irl so we must do it in video games.
    • rustintable, on 04/08/2008, -1/+0there is no zero on this graph.

  • rye425, on 04/07/2008, -3/+180Yeaah, cant wait until GTA IV...I can feel good that I'm lowering crimes while I shoot my prostitute to get my money back.
    • Akaji, on 04/07/2008, -1/+42I wonder if they'll have assassination moves? It'd be nice to be able to strangle them silently then put them in a dumpster so that the cops don't find out. Just like real life.

      ... err, I mean...
    • DavidtheDuke, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1The main problem with games today is I can't feel my victim's torment and agony. I haven't seen a game that could do that since killing off army units in a civilization's last city, laughing maniacly.
    • EpsilonEX, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Maybe violent video games also provide a way for people that would otherwise be stupid enough to commit violent crimes to take their aggressions out in a more healthy way.
  • TomK88, on 04/07/2008, -7/+50I'll never understand why some parents and legislators want to shield children from video games, movies, and other forms of media. The thing that irks me the most isn't even the violence. It's sex. What is so wrong about somebody under 18 seeing a breast or two people engaged in a sex act? How can you justify that? A huge percentage of kids have lost their V-cards by that time anyway. Pretending that violence, sex, or whatever else doesn't exist is just idiotic.
    • Noelix, on 04/07/2008, -1/+5I agree, "boob tube" should mean boobs.
    • TobiasParker, on 04/07/2008, -1/+11dugg for V-Cards.
    • tripledjr, on 04/07/2008, -8/+7Agreed,
      and its a well known fact that 99.9% of all wars and most hate crimes are usually religion based. But no ones telling kids to stop going to church.
      • Hotrod89, on 04/07/2008, -1/+9I'm pretty sure it's not as high as 99.9%
        • Drahkir, on 04/07/2008, -5/+1I'm pretty sure it's higher than 99.9%
        • swicken, on 04/07/2008, -0/+14I'm pretty sure that I just saved a whole bunch of money by switching to geico!
      • linuxlucas, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2I'd say 99.9% if you included land/monetary gain as well.
      • pyrotix, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2I, for one, would tell kids to stop going to church if they didn't really know why they believed in what their parents raised them.
      • jgreene777, on 04/07/2008, -1/+7ACTUALLY, all wars are fought because of greed. Religion has just been the motivation used by the leaders of the war to get the people who won't benefit to participate. No war has ever been fought unless it benefited the leader(s) in some way. The real world is nothing like Braveheart or Lord of the Rings. Wars are NEVER fought to preserve some valiant ideal, preserve or expand a religion or to free people; only to gain property (and therefore taxes) or oil or trade rights.
      • avisotin, on 04/07/2008, -2/+3I still have my card :(
        • thirteenthcor, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3Need to get your card "Punched'
        • BlueRat, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Dugg for Wishing you better luck mate
      • BlueRat, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4It's a well known fact that 99.9% of your post is *****
        Please don't start bringing religion into stuff especially with phony statistics

        BTW anything starting with "well known fact" that the reader didn't know before is always *****
      • grimlenn, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Its a well known fact that 99.9% of statistics are made up on the spot.
        • Wildog27, on 04/07/2008, -0/+24 out of 5 doctors agree with that and the one who doesn't didn't get enough kickbacks from the drug company.
    • senatorpjt, on 04/07/2008, -0/+16If sex in video games has the same effect on sex as it's had on violence according to this chart, I definitely don't want it in video games.
      • BlueRat, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4Oh My God. GET SEX OUT OF OUR VIDEO GAMES NOW!!!!
        • MorbenDK, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1On second thought, maybe it would have the inverse effect--- this is provided the game comes with a *special* controller, of course.
    • grumbel, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Pretending that sex and violence doesn't exist would be stupid, on the other side video games aren't exactly known to portrait a realistic picture of either of those. I definitvly can see why parents have a problem with letting their kid chainsaw some aliens in their spare time. Is outlawing violent video games the right way to solve it? Definitively not. Mandatory age based ratings on the other side, maybe.

      Now I don't pretend to know what exactly the consequences of violence in video games are for kids, but on the other side I don't agree with the "Virtual violence is absolutely harmless" fraction either. What media we consume does have a lot of influences on us, which exactly that are is questionable, but there is little deny that there are influences (which can of course can simple mean that you spend a few fun hours a week on XBoxLive with your friends).
      • thirteenthcor, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Hmm a system of mandatory aged based ratings.... what will we call this system? Oh i know!!! The ESRB. This decision needs to be left up to parents, but obviously as we can see, if its not labeled, its the COMPANIES' fault and not the parent. these systems exist because people don't want to take responsibility for their own actions. Privilege comes with maturity and is based on merit, at least for my children.
        • mahdaeng, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I would say a combination of the two ideas is the best approach. Rating systems (and an explanation of why a game, movie, or album is rated as it is) help the parents understand the content of the product. They can then make an informed decision as to whether or not their children are mature enough to handle said product.
      • Hraes, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3Those damn Locusts had it coming. If we didn't chainsaw them, they'd chainsaw us.
      • crazyhorse13, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4The moral of the story is:
        Parenting. Your kid needs it.
  • BarryChuckle, on 04/07/2008, -0/+360If this trend continues, Crime might be non-existent by the time Nukem Forever is released...
    • JoeCool1986, on 04/07/2008, -3/+10as t approaches infinity, released games -> Duke Nukem Forever
      • Disastorm, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2As crime -> 0, Released Games -> Duke Nukem Forever
      • demodawid, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1lim (newgame--> DNF) f(newgame) = ∞
        • demodawid, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1With f: games -> years, of course.
    • KingGorilla, on 04/07/2008, -0/+34***** asymptotes
      • bosssmiley, on 04/07/2008, -0/+24Dugg for the image of an angry drunken mathematician slamming his empty glass down on the bar and growling that line
    • MJDub, on 04/07/2008, -0/+12So crime will go away 2 weeks after the earth is swallowed by the sun.
    • mihkeltt, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2which will take like, you guessed it - FOREVER
    • salvadorwii, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1everything will be non-existant when Duke Nukem Forever is released
    • Vet4Peace, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Well, of course there won't be any crime by that time. There won't be any people at all once the universe has undergone heat-death.
  • AwesomeMonster, on 04/07/2008, -2/+14Doom is also the best damn game on that list. I'm sure the reason crime was so high was that people were wary about the oncoming hell invasion.
  • xsquirrel378x, on 04/07/2008, -0/+49the awkward transition from 16-bit to 32-bit consoles is what caused crime to rise again during the mid 1990s
    • noangelcame, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7Oh my god,. the 3do, the Jaguar,. one of the darkest ages of American History.... I'm surprised we made it out without any serious crashes in the industry.
    • Mpwns, on 04/07/2008, -3/+132 bit era wasnt that good it really wasnt till the end of it it started looking smooth. the 32 bit era was like the 2600 since 3-d games was a new idea much like 2600 era was 2-d being a new idea rather than flashing lights on a screen. i think vr is the next step since now we are ready for it.
      • theragu40, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1That 32 bit was a failure was his whole point. And VR? Maybe someday, but not yet.
    • ontain, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Internet and Dot com boon just starting. the markets where doing well. unemployment when down. ppl had money.
  • screwthename, on 04/07/2008, -0/+35I played vice city so much that I'm so tired of being a criminal anymore
  • iamtehwinnerz, on 04/07/2008, -9/+19It's a little biased seeing that the graph starts at 20.
  • Azimuth1, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3What happened in ~1994 that caused such a huge drop in violent crime?
    • SeventhSon, on 04/07/2008, -1/+14Bungie released Marathon?
      FFVI?
      Playstation?
      The Channel Tunnel?
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994 ?
      • Asianwaste, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Gacy died that same year...... that's it! Gacy was responsible for over 60% of the nation's violent crimes.
    • R0l0, on 04/07/2008, -1/+29Al Gore invented the internet.
      • IncogMosqui, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I know you're joking there, but you might be on to something.
        Easier access to porn would mean less rape.
    • jmpeagle, on 04/07/2008, -5/+19the effects of legal abortion achieved 21 years earlier were effecting the make up of the young adult population which is the part of the population most likely to commit crimes

      this combined with the huge demographic change as the avereage age of an American has slowly been increasing will decrease the number of violent offenders per American citizen
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -17/+4Well..eitehr all the ***** that you said, or the improving economy...take your pick.

        (Because everyone waits until they turn 21 to start committing crimes.)
        • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -13/+3Yeah...bury me all you want, little bitch, but explain why it dropped significantly in the mid 80s too...coincidentally when the economy was going great...but when those aborted kids would have only been like 10.
        • hayzeus, on 04/07/2008, -1/+5Buried for being a little bitch about being buried.
        • ramiro, on 04/07/2008, -2/+1It is BS to attribute the lower crime to abortion. Go read John Lott's book FREEDOMNOMICS.
      • Myonosken, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2I never actually thought about the crime effect abortion must have had- does make sense that it would drop.
      • mahdaeng, on 04/07/2008, -2/+1Affecting
        • mahdaeng, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Dugg down? Can anyone prove that "affecting" is not the correct spelling in this case?
      • ramiro, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2It is BS to attribute the lower crime to abortion. Go read John Lott's book FREEDOMNOMICS.
      • Shawn4168, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2I can come up with a million ***** theories about how legalized abortion has hurt this country, too. That doesn't make me right. It doesn't make you right, either.
    • skoalno1, on 04/07/2008, -3/+8you should read freakonomics. Great book
    • Asianwaste, on 04/07/2008, -0/+10All of the people who would normally be going outside resorting to violence as an alternative to looking for something to do are now staying inside at home playing violent videogames.

      I started typing this as a smart ass joke... but when I really think about it... it almost makes too much damn sense.
    • ScorpioDragon, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Gangsta rap went mainstream?
  • retzed, on 04/07/2008, -1/+9Nothing like GTA to satisfy your evil anger
  • skoalno1, on 04/07/2008, -38/+0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkn7HtL5rBA
    Not a rick roll I promise
  • alexpigment, on 04/07/2008, -3/+15not as good as the porno vs. rape chart, but whatever
  • JonTheGoose, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7You're preaching to the choir here...
    • Aidenf77, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4Yeah, but as part of the choir, I still like to hear it.
  • skoalno1, on 04/07/2008, -28/+0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkn7HtL5rBA

    reminds of me something I saw not to long ago. Not a rick roll I promise
    • McMaster88, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7You still fail...Now GTFO my intertubes
    • caza332, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1how does doing something twice make it better?
  • handstrongpimp, on 04/07/2008, -0/+8sir, where is the control experiment?
  • duggdowncatisad, on 04/07/2008, -4/+81Correlation != causation
    • pradaaddict, on 04/07/2008, -0/+8stole the words right out of my mouth,
    • alexpigment, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2ehh.. i'll go ahead and infer causation. correlations don't really do anything for my brain. correlations are the quickest way to make research pointless
    • logandurand, on 04/07/2008, -3/+31The chart probably is intended to refute the "games == violence" claim, not promote the "games == less violence" argument. To claim that would be a stretch.
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -11/+1And the chart does not do what you claim it was intended to do.
        • FaithclubDotNet, on 04/07/2008, -0/+9That chart. I do not think it means, what you think it means.
        • Ninjapope, on 04/07/2008, -0/+8This is not the chart you are looking for.
    • feoren, on 04/07/2008, -1/+16The point isn't that violent games cause less violence. The point is that they obviously don't cause more.
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -6/+4And again, this chart does not PROVE anything. I am not saying that they do cause more violence, but how does this chart show that the crime rate would not be even lower if not for violent video games?

        Just because it plummeted in the ast 13 years obviously due to other factors doesn't mean it might not have been even LOWER without the violent video games.

        That is why trying to use this chart as proof of anything (like you are trying to do) is just as asinine as anything Jack Thompson has ever done.
    • linuxlucas, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1There's no point really. Like nearly all research you can point it both ways and it still doesn't mean its true.
    • Murdats, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3it shows that the common argument of violence has been increasing because of games is not true, and while it is possible that it could be lower if not for games, it shows that it is incredibly unlikely that games are having a drastic effect, it shows that games impact on crime rates probably ranges between a small negative amount (in which case why kick up a massive fuss over a small cause) all the way to a massive positive effect.

      this is all correlation and possibility, but it does illustrate the likely bounds for the effects have on crime rates, even if it is none at all.
    • sonicmario, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1perception != reality (No, wait..)
    • nicksauce, on 04/07/2008, -0/+4Causation of what??

      It's not
      "Hypothesis: In the US violent video games will cause a sharp decrease in violent crimes" "Verification? Just look at the data"

      It's
      "Hypothesis: In the US violent video games will certainly increase violent crimes, or at the least there will not be a very sharp decrease in crime rate" "Falsification? Just look at the data"
    • mtthwmiddleton, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2It makes me so happy to see so many == and !='s used in one thread.
    • deftskier, on 04/07/2008, -0/+0Extraneous Variables?

      After only one:
      There was a problem completing your request. Please reload the page and try again.
    • haleym, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1The best explanation I ever heard of correlation/causation was a hypothetical study that showed bridges with peeling paint tended to collapse more frequently. You could infer from this study that peeling paint was causing bridges to collapse, but obviously you'd be wrong.

      What you could do with the same study, however, is prove anyone wrong that suggests peeling paint is preventing bridges from collapsing. Obviously the correlation found (peeling paint and falling bridges) is opposite from the one the hypothesis predicts (peeling paint and intact bridges), hence the hypothesis is incorrect.

      In other words, while a correlation may not be able to prove a theoretical causation, it can certainly disprove one.
  • jjohnstn, on 04/07/2008, -11/+2Could the decline in violence actually be related to this: http://www.handgunlaw.us/right-to-carry-history.gi ...

    • McMaster88, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3Now thats a funny joke...I did not know that it was a 403 to carry hand guns...
  • Howsmydriving, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2This just means every game after Doom needs to step it up.
  • AdamTReineke, on 04/07/2008, -0/+11No, crime went down because more people are inside playing games. Fewer nerds out and about for crooks to pick on. ;-)
  • joshcxa, on 04/07/2008, -1/+5I love the look of this graph. Makes me want to buy billboard space and whack it on that!
  • da233, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1So... what games were released in 1980?
    • plainOldFool, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2It must have been Dig Dug.

      Here's a list:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1984_video_g ...
    • Zera, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Arcades that all cost quarters to play! What happens when you go broke? YOU GET *****!!!!!!!!

      :) Seriously though, cheap entertainment needs to be very widespread to have a big effect. Today you can get an xbox first gen and 10-20 games for $100. That is an incredible option for the kid in the slum who would otherwise be desperately looking for something to do.
  • circuitz, on 04/07/2008, -0/+51994 - Anticipation of Windows 95 lead to lower violent crime rates
    • Myonosken, on 04/07/2008, -0/+52000 - Release of Windows ME leads to higher domestic violence rate.
  • ralphthemagi, on 04/07/2008, -2/+10"Well well well, care to retort?"

    Look, I'm not one who believes in a meaningful correlation between video games and violence but that's one of the worst attempt at regression analysis I've ever seen.

    Even this is better: http://www.venganza.org/piratesarecool4.gif
    • ralphthemagi, on 04/07/2008, -1/+0I tried to edit my comment so it wasn't a grammar nightmare, but Digg refused. Apologies.
    • CarStan, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2whats up with the pirates scale, it seems like random numbers. Also its hard to believe there are only 17 pirates anymore.
      • Vorin, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3It's a graph that "proves" that the dwindling number of pirates is the fault for global warming.
    • Katana314, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1I think the biggest problem with this graph is the cutoff point, and how it does not have next to it a graph of population. I would think drastic increases in overall number of citizens might reduce the "statistical" amount of crime. Isn't the depicted era around when the baby boomers were growing up?
  • thailand1972, on 04/07/2008, -0/+8It's not the games that are reducing crime. Look at the year numbers. They increase, while crime decreases. Just make sure the year numbers keep going up and we'll be alright.
  • circuitz, on 04/07/2008, -0/+41994 - Anticipation of Windows 95 lead to lower violent crime rates
    1980 - Pitfall?
  • Somedude2137, on 04/07/2008, -6/+1I am against placing the blame on video games for violence on the streets.... but that is one ***** graph
  • MendotaLee, on 04/07/2008, -2/+7Pretty interesting, but also, there are a lot of Babies that were never born into broken homes and never became hoodlums at this time because of Roe vs. Wade, but I generally agree that violent video games have helped relieve violent behavior compulsions.
    • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -4/+2That seriously may be the dumbest pro-abortion comment ever made.
      • MadOtaku, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Actually, it's probably 1 of 2 intelligent pro- or anti-abortion arguments; the other being health of the parties involved (all the remaining arguments involve personal ethics and are very subjective). I can understand if you don't agree with the point, but it's certainly not a stupid argument.
    • otbeverly, on 04/07/2008, -0/+0Obviously you've never read Freakonomics, bingobong ... or playing to much bong gingo. Yes, it may be a pro-abortion comment, but there's definitely valid data and evidence to back his assertion.

      Check out the book. It's truly eye-opening and will give you a different perspective on a number of issues. Whether it changes your opinion on those subjects is up to you.
  • MendotaLee, on 04/07/2008, -8/+3Pretty interesting, but also, there are a lot of Babies that were never born into broken homes and never became hoodlums at this time because of Roe vs. Wade, but I generally agree that violent video games have helped relieve violent behavior compulsions.
  • soundman7718, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I guess killing digital terrorists always won out over armed robbery at the 7-11...but that's just me.
  • bigdoof, on 04/07/2008, -1/+12In other news, global average temperature is inversely proportional of the number of pirates.
  • TheWorm, on 04/07/2008, -3/+2I'm not really sure if I believe this graph. I would like some more statistics.
    • linuxlucas, on 04/07/2008, -1/+4If you opened your eyes you'd see its from the US department of justice.
    • Freetime000, on 04/07/2008, -1/+2Check the link in the image. It's legitmate statistics from a .gov site.
  • forgiste, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3And this is from the DOJ. Change is due indeed.
  • c4m320n, on 04/07/2008, -5/+1Wow that is absolutely amazing. We should send this chart to every newstation/lawmaker saying bad about video games.
  • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -3/+7Trying to use this chart as proof of anything is as ridicuous as anything that Jack Thompson has ever said or done.
    • xsquirrel378x, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1true. the rise of the www would even make more sense to the steep decline according to the graph
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2It was the greatly improving economy more than anything. Notice a similar (but shorter) drop in the mid 80s.

        And major cities started learning how to control it. I know this will get me massively buried, but you can thank Guiliani for a significant portion of this. The drop in NY City alone would be noticeable on this chart. And in the late 90s and after he left office, he consuted with many major cities who all saw their crime drop afterwards as well. (Hence why it didn't go back up after the economy slowed in the last few years.)
    • ellealle, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Exactly. Just because a drop in crime rate is correlated with the release of more violent games doesn't mean that violent games lead to a lower crime rate. The rise of Scientology is probably positively correlated with drop in crime rate in the same way but that doesn't mean Scientology leads to less crime. Correlation doesn't imply causation....a fundamental rule of statistics
      Still very funny though, and i'd Digg it if Digg would actually let me Digg something for a change instead of these stupid errors
      • purzzzell, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2we all know that correlation != causation..

        I took it as not so much saying "look, the more violent games, the less violent real life is" and more "Hey, Jack Thompson - saying video games inspire criminal behavior is ***** dumb"
        • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2But that list doesn't show THAT either. Again..unless you can show that WITHOUT violent video games that the crime rate wouldn't be even LOWER, then this list not only doesn't prove that they make it better, but it also doesn't prove Jack Thompson wrong.
    • AnotherBrian, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5The point is to show that violent video games did not increase violent crime, as has been put forth as 'fact' by people like Jack Thompson.
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -2/+2And again..thischart does NOT prove Jack Thompson wrong.

        I am not agreeing with Jack Thompson...but for all we know, if there wer no violent video games, then this chart would show an even BIGGER drop in crime in the last 12 years since hte economy turned around.
    • ScorpioDragon, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I think the point of the graph is to show that violent video games do not lead to violent behavior.
      • bingobongony, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1And it is incomplete and therefore does not show that. Without a control group showing that the drop in crime would be the same with or without violent video games, you cannot say if violent video games leads to more crime.

        Show me a chart depicting an alternate reality with every single aspect of life the same, except without violent video games. That would be the control group. If that chart shows that cime rates dropped by the same (or less) in the last 12-13 years, then you can say that it proves that video games are not causing more violence.

        Until you can do that, using this chart as proof of anything, positive or negative, is as stupid as Jack Thompson's statements.
  • terencec, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5in your ***** face jack thompson
  • VinnieDaMac, on 04/07/2008, -0/+25[Insert graph comparing obesity vs. violence] As you can see here, as people get fatter, violence decreases.
    • masterofgrond, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Killing or seriously injuring people involves running from both the police and the victim's friends. The decreased violence is probably contributing to the increase in obesity.
      • Bravesguy18, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2You just derailed my logic train.
    • micahned, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1[insert graph comparing ANYTHING vs. violence]
  • skoalno1, on 04/07/2008, -14/+0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkn7HtL5rBA
    • caza332, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1you suck HARD, don't you? with you, 3rd time is not the charm
  • zohaibusman, on 04/07/2008, -2/+1This crime victims figure will change. just wait 4 GTA 4
  • PrometheusZero, on 04/07/2008, -3/+3I have here in my hand, a rock that keeps tigers away. It doesn't do anything, but since I see no tigers around where I live, this rock must be working. Any one care to buy my rock?
    • AnotherBrian, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5The point is that we have Lionel Hutz screaming his head off that your rock attracts tigers. No intelligent person would argue that the rock keeps tigers away, but the absence of tigers does at least make the case that the rock doesn't attract them.
    • Hraes, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1Please don't go into sales... that was not the best pitch.
    • nicksauce, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Actually in this case it's more like
      "My rock will keep tigers away!"
      *Gets mauled by tiger*
      *Everyone walks away from sales pitch*
    • Peko, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Does it keep bears away?
    • Jeepy, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I'll take six.
  • 4d669, on 04/07/2008, -3/+2If you take the graph literally, then Doom actually made crime rise.
    • zdiddy85, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2No Doom came out just in time for people to vent their anger in other places.
    • chrisbarr, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1As crime it it's peak, Doom saved the day.
  • stabbingkittens, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Our (Australia) backwards conservative government won't give us an R18+ rating, so many games are watered down or banned if the costs don't justify the modifications. What's Postal? Wouldn't know. Didn't get it. Our political superiors, as money driven as they are, can't even recognise that the gaming industry is bigger than hollywood.
    • PrometheusZero, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1Not necessarily, certainly, games have the potential to be much bigger than large box office movies, and hence turn in a much larger profit, but it's far more common for an average, run of the mill movie, which only costed a few million to make actually turn into a profit, the same cannot be said for many 'less known' games. Or I'm just talking out of my ass here...
  • diskit, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I'd be curious to see the same chart, but replace "crime victims per 1000 citizens" with school-shooting related deaths/injuries.
    Out of idle curiosity, not to provoke any sort of flame war.
    • Ashes42, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1In general the school-shooting craze is *not* a recent phenomena. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_relate ... I'd say recently there has been something of an upswing in their commonality. I would guess that this upswing is partially explained by a few factors. a) more people, more crazies, more incidents b) media attention attracts the crazies. Perhaps there are other factors, but those two definitely contribute, so keep those in mind when making your chart. Other than that, I like blaming our repressive culture (always a great punching bag) and the "gun-free zone", also known as "crazies-come-here zone". I mean disallowing guns just means that thats the go-to place if you want to shoot someone. No one around has a gun but you.
    • ToiletGhost, on 04/09/2008, -0/+0Here you go.

      School violence
      Between 1992 and 2005, crime in the Nation's schools for students ages 12-18 fell, a pattern consistent with the decline in the national crime rate.
      In every year from 1992 to 2005, students ages 12-18 were more likely to experience a serious violent crime away from school than at school.
      In 2005, about 28% of public and private school students ages 12-18 reported that they have been bullied at school within the past six months.
      Among high school students in grades 9-12, about 14% said they got into a fight on school property in 2005.
      In 2005, 10% of male students and 6% of female student reported experiencing a threat or injury with a weapon on school property.

      from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cvict_c.htm (Dept. of Justice)
  • WoollyMittens, on 04/07/2008, -1/+3While correlation doesn't imply causation, this graph is made of pure awesome.
  • mrhaines, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7Read "Freakonomics" and it will describe the direct correlation between the legalization of abortion and the crime rate drop.
  • diskit, on 04/07/2008, -1/+1Why does the chart with 4 year increments end at 2004?
    It's 2008, show the rest!
  • SuperMoses, on 04/07/2008, -0/+3Politicians want to blame games so they can ignore the real reasons of violent crimes.. socioeconomics.
  • UNDERSTAR, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5There was a problem completing your request. Please reload the page and try again.
    -Digg
    Im bout to get violent up in this *****!!!!
    • JoeB2, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1meanwhile, go play a game...
      • r2builder, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I tried to 'thumbs up' your comment, and got:
        "There was a problem completing your request. Please reload the page and try again."
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