We did not grow up playing the same violent shoot-em-up games. The games we grew up playing were not designed to be hyper-realistic surround-sound recreations of enemy combat situations. I'm not saying that today's violent FPS games are harming children as a whole, but I am saying that you cannot compare the games of 20 years ago to the games of today. Those hyper-realistic games made today are developed by adults for adults based on what adult gamers express a preference for.
I have played violent video games as well and have no civilian kills.If anything they (can) improve ones ability to quickly evaluate life and death situationsand avoid violence altogether.That is not to say that after hateful indoctrination that the reverse might not be true as well.GTA in the wrong atmosphere is clearly anti-social.From what I understand GTA 4's increased realism make this an even finer line......
I grew up with Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, etc (the "Golden Years" of arcade games). Were you didn't have to worry about blood shed, just avoiding barrels being thrown down by a large ape to save the girl, digging though the dirt and using air to destroy your enemies and gain points. Thus forth, I see no reason to permit kids from playing those type of games. Now when it comes to the Mortal Kombat stuff, then there should be more of an age limit and kids to be taught 'its only game'.. So they do not carry out the violence they see in the beat'em up games (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc).
Of course I'll let my kids play them... when they're old enough to know reality from fantasy and the difference between manipulating a fantasy world and living in a real one.My kids are going to have sense enough to distinguish a game from real life... if they don't I'll f**king shoot them myself ;)
My kids can play shoot 'em ups any day of the week. Ahhh... Gradius, R-Type, Mars Matrix, GigaWing how I love thee...First person shooters on the other hand...
I have a very simple system to deal with my kids whining about playing games. They have to pay for them! We have a points system where they have to earn points by doing work, or by playing outside, or by playing with each other. To play videogames, they have to pay points. We also use the system for them to pay for other things, like movies, money to spend at a store of their choosing, eating out at a restaurant. It gives them a lot of control and has ended the whining about getting to play things. It also has turned them into massive work a holics... my 5 year old asks me almost daily "Daddy can I have a job" or "Daddy can I take out the trash"?
i'm not saying it's bad to have a chat with your kids. I'm saying that everyone inherently knows right from wrong. back when i first started playing video games no parent talked with us about them. games like Doom; which as we all know gets the worst rep of all; were readily available. i played it, didn't get any inclination of wanting to kill someone because of it. I did however dislike people in school if they acted poorly towards me. that again was more towards my condition as a teenager struggling with basic teenage angst. to point to video games as a possible problem is the same as to place blame on music as demonizing akin to the 70's of which was found to utter crap. As kids even younger, my generation played war games and hit each other with sticks and applied water torture to "captured prisoners". it's human nature. if you deny that then you deny what is essentially a part of you. Still throughout it all everyone knew where the 'line' was and didn't cross it. these cases you hear of in the news. they are the few that don't inherently know there is a line. they are flawed.if anything games expose the flaw in that it serves as a device for them to outlet and in so show their absolute ignorance of what we would call common sense.
my10centApr 9, 2007
no evidence? see the violence of which you used to reply to this, the anger, the bitterness is evident and I blame it on you playing Space Invaders!
saskaApr 9, 2007
We did not grow up playing the same violent shoot-em-up games. The games we grew up playing were not designed to be hyper-realistic surround-sound recreations of enemy combat situations. I'm not saying that today's violent FPS games are harming children as a whole, but I am saying that you cannot compare the games of 20 years ago to the games of today. Those hyper-realistic games made today are developed by adults for adults based on what adult gamers express a preference for.
smillsApr 9, 2007
Don't ever say that.
Closed AccountApr 9, 2007
I have played violent video games as well and have no civilian kills.If anything they (can) improve ones ability to quickly evaluate life and death situationsand avoid violence altogether.That is not to say that after hateful indoctrination that the reverse might not be true as well.GTA in the wrong atmosphere is clearly anti-social.From what I understand GTA 4's increased realism make this an even finer line......
astrotrainApr 9, 2007
I grew up with Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, etc (the "Golden Years" of arcade games). Were you didn't have to worry about blood shed, just avoiding barrels being thrown down by a large ape to save the girl, digging though the dirt and using air to destroy your enemies and gain points. Thus forth, I see no reason to permit kids from playing those type of games. Now when it comes to the Mortal Kombat stuff, then there should be more of an age limit and kids to be taught 'its only game'.. So they do not carry out the violence they see in the beat'em up games (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc).
coffeedemonApr 9, 2007
Of course I'll let my kids play them... when they're old enough to know reality from fantasy and the difference between manipulating a fantasy world and living in a real one.My kids are going to have sense enough to distinguish a game from real life... if they don't I'll f**king shoot them myself ;)
ninjakoalaApr 9, 2007
My kids can play shoot 'em ups any day of the week. Ahhh... Gradius, R-Type, Mars Matrix, GigaWing how I love thee...First person shooters on the other hand...
crackhappyApr 10, 2007
I have a very simple system to deal with my kids whining about playing games. They have to pay for them! We have a points system where they have to earn points by doing work, or by playing outside, or by playing with each other. To play videogames, they have to pay points. We also use the system for them to pay for other things, like movies, money to spend at a store of their choosing, eating out at a restaurant. It gives them a lot of control and has ended the whining about getting to play things. It also has turned them into massive work a holics... my 5 year old asks me almost daily "Daddy can I have a job" or "Daddy can I take out the trash"?
yournamehereApr 10, 2007
i'm not saying it's bad to have a chat with your kids. I'm saying that everyone inherently knows right from wrong. back when i first started playing video games no parent talked with us about them. games like Doom; which as we all know gets the worst rep of all; were readily available. i played it, didn't get any inclination of wanting to kill someone because of it. I did however dislike people in school if they acted poorly towards me. that again was more towards my condition as a teenager struggling with basic teenage angst. to point to video games as a possible problem is the same as to place blame on music as demonizing akin to the 70's of which was found to utter crap. As kids even younger, my generation played war games and hit each other with sticks and applied water torture to "captured prisoners". it's human nature. if you deny that then you deny what is essentially a part of you. Still throughout it all everyone knew where the 'line' was and didn't cross it. these cases you hear of in the news. they are the few that don't inherently know there is a line. they are flawed.if anything games expose the flaw in that it serves as a device for them to outlet and in so show their absolute ignorance of what we would call common sense.