Wednesday 7 May 2008

Computer Controversial

With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV just a week ago;

I decided to concentrate my most recent blog upon the controversy of said computer game and a few others that have caused trouble in the media.

It seems Grand Theft Auto is possibly the most famous game for its portrayal in the media, and with the release of the latest update it has made the news once again;

Now I have seen and played this game, on both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and I do not think it deserves the 18 rating or the bad reputation it gets from the media

Going back to 2005, the "Hot Coffee" incident, this was a minigame that appeared as a modification for the PC version . It included scenes of a "sexual nature" wherein the player presses buttons on a control pad or keyboard to have sex with girls within the game, the entire thing got blown out of proportion because you see, this minigame was merely a rhythm action dry humping game.
Certainly not worthy of a courtcase and re-classification of the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV was also headlined for its "violent" gameplay, and as I mentioned before it is not worthy of any negative responses it gets.

The most violent thing in the game is the pre-rendered deaths of major characters when they can be executed during certain missions.

Another thing brought up upon the games release is people under the 18+ age rating playing the game, this is apparently a big problem but I beg to differ, it is merely a game, pressing circle to stab a group of pixels is not the same as a young boy going out and stabbing his friend.

Games do not turn people into killers. Fact. It is not possible for a person to become insane just by playing a game, unless ofcourse they play Halo refusely with their friends until their eyes bleed.

Games are merely a new form of media, growing in popularity by the day, they will continue to increase in popularity and violence sells, people enjoy being able to run other players over, and shoot players limbs off but this does not mean that people will go out and re-enact this, they play the games to satisfy that little hobby of theirs. Lets leave them to it eh?

Yours,

V.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I should state, publicly and for the record, that these 'violent' games have had much the opposite effect as the naysayers have claimed. After all what better an outlet for one's frustrations than one where you get the satisfaction of being completely and utterly depraved and wholly disregard human life, and yet not a living soul is harmed in the process? Quite therapeutic if you ask me, but then again this IS America we're talking about, an America who's pastime seems to be suing one another for all manner of reasons rather than to actually face a problem on its own merits.

Of course we can't do that, we've been taught from grammar school that its 'not your fault'. Nooo its not your fault that you're fat and out of shape, blame the schools for not having a physical education program (which it can't afford due to budget concerns). No its not your fault that nobody will play with you after class. And its most CERTAINLY not your fault when you get the fool notion to go shoot up half your class when there's such apparently violent seeming things such as music and video games that can instead be blamed rather than taking a long hard look at both the person's mental health and, where applicable, the parent's involvement... or rather I should say, lack thereof.

Anonymous said...

What you say rings true.
but i come to the disturbing conclusion that all of this is said in this blog and it is a wonderfull blog.Might be not of the person that so many respect but of a unethical deragned man or woman who has decided that a blog with the Codename V would be a grandios investment of time and energy. However from what has been said i must confer that this might be the real deal and for personal reasons would like some verification of said conclusons.

though the underlying assumption is that the identity of V--the person behind the mask--actually matters, that it somehow would add a weight of meaning or understanding to what has been said is far fetched at best.If that is so then nothing but a simple answer would suffice.

despite my assumtions and probable inscurities i congratulate you on bringing said issues to light with much more passion then normal and a train of logic both intriuging and beguiling.

Bravo

Anonymous said...

V

Where have you gone?
Your wonderfull observations and conlusions where the highlight of my websurfing.

Continue these blogs.
Please

V said...

To the person above me, I am back, I have posted a new article.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

..::dartigen::.. said...

Ah yes, the 'Hot Coffee' mod. I was one of the ones who was living under a small pebble when it happened, but I did end up finding out about the hype (in a somewhat unfortunate manner - browsing a friend's computer files with the excuse of 'looking for more music'. Needless to say, I have been hit with the banhammer, and said computer is no longer in existence).

Such hype has not only been given to videogames - it has also been handed out to movies ('The Exorcist' - although some of its hype may have been used by the producers as a form of advertisement - and a little more (or less) notoriously, 'A Clockwork Orange') and, in a rather annoying manner, music.

Yes, we do all remember the infamous 'Judas Priest told us to do it' excuse, now don't we?
Ahem. I am a long-time fan of heavy metal music, and I don't recall ever having murderous tendencies while listening to said...on the contrary, it's actually quite a good remedy for a bad mood. And as fun as backmasking can be (I even recall one band using backmasking to create a whole new song from another) it has been disproven as a means of subliminal control.

And I agree with the first commenter - there is nothing better to do at the end of a bad day than to take out your frustrations on a bunch of pixels. After all, they are only pixels - better them than the next poor person who vexes you.
Granted, a punching bag can provide equally the same amount of frustration relief, and with added bonuses.