DeadOneWalking
2006-09-23 07:32:42
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*cough* Jack Thompson needs to see this. *cough* |
ViralArtist
2006-09-20 20:33:17
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This was a great article. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it here. I agree with everything you've said. m/ |
OmicronBlue
2006-09-20 15:50:23
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I understand your point completely and respect your efforts to shed some light on this topic. I've been exploring this issue for a while now and have writen a generous amount about it.
I'd like to explore it even further, but I'll re-post in a few days - I'd like to give some more people a chance to post before I go any further... |
Nelson
2006-09-19 22:39:10
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Omicronblue,
I really enjoyed the depth of your response. I think the flaw in my article is that I cannot even begin to touch on all the issues, as you point out. At best, I hope it allows people to discuss this, and maybe in a tiny way that is different from how the discussion has proceeded so far. I meant to try to lend practical real world experience to it, but I certainly fall short of an answer. I agree that we are "marketed" almost all of our content, and by some extension our social expectations. I am also, however, very much afraid of efforts to control what I can have access to as a consumer. Just as a lot of the sales messages and products are condescending, a lot of the effort to protect us is paternalistic. The assumption is always that the folks identifying the risks to avoid are, themselves, above the influence and are clear headed... its just the rest of us who can't be trusted with "dangerous" content. I guess what I should have said in the article is not that I can speak for everyone and vouch for their ability to digest content, but that for my part, I don't want anyone else deciding for me or my family what forms of entertainment we can or can't reasonably handle. I don't know where I read this but I have always liked the line: "the most dangerous idea in the world, is that an idea can be dangerous." |
OmicronBlue
2006-09-19 21:56:32
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Nice piece of work... makes complete sense in many ways, however, it does speak partially and mainly in the context of a personal opinion... which is absolutely fine, to say the least - it is somewhat righteous.
I think before we attempt to make any assumptions about the effect of video games on human behavior, we should look a little deeper into defining what we're looking at. And I think that if we do actually look a little deeper into things we'll inevitably realize that the question doesn't have one answer, because any answer will be conditionally valid. The point is that there's too much variability to account for, so there will always be exceptions... Exceptions to what you say, exceptions to what 'game-hater's' say, and so on. The issue is one best left for rhetoric...
What would be interesting to know, and any feedback would be of interest, is what is it that this technology has to offer society at large... more simply put, given that the video game industry is at the forefront of technological advancement (an industry that drives computer technology) and that it is one of the most publicly accessible technologies out there, has it, or is it providing society with something that can be labeled valuable? or can it do allot better? also, regardless of how it's product is utilized by the end user, how is it used by the industry? (take from examples like governmental military funding of game development with probable intentions to increase enlistment numbers, or if the industry’s model is the traditional capitalistic cut-all-heads, all-for-profit model, etc.)
What I'm ultimately speaking of here is ethics... corporate responsibility... social implications.... not whether games cause violence or not....
Let's stop getting tangled in the net of naiveness.
In many ways we are targets in a sea of markets. Without the end-user, there wouldn't be a product. Personally I think that the market (and more specifically the individuals within that market) defines and ultimately reflects itself on the content of what the product represents. The truth is that we live in a violent world - we always have. We're imperfect, and prone to negative action, often times resulting in detrimental social consequences, like the examples you mentioned. But why should we only be defined by those actions? Why are we an example of only imperfection? It seems that this is the most consistent way that we have been represented over the past decade or so, at least in the video game industry. And we sure buy into that with even more consistency (check out the profit margins of the game industry since its conception). It's become almost a pandemic (no pun intended to company and vise-versa I hope).
The point that you make is as sensible as it can get. But how do you feel about the bigger picture, is what I'd like to know... How does anyone feel about the bigger picture?
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DeliriumWartne
2006-09-19 17:37:20
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Hey man, just wanted to say that that was probably the most well argued and well thought out article about video game violence I've read in a long time. You should most definitely be writing for magazines etc (if you're not already). Unfortunately I don't think it's make much difference to the game-haters. Their arguements aren't based on logic, but rather an attitude of fear, so logical reasoning falls on deaf ears. Still, it made an interesting read, and it's nice to know there are still "sane" people out there. |
Nelson
2006-09-19 12:37:39
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dylan1739o0o, Thank you for your kind words. I really enjoy what I'm doing, and I'm glad other people can enjoy it too. |
dylan1739o0o
2006-09-18 20:27:39
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lol ill my formating didnt go through now it looks kinda wierd lol o well thank you again |
dylan1739o0o
2006-09-18 20:26:25
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dear nelson rodriguez
i am amazed by your intelegence and desire for the gaming world. you have helped me learn many things about game and im sure its not easy making a 34 minute pod cast then writing 10 articles every week. i respect your commitment and give the best of wishes to all your future articles and podcasts.
also i would like to know how the whole podcast thing work because with all gamers being around the world how do you communicate and make all this so fast
thank,dylan1739o0o |
