Dynasty
Space Core
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2004
- Messages
- 4,976
- Reaction score
- 17
'What we saw in the Abu Gharib prison scandal was the tip of the iceberg - it was a glimpse of a generation of war games coming of age.' so says Gulf war veteran Mary Spio, quoted in American newspaper 'USA Today'.
Spio thinks that videogames provoke bloodlust and the story implies a link between her allegations and the abuse of Iraqis by US military personnel. Then it quotes another Spio legend: 'Videogames that enable players to kill real human beings are desensitising generations of American society.'
Don't know about you but i've yet to play a game that offers me the chance to kill a real human being...let alone a journalist desperate for a story.
The article then quotes Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University, as saying: 'It's more likely to be a vicious circle, where increased intereset in war leads to playing these games, which leads to more agressive feelings and increased negative stereotypes of other cultures.'
The occasion in question was the Xbox release of Full Spectrum Warrior. A PC-bound RTS that features squads of US troops battling through scenarios of a Middle Eastern persuasion. Videogaming in a soft target for the mainstream media because it is a medium little understood by large sections of their audience. These irresponsible stories aim to scare parents into believing their children are being trained as killers by their own 'toys'. And they also deflect attention from the REAL issues.
Can the influence of videogames really be measured against the daily images of Western military machines wreaking destruction in foreign lands? Or, more importantly, the influence of our own politicians and policymakers who believe it is their right to run other countries and to constantly shift their reasons for doing so??? I would maintain that it is the attitudes and deceits of our political culture is far more likely to give rise to negative stereotypes than our videogame culture.
IF ONLY THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA WOULD FOCUS ON THE REAL CULPRITS...
One can only hope that something will shed a light on those that fail to understand this point (ie parents and adults in general). Ever been sick and tired of media saying: 'oh, this game caused so-and-so to kill someone else.'
Well tbh im ****ing sick of it.
Spio thinks that videogames provoke bloodlust and the story implies a link between her allegations and the abuse of Iraqis by US military personnel. Then it quotes another Spio legend: 'Videogames that enable players to kill real human beings are desensitising generations of American society.'
Don't know about you but i've yet to play a game that offers me the chance to kill a real human being...let alone a journalist desperate for a story.
The article then quotes Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University, as saying: 'It's more likely to be a vicious circle, where increased intereset in war leads to playing these games, which leads to more agressive feelings and increased negative stereotypes of other cultures.'
The occasion in question was the Xbox release of Full Spectrum Warrior. A PC-bound RTS that features squads of US troops battling through scenarios of a Middle Eastern persuasion. Videogaming in a soft target for the mainstream media because it is a medium little understood by large sections of their audience. These irresponsible stories aim to scare parents into believing their children are being trained as killers by their own 'toys'. And they also deflect attention from the REAL issues.
Can the influence of videogames really be measured against the daily images of Western military machines wreaking destruction in foreign lands? Or, more importantly, the influence of our own politicians and policymakers who believe it is their right to run other countries and to constantly shift their reasons for doing so??? I would maintain that it is the attitudes and deceits of our political culture is far more likely to give rise to negative stereotypes than our videogame culture.
IF ONLY THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA WOULD FOCUS ON THE REAL CULPRITS...
One can only hope that something will shed a light on those that fail to understand this point (ie parents and adults in general). Ever been sick and tired of media saying: 'oh, this game caused so-and-so to kill someone else.'
Well tbh im ****ing sick of it.
