5/25/2005
Attacking Violent Video Games
Commentary: Legislation is fruitless exercise
By John C. Dvorak Last Update: 1:39 PM ET May 25, 2005
BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- The controversy over ultra violent and often perverse video games always crops up in the news around the time of the E3 tradeshow in Los Angeles.
Column: John Dvorak's Second Opinion
It's there that the new more gruesome game offerings are showcased to the industry, and this year proved no exception.
Probably the most offensive franchise in the gaming business is GTA -- Grand Theft Auto -- where the player typically goes on a rampage killing cops and hookers while stealing cars. It's published under the Rockstar Games label by Take-Two Interactive Software. (TTWO: news, chart, profile) .
The game, like many others, is part fantasy and part simulation. It's the simulator aspect of these games that has legislators as well as the morality police worried.
The argument is interesting because simulators do train people. Most pilots learn to fly commercial jets on simulators before getting into the cockpit of a real plane. The U.S. Army uses tank and battlefield simulators to improve performance in the field.
I once interviewed Al Unser, Jr. about the use of race car video games and their usefulness as simulators for professional drivers and he told me that when he was a kid he'd sneak out of school to "drive" race cars at the video arcade. He not only thought they were useful training tools, but the newer improved games are helping the up-and-coming drivers even more.
So this brings us to Illinois State Senate which last Friday approved restrictions on the sales of violent and sexually explicit video games to kids under 18. However well intentioned, it's a pointless exercise in restraint of trade.
Much of the legislation is based on the notion that many of these games are simulators and are thus training kids to be violent criminals. The sponsor is Sen. Deanna Demuzio, who is quoted by the AP as saying, "Video games are not art or media. They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war."
While there is little doubt that simulators are valuable as training devices and may well be training people how to steal cars in GTA, the overlooked fact is that simulators do not motivate anyone to steal cars. In fact simulators do nothing more than simulate -- there is a difference between simulation and motivation.
Since the first release of the GTA series, arguably the most popular game of its type in history, to the latest version "GTA: San Andreas," there has not been a notable increase in auto thefts, cop killings or assaults on prostitutes. Millions of kids have not turned into crazed criminals because of this or any other game.
Of course there is no doubt that some kid with a screw loose might "improve" his criminal technique with a good crime-oriented simulation, but GTA is not a good simulator for doing much except getting yourself killed. There are no real skill sets you develop in this game and although it is a simulator, it is not one based in a world of reality. And except for games such as "Flight Simulator," few games mimic reality.
In fact when you watch or play the game it's mostly black humor and gore for gore's sake.
If this sort game is damaging just because it is a simulator, then so are Karate classes where kids pretend to kick someone in the neck while they are on the ground. Ban karate too. You may as well ban all martial arts for that matter.
That said, you'd think that the game designers would show some social responsibility and tone down their products. But it's clear that it's the audience that wants these games. Most of the very popular games involve some sort of stomping, shooting, kicking, electrocution, dismemberment or being eaten by a monster.
Perhaps if we weren't at war this would be different. It seems to me that these games exemplify people venting their frustrations with the way things are in the world. I expect the simulated violence level to actually increase over the next few years, if that's possible.
By John C. Dvorak Last Update: 1:39 PM ET May 25, 2005
BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- The controversy over ultra violent and often perverse video games always crops up in the news around the time of the E3 tradeshow in Los Angeles.
Column: John Dvorak's Second Opinion
It's there that the new more gruesome game offerings are showcased to the industry, and this year proved no exception.
Probably the most offensive franchise in the gaming business is GTA -- Grand Theft Auto -- where the player typically goes on a rampage killing cops and hookers while stealing cars. It's published under the Rockstar Games label by Take-Two Interactive Software. (TTWO: news, chart, profile) .
The game, like many others, is part fantasy and part simulation. It's the simulator aspect of these games that has legislators as well as the morality police worried.
The argument is interesting because simulators do train people. Most pilots learn to fly commercial jets on simulators before getting into the cockpit of a real plane. The U.S. Army uses tank and battlefield simulators to improve performance in the field.
I once interviewed Al Unser, Jr. about the use of race car video games and their usefulness as simulators for professional drivers and he told me that when he was a kid he'd sneak out of school to "drive" race cars at the video arcade. He not only thought they were useful training tools, but the newer improved games are helping the up-and-coming drivers even more.
So this brings us to Illinois State Senate which last Friday approved restrictions on the sales of violent and sexually explicit video games to kids under 18. However well intentioned, it's a pointless exercise in restraint of trade.
Much of the legislation is based on the notion that many of these games are simulators and are thus training kids to be violent criminals. The sponsor is Sen. Deanna Demuzio, who is quoted by the AP as saying, "Video games are not art or media. They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war."
While there is little doubt that simulators are valuable as training devices and may well be training people how to steal cars in GTA, the overlooked fact is that simulators do not motivate anyone to steal cars. In fact simulators do nothing more than simulate -- there is a difference between simulation and motivation.
Since the first release of the GTA series, arguably the most popular game of its type in history, to the latest version "GTA: San Andreas," there has not been a notable increase in auto thefts, cop killings or assaults on prostitutes. Millions of kids have not turned into crazed criminals because of this or any other game.
Of course there is no doubt that some kid with a screw loose might "improve" his criminal technique with a good crime-oriented simulation, but GTA is not a good simulator for doing much except getting yourself killed. There are no real skill sets you develop in this game and although it is a simulator, it is not one based in a world of reality. And except for games such as "Flight Simulator," few games mimic reality.
In fact when you watch or play the game it's mostly black humor and gore for gore's sake.
If this sort game is damaging just because it is a simulator, then so are Karate classes where kids pretend to kick someone in the neck while they are on the ground. Ban karate too. You may as well ban all martial arts for that matter.
That said, you'd think that the game designers would show some social responsibility and tone down their products. But it's clear that it's the audience that wants these games. Most of the very popular games involve some sort of stomping, shooting, kicking, electrocution, dismemberment or being eaten by a monster.
Perhaps if we weren't at war this would be different. It seems to me that these games exemplify people venting their frustrations with the way things are in the world. I expect the simulated violence level to actually increase over the next few years, if that's possible.
