Where Video Games go next
 

Okay, recently, I did some poking around on the Goldeneye: Rogue Agent forums on IGN. Now, there was something there that really made me think...

It was two seperate reviews. One hailed it as a "seat of your pants shooter that doesn't violate any laws of physics" and the second called it a "piece of crap physics-less, shitty game with a crappy way of dealing with weapons."

Now, I loved this game. And I agree with the not-violating any laws of physics. Goldeneye only has one handgun that he always keeps, and that could be because he has a holster for it. Everything else is picked up and dropped on the fly.

The bad review yelled at the physics engine saying, "If you shoot someone with a shotgun they shouldn't do a huge backflip then fall forwards the moment they come in contact with a wall. They should just snap back." By physics alone, they should do the huge flying thing.

So, what are developpers going to try to please the brain-dead violence whores, or are they going to try to please us cerebral folk? I mean, I know that games will be developped for each group regardless, but which will developpers go for the most, and why?

The people who like to throw physics out the window and want the most blood and ammo possible?

Or the people that like to go, "How do I tackle this one?"

Furthermore, at what point do you think video game developpers will realize that having a character that says, "Wazzup motha' fucka G? Yo, I'm gonna' cap yo' aaaaaass!" then does some overly flashy kung-fu fight, followed by one-handing a shotgun, then...well, you get my point. At what point are developpers are going to realize, "Wait. Stop. This isn't right. This is stupid. And it's turning youth into mindless cock-mouthed maniacs."?

That would imply a level of caring I have yet to see among any of the "good" developers. People seem to forget that these companies are still above all else trying to make money. As long as ever person and there kid brother call themselves "gamers" and buy whatever version of Madden EA as deemed to excrete this year games will continue to be this way.

Well, in my opinion they're going to realize said example when they start getting obscene numbers of lawsuits and really have no solid defence to fall back on.

Do I believe Video Games increase violence? No.

Do they do anything to preven it? Not really.

I think video games are turning into one of those "please the most people as possible while pissing off everyone else" kind of situation. You rarely ever see a game reach out to more than one demographic.

I'm kind of stuck in the middle. One on hand, I play some violent games and I believe that they do not casue real-life violence. On the other hand, I believe that M rated games should only be available for the older gamers and that parents have a responsibility to teach theri children.

So I really don't know where the industry is going. But I definitely don't want it to fall into the hands of some guy who thinks GTA: VC is the best game ever just becasue you can jack cars.

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It is rather annoying, turning Our youth into Mindless-c*ck mouther psychos...

The whole physics thing is outrageous.... It is ridiculously embarrasing.
Aren't WE supposed to emprove? And not overly-hype?

The question isn't do video games do anything to prevent violence, so much as it is, "Should they?" And really, WHY should they? They are a form of entertainment, and, in some cases, art.

So, the question is, why do we expect a form of either entertainment or art to try and stop violence? Do we expect movies to stop violence? Do we expect music to? Do we go to an art gallery, see 'The Scream' and think, "What is this doing to keep my children from becoming mass murdering psychos?" Do we pop in a CD from our favorite band and say that they should be sued if their music appeals to our baser emotions?

Of course not.

Art and entertainment are BOTH designed to speak to ALL of human emotions and urges. They aren't meant to just sing happy songs and show us rainbows where people of every race and creed are holding hands. In fact, if they did, it would be a disservice to both the developers and the fans.

So long as humans get angry, so long as humans feel the need to destroy, so long as humans have a 'dark side', there will be entertainment AND art that caters to and shows it. Just trying to pretend that side of humanity doesn't exist under any medium is ridiculous.

That's not to say that ALL games or ALL movies or ALL music or ALL of anything has to be violent or dark. It is merely to say that any medium designed for human expression is going to have some works expressed through it which show all of those things.

And, quite frankly, that's the way it should be.


Also, not my main point, but: there have been studies done showing that violent videogames reduce violent tendencies in the 'real world'. Bottling up your anger and frustration leads to acting out on other people or real life objects. If you can vent it through a game of Halo or GTA, you're actually going to be much better adjusted than if you just try to ignore it or keep it inside until you explode.

Soccer moms, un fortunately, don't read stupid things like "studies."

I agree with krylo, enertainment and art fall hand in hand. While playing the amazing Viewtiful Joe, I was amazed by the art style and how intracately a robot (during bullet-time) gets smashed into a wall. And at the same time I was being enertained by the innovative gameplay and the nearly limitless amount of options on how to subdue enemies.

While playing Half Life 2, I was impressed by the spot-on physics and how realistic the graphics looked. The gravity gun is the coolest weapon ever. With this gun in possesion, I had a virtual playground to play in. Smashing cars into evil aliens, throwing a Predator-styled disk and slicing attackers in half...wow.

Two great examples of poetry in motion.

Oh, and as for the future, chances are, EA will make the crappy sequel to Need for Speed Underground 2, and everyone will love it. The majority of the "gamers" have no taste, which is exactly why when you go to the reviews section of Metal Gear Solid over at GameFAQS, you'll see 10's aplenty. Metal Gear Solid is BORING. Anything seriously hyped up hardly ever turns out even half-way decent.

And y'know, it's really sad. Terrible games like The Sims 2 sell a billion copies, while spectactular games like Ico and Katamari Damacy get lukeworm sales.

Personally I'd just like to see creative fun games the content doesnt really bother me. Imho people are less effected by the content then the gameplay/fun they are having. Children especially dont notice or realize exactly whats going on unless its pretty explicet and well explained. Unless a games verbally and graphically explaining sex then nobodys going to stop them. I find it surprizing and morally disturbing that sex is really the only taboo in our society strong enough to cause parents to act.

Well, there is a growing fad, especially in older gamers, that we see a lot of gamesthat are different from our favorite type of games. So in many ways we're saying some of these new games suck compared to the ones we've always loved. Even I do it too. I don't think there's any game that has been made on a hand held that can surpass Metroid II or Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. However, that's my own opinion and you have to realize. These games are old and well known and many people like them...but that's just another form of hype and obsession for a game. Its just been very prolongued (sp).

Its the same that is going on today in the both the world of gaming and Anime. Many people do have a short attention span and will love, genuinely to his or her highest level, the newest 'hyped' game. But thereare many others who are either new to gaming (within a few years or even a year) or who get into gaming through a certain fewgames and end up liking those the most, reguardless of anything else that comes out. And there are MANY people like this....including myself in some genres (such as Action/Adventure with Zelda and Metroid II/Castlevania with Side Scrollers). In Anime there are people who have been watching Anime now for only a couple years and as a result are actively choosing not to watch anything before the shows that they started with (many of them are around the year 2000 with Love Hina). Where many of you have the anger towards the people inthe gaming community that follow the latest hyped game or stick to 'OMG this game is the best EVER!!!!11', just realize, there's just as much of it in almost anything else you can think of. Older people and older movies. Older Gundam fans vs newer ones. People who like 80s cartoons and those who like 90s cartoons. There's no limit to the examples.

In other words, the majority of these people that are following the 'hype' as you say I believe are people somewhat newto games and started with games like Halo, Need for Speed, or even the 'newer' versions of our older favorites. I have a friend who started with FFX and its still his favorite game. But when I tried to get him to go back and play the games I think were amazing, such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI and even the original Zelda, he couldn't play any of them. He just would always tell me he didn't 'like how it felt'. But there was one game before 2001 he liked...and that's FFVIII. Why? Because its like FFX.

So you see, I think it just comes right down to knowledge of what's out (the hype) AND comfort zone. These people never played the old games we love but love the new 'hype' and probably, in 10 or 15 years, they'll still think games like Halo, FFX and Time Splitters are both their favorites and remember them like I remember Mario 1, Link's Awakening or Castlevania III.

This is also a long way of saying that just cuz you find Metal Gear Solid boring doesn't mean others don't love it. I think Final Fantasy VII is boring...but that didn't stop thousands of people in my generation getting hooked on RPGs by it (and many of them still professing it is their favorite game, per my above example of first played = favorite game).