Japan has more violent video games and shows than any other country in the world, yet they have one of the lowest rates of violent crime. People need to stop trying to attribute violence to TV, movies, and video games. Put the blame where it is deserved: it's in the way parents are rearing their children. Come on people, take the blame for your own misgivings instead of trying to blame society, entertainments, etc.

I agree that parents should definitely be taking more responsibility of their kids actions. The games we always had for our original NES system weren't all that violent (I think the worst was Hogan's Alley, where even the bad guys you did shoot clearly were on a pole, and there were major consequences for shooting cops and innocents), but when I did watch violent movies, my parents would talk with my siblings and I about the non-reality there.

Even so, I do feel like many of our games are getting too violent today. As Mr. Wolpin pointed out above, many games today are not only allowing you to hurt the innocents, but not taking away many points for it either, making it seem it's not a big deal, that innocent people are expendable.

I also agree with Mr. Wolpin's concern for the loss in creativity this could result in kids when we allow them to play too long. Send a child outside to figure out their own games and their imagination is free to create worlds and stories and dreams that live on to create the stories we thrive on today. Have a kid (or an adult) sit down to a good book and the mind creates the images of what is happening. Video games take all the work out of the imagination's process. While some games force the user to come up with creative ways to solve problems, it isn't the same.

Essentially, while I feel we do need to take greater care in how much violence we put in games, the only real way we can see results is if we work with the parents and youth today to try to effect a change in the person rather than through legislation.

I aggree about a lot of the things you said except for "and other games cooked up not in cubicled Silicon Valley offices but in our own fertile imaginations." It is true that most games do not have imagination as an main staple but there are a lot of games that require you use imagination and create great things. One example is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry's_Mod
Even many games that don't include making things and discovering tell an interactive story in so many ways like a book.

Don't get me wring if/when I have children I will not let them watch much tv if any. I want them to create and play outside like I did... untill we got sattelite. :\

Every times something happens like a kid killing another kid or shooting up a school. The blame is quickly pointed to videogames. Then these parents try to sue the companies for making these games. But that fault is on the parents.

Sometime in the 90s the ERSB rating systems was instated. Telling parents what the subject matter of the game is. But still the parents dont even read the box. I have noticed several times while at the store a kid trying to but a M rated game. This kid look to be around the age of 14. As soon as the game was scanned they would tell the kid he wasnt old enough to buy it. The kid ran off and soon came back with his mother, who took the kids money and paid for it not even looking at the game.

My mother would only allow me a few hours of game playing a day back in the 90s. Most parents wont even give their kids a time limit because the child would be come angry at them.

I spent some time in Japan. The games there are uncut. Full nudity, and brutal violence. But they have something that the rest of the world lacks. "Self Control" Their children know the difference between a game and real life. American children get all caught up in the action and want to act it out in real life.

For that reason I think that games that include violence should only be purchased by persons 21 years of age or older. Even if the adult is buying that game for the child with them. The person should inform the adult of the violence, blood and gore that is contained within the game.

ithink that video games are not the ones to blamer the parents are bcouse they bught the system and the games so dont try and point the finger at the games point it at your self for not watching what there playing youbught them those games so whatch what

i agree with everything here pretty much. Its frustrating that the japanese seem to be able to distinguish between real life and the virtual, because naturally we want to be able to pin down the cause of something.

But what nobody seems willing to mention these days is whether or not there is such a thing as truth/moral standards. If NOT, then we've just gotta live with the consequences of all this. if SO, then PLEASE can we grasp that if something isnt good for children, its probably not good for adults either! since when did it become 'ok' for an over 21 to start playing violent games or whatever, because 'they can handle it'! I dont get that line of arguement at all.

If games DONT teach kids to beat up their friends, rarely do they teach kids to accept them.

Okay, let's review something here.

"Instead of one-on-one joystick competition, we engaged in equally coordination-sharpening activities such as baseball, football, basketball, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, and other games cooked up not in cubicled Silicon Valley offices but in our own fertile imaginations, learning unconscious lessons about team building, fair play, relationships, alliances, politics and society. Even our indoor games — Monopoly, Risk, Life — offered these camouflaged life lessons."

May I be the first to say that this statement is RIDICULOUS? Let me pick it apart bit by bit.

"Instead of one-on-one joystick competition, we engaged in equally coordination-sharpening activities such as..."

Okay: equally? So there is not a problem here, is there? It's just a matter of whether you like video games better, or outdoor games better: there is no argument here. And no one uses a joystick anymore: before writing an article like this, it may be good to make sure you know about video games past Pac-Man.

"...cooked up not in cubicled Silicon Valley offices but in our own fertile imaginations, learning unconscious lessons about team building, fair play, relationships, alliances, politics and society."

Now let's get one thing straight here. Modern multiplayer games are NOTHING without teamwork. Team tactics and working together are some of the most important things in multiplayer games. Even when playing alone, in a free-for-all match, you learn how to react, how quickly, with what tactic, etc. There are plenty of things that are learned in multiplayer games, even some abilities (such as peripheral vision and reaction time) that would not be quite so developed by playing a game of cops and robbers.

Now into the single-player games. According to your obviously uninformed opinion, video games do not include, "...lessons about team building, fair play, relationships, alliances, politics and society."

Video games are made for one of two things: to provide social interaction (multiplayer), or to tell a story (single player). Video games tell a story just like any other book: in fact ,modern video games have reached the point where, when used to their full potential, they are unquestionably the most powerful storytelling medium on the market. Being a writer and a film major myself, I can still say, through my extensive experience in all three storytelling mediums, that a moment in Final Fantasy VII still ranks number 1 as the single most emotionally effective moment in storytelling history.

Now that this basic concept is understood, what is to keep games from employing life lessons? And how is it you came to that conclusion? What about Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, in which a young Persian prince learns that the people he loves are much more important than the glory and honor he wanted so badly? What about NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, in which the two kids involved learn to take responsibility and countless other lessons? Even violent games, such as Halo, can provide analogies for how to live your life (and no, the lessons in that game are no more violent than those in the Narnia books: both have violence, neither of them teach it).

Here's the straight forward facts: you've either not played a game since Galaga and Dig-Dug, or you're just plain ignorant or blind. This is no longer a simple child's plaything: a video game is a work of art. Writing and acting goes into the story, animation and art design goes into the look, incredible musical talent goes into beautiful, fully-orchestrated and almost interactive scores, and those who design games have to figure out how to make all these things interact with the player to make a fantastic experience. Single-player video games are no more harmful than books, and no less beneficial. Multiplayer games are no more harmful than football (less, in fact: in football you are hurting someone in real life rather than shooting pixels), and no more useless than playing it with your friends. Values have changed. Our generation is finding new ways to do what yours did: we are not departing from your ways: we are finding new ways to do it.

And, you know what, I could care less if you sucked at playing them. If you're judging by something as petty as that, I have no choice but to brand you a sore loser, nothing more. Which, based on the information you seem to have (or lack thereof), I would assume that you realized you sucked back in the early days of arcade and haven't touched a game since then. Good luck gaining any credibility.

Just a few quick comments...

"Choosing Up Sides"
Video games offer more and more of what these other simple child games do. In fact some offer much much more. Look up sometime, when you have a moment to spare, the story line of something like Xenogears. In it you will find deep religious conversations and ideas that you won't get out of any game of cops and robbers. Granted, they aren't scholarly articles but as I played it it did stimulate thoughts on the subject. There are subtle messages in everything we do, not just games, and sometimes they aren't as apparent as violence because they don't splash around and make pretty colors saying look at me I'm a political/religious/character building lesson. They are definitely there though.

"Brain Drain"
and what problems of the universe are you solving here? I submit that you are doing just what they are. Something you love to do. Video games are not just "child's play" as you mention. The average age of a typical gamer is in their 20's; hardly a child.

"Those Who Can't…"
complain and revile against what they can't? Just because you aren't good at them is no reason to say they are evil.

I say all this in a nice tone I'm not attacking and I hope none of my opinions have sounded as such. Smile and have a great day! :)

"Japan has more violent video games and shows than any other country in the world, yet they have one of the lowest rates of violent crime. People need to stop trying to attribute violence to TV, movies, and video games. Put the blame where it is deserved: it's in the way parents are rearing their children. Come on people, take the blame for your own misgivings instead of trying to blame society, entertainments, etc."

Japan also has the highest suicide rates in the world.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2816054581258299445&q=hissy+fit+with+subtitles&hl=en

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5893907.ece

http://www.landoverbaptist.net/showthread.php?t=24796

Yeah---video games are harmless...