video games

[Bill]

Combat ended up shipping with the 2600.

Stand on either side of a stagecoach and repeatedly shoot each other in the face.

Graphics are much better now, frame rate, saves, everything has progressed, but there have always been violent games.

[Figuremod73]

Look at football. Its violent but everyone loves it.

[Bill]

MMA has really become popular in a short fifteen years. It's not for me, I prefer boxing.

[HardyGirl]

First, as a teacher and a person who deals w/ kids on a regular basis, I do think today's games are way too graphic, too realistic, and do affect young minds, (just like any visual stimulus, good or bad, that they're exposed to).

Second, video games really didn't make the scene for home use (Telstar), until I was 9 or 10. I got a Telstar Alpha when I was 12, and while I did play it, it didn't occupy my every waking moment. When I was 16, and lived w/ my dad, we got a used Atari 2600 and 6 games for $150. Again, it was fun, and the neighborhood kids even started a game swap, where we'd borrow each other's games. But again, we played outside, rode our bikes, went to the local roller rink, hung around the mall, and interacted w/ people.

Third, although I have video games, they seldom get used by me or the kids I babysit. I have a wonderful toyroom w/ dolls, action figures, board games, comic books, Colorforms, etc., and even the most devout gamehead will not ask to play video games, but they wanna check out my toys instead.

Fourth, parents are afraid to let their kids go outside. I guess a lot of them figure since they're kids are safe in the house, no big deal. Kids today seem to grow up in an electronic bubble: video games, texting, cell phone, PCs, big screen TVs, I Pads, MP3 players, etc., and there's no need to interact w/ people. When they deal w/ people they have almost no social skills or common sense, for that matter.

Even though some of us are the "video game generation", it's a far cry from what's happening today.

[huedell]

So;

It seems odd to me that amongst my peers video games have become the new source of all evil. So it's video games that are responsible for them durned teenagers and their short attention spans and poor work ethic. Any movie that looks bad is described by many as looking like a video game. The reason good comics, tv shows and movies don't get made is 'cos so much of the consumer dollar is being leeched by them durned video games....

It's weird, considering WE were the video game generation. (Does no-one remember the 2600? NES? Genesis?) How did this happen? Is it another example of creeping geezerisms? Jealousy 'cos "them kids today" have "Call of Duty" and we had "pong?" Is it like Rob says, and now that WE have kids the world seems scary and anything fun a risky distraction for our dearest offspring?

Don C.

It's because EVERYBODY is looking to put blame somewhere else.

Yap, yap, yap.

Hey geezers... got a problem with the younger generation?

Take responsibility. Stop whining. DO something about it.

[ctc]

>I always thought it would be a passing craze like Dungeons and Dragons. I was very wrong

....about both, actually....

>But the media generally seems to forget to point out that the average age of gamers is mid 30s and kids are far more interested in playing Skylanders than Call of Duty.

Yeah; that's one of the things that drives me nuts. Sure, a lot of the games are more vile and gruesome than back in the day, but that's facilitated by an older audience and a rating system. WAY too many commentators seem hopelessly out of touch on the subject.

>I could honestly see how some games can make kids minds more violent

That's part of it: folks will look at a game that's not for kids and worry about it's effect ON kids. Will kids play it? Some, sure.... you can't hide things from a truly determined 10 year old; but that's not exactly new either. Think how old most of us were when we saw some really violent films. (I can recall a discussion about "Alien," wherein it was revealed a significant number of folks here saw it as pre-teens. I was 8. Went with my mom.)

>There was personal interaction between people that isnt possible behind a computer.

I can recall when Street Fighter 2 came out.... the absolute manic competition it spawned. But you still get that; online though. It's different, but I suspect quantifiably the same.

I guess it baffles (and saddens) mme how easy it is for people to forget what things were like for them and extrapolate to things going on for the young now. I've seen people who sneered at the arguments against back in the day now get into a frothing rage when the SAME ARGUMENTS are brought up now. Not that games and gamers are totally blameless:

>The immature, vulgar, sexist and homophobic comments filling online FPS game matches doesn't exactly help either.

Yeah; like that. Or:

http://www.cracked.com/article_18571_5-reasons-its-still-not-cool-to-admit-youre-gamer.html

....but it'd be nice if more critics were discussing the ACTUAL issues, instead of weird straw-man ones.

Don C.