FPS - getting abused as bad influence

gunfodder · 08-22-2005, 11:20 AM

My wife is an avid "anti-computer gamer". "It's a waste of time".
This is bad enough as I have to keep sedating her if I want to doing any gaming. But enough about my wussy-ness.

I was around some parents and they were talking about trying to keep their kids away from violent games. One parent says that he just can't stand First Person Shooters as they "are just too violent". Some one asked what a FPS was and the same parent described it as "oh you just go into a game and kill everyone". I chose not to jump on a soapbox as it was obvious that Solitaire was the closets computer game anyone in the room had played.

Just wondering how y'all deal with the sterotype that a FPS game is just nonsensical violence.

**Wyzcrak** · 08-22-2005, 11:21 AM

Wow... great thread. I'll enjoy watching this one. I might even contribute. I'll have to think on it first, though.

TEMM · 08-22-2005, 11:50 AM

To anyone that says that playing video games is a waste of time, I pose this question: How often do you watch tv, and for how long? How often do you partake in organized sporting events? How often do you go out to the bars and drink (though not necessarily get drunk). How often do your children play tabletop board games? How often do they play make-beleive games outside?

If the answer to any of those questions, and many more is anything but "none, or never" then we are in a pot and kettle situation. There should be little distinction made between video gaming and watching tv, or playing sports or any other RECREATIONAL activity because that is what they are, recreational activities. They are meant to be a distraction from the real world. All reacreational activities have their place in life and none deserve to be called a waste of time if they provide any amount of recreation to the person who is partaking in them.

Im also not advocating people partaking in recreational activities 24/7 and not taking part in any "real world" situations like work or social activities (although alot of recreational activities are social activities). There needs to be a balance between recreational activities and other activities that are required of ones self. This balance will be different from person to person and without knowing what a persons life is like inside and out it is not possible to have an opinion one way or another.

To the parents that say videogames are too violent: I agree to an extent, some videogames are extremely violent, and should not be played by minors, or people who dont enjoy the level of violence that these games portray. This is why games have ESRB ratings placed on them by the manufacturers. I do beleive however that I personally would rather have my kids play video games (even violent games) then the crap that is on television today (including those sugary touchy feely childrens shows). I think videogames are good at teaching children how to work together, how to accomplish goals, and that there are winners and losers in life, and that losing is not the end of the world, but you need to strive to be a winner.

AzzMan · 08-22-2005, 01:35 PM

Some videogames are in fact simply too violent. That's what ratings are for.

Some children, some young teenagers, they can handle them. Myself.. I'm certainly not of the 'proper' age to play most of my favorite games- Counterstrike, Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Max Payne and Halo 2 are all M rated. Yet I play them, and I don't go through the streets trying to find a ghetto blaster Escalade from which I can buy a Glock and a mag of ammo for like $10.

If the kids cannot handle them, though, they shouldn't be allowed to have them. If playing the games cause them to tell all their friends about how many headshots they could get on all of them if their parents bought them a real gun... those kind of kids are the problem.

FPS games may be very violent, and moreso than basically any other game type (speaking in general here), but for the most part all of these games have some discernable plot, some teamwork involved- or they are just plain fun.

I don't play Halo 2 to "frag n00bz" or anything of the like, I play it because when I get into a custom game with my friends where we make up our own gametypes and such.. those are the most fun.

Sure the objective may still be to shoot the most other people, but the game isn't giving me a bloodlust, and it's fun to share laughs with others.

The people who think that violent videogames, FPS games in particular, are ruining America's youth, should simply make sure their kids either can handle them, or don't get ahold of them.

Moredread · 08-22-2005, 01:54 PM

Take alook at this article. You may already have seen it but what the hell

SgtMoredread

http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawac...a-5ee9adea3158

Rahn · 08-22-2005, 02:18 PM

Ender's Game.

Steel_Penguin · 08-22-2005, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rahn

Ender's Game.

lol

i hear ya.

08-22-2005, 11:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
gunfodder Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Louisville, KY Age: 35 Posts: 20	FPS - getting abused as bad influence My wife is an avid "anti-computer gamer". "It's a waste of time". This is bad enough as I have to keep sedating her if I want to doing any gaming. But enough about my wussy-ness. I was around some parents and they were talking about trying to keep their kids away from violent games. One parent says that he just can't stand First Person Shooters as they "are just too violent". Some one asked what a FPS was and the same parent described it as "oh you just go into a game and kill everyone". I chose not to jump on a soapbox as it was obvious that Solitaire was the closets computer game anyone in the room had played. Just wondering how y'all deal with the sterotype that a FPS game is just nonsensical violence.

08-22-2005, 11:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,139	Re: FPS - getting abused as bad influence Wow... great thread. I'll enjoy watching this one. I might even contribute. I'll have to think on it first, though. __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

08-22-2005, 11:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
TEMM Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 26 Posts: 207	Re: FPS - getting abused as bad influence To anyone that says that playing video games is a waste of time, I pose this question: How often do you watch tv, and for how long? How often do you partake in organized sporting events? How often do you go out to the bars and drink (though not necessarily get drunk). How often do your children play tabletop board games? How often do they play make-beleive games outside? If the answer to any of those questions, and many more is anything but "none, or never" then we are in a pot and kettle situation. There should be little distinction made between video gaming and watching tv, or playing sports or any other RECREATIONAL activity because that is what they are, recreational activities. They are meant to be a distraction from the real world. All reacreational activities have their place in life and none deserve to be called a waste of time if they provide any amount of recreation to the person who is partaking in them. Im also not advocating people partaking in recreational activities 24/7 and not taking part in any "real world" situations like work or social activities (although alot of recreational activities are social activities). There needs to be a balance between recreational activities and other activities that are required of ones self. This balance will be different from person to person and without knowing what a persons life is like inside and out it is not possible to have an opinion one way or another. To the parents that say videogames are too violent: I agree to an extent, some videogames are extremely violent, and should not be played by minors, or people who dont enjoy the level of violence that these games portray. This is why games have ESRB ratings placed on them by the manufacturers. I do beleive however that I personally would rather have my kids play video games (even violent games) then the crap that is on television today (including those sugary touchy feely childrens shows). I think videogames are good at teaching children how to work together, how to accomplish goals, and that there are winners and losers in life, and that losing is not the end of the world, but you need to strive to be a winner.

08-22-2005, 01:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
AzzMan Banned Join Date: May 2005 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Age: 17 Posts: 1,774	Re: FPS - getting abused as bad influence Some videogames are in fact simply too violent. That's what ratings are for. Some children, some young teenagers, they can handle them. Myself.. I'm certainly not of the 'proper' age to play most of my favorite games- Counterstrike, Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Max Payne and Halo 2 are all M rated. Yet I play them, and I don't go through the streets trying to find a ghetto blaster Escalade from which I can buy a Glock and a mag of ammo for like $10. If the kids cannot handle them, though, they shouldn't be allowed to have them. If playing the games cause them to tell all their friends about how many headshots they could get on all of them if their parents bought them a real gun... those kind of kids are the problem. FPS games may be very violent, and moreso than basically any other game type (speaking in general here), but for the most part all of these games have some discernable plot, some teamwork involved- or they are just plain fun. I don't play Halo 2 to "frag n00bz" or anything of the like, I play it because when I get into a custom game with my friends where we make up our own gametypes and such.. those are the most fun. Sure the objective may still be to shoot the most other people, but the game isn't giving me a bloodlust, and it's fun to share laughs with others. The people who think that violent videogames, FPS games in particular, are ruining America's youth, should simply make sure their kids either can handle them, or don't get ahold of them.

08-22-2005, 01:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
Moredread Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 57 Posts: 16	Re: FPS - getting abused as bad influence Take alook at this article. You may already have seen it but what the hell SgtMoredread http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawac...a-5ee9adea3158

08-22-2005, 02:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Rahn Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: USA Age: 23 Posts: 127	Re: FPS - getting abused as bad influence Ender's Game. __________________ I'm not the Killer Man... I'm the Killer Man's son... But I'll do the killing... Until the Killer Man comes...

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