Can video games change the world?
I really want to base this report on the people themselves, more specifically how games effect them to change things around the world, and cover some of the good effects but also go over the bad cases of how games can manipulate someones mind into in their own world.
Introduction:
This
document will cover the possibility that electronic games have the
power to change the world around us, this particular document will
focus more on the effects video games can have on everyday people,
and in turn, can make and have made some serious changes to the world
and our way of life. These effects have had positive and negative
effects throughout the history of electronic entertainment. These
events are always up for debate as to whether certain repercussions
from games are a good thing and this document will state a number of
these events and compare the negatives with the positives.
The
first set of examples I'm going to give could be considered the most
obvious examples. When people commit crimes due to the influence of
video games, or when games are seen to be so influential it's easy
for the public eye to be convinced that games are the cause of said
crimes.
In Febuary 2004, 14 year old Stefan Pakeerah was
stabbed and beaten to death by 17 year old Warren LeBlanc. It was
believed that Warren executed Stefan in an identical manor to one of
the “execution moves” in Rockstar games Manhunt.
Although
the Police announced that robbery was the motive behind and not the
video game itself, the entire country and other parts of Europe came
together and their awareness into the world of video games was
raised, although this had a negative effect for developers due to
other violent games being banned the same year. And as many public
interviews contained comments such as “There
is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these
killings are committed” the public eye as a whole turned a negative
eye to many mature games.
The video game Manhunt 2 was rejected for its "unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying", the British Board of Film Classification said.
It means the Manhunt sequel cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK.
The parents of a Leicester schoolboy who blamed the original game for the murder of their 14-year-old son said they were "absolutely elated".
The last game to be refused classification was Carmageddon in 1997. That decision was overturned on appeal.
David Cooke, director of the BBFC, said: "Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone.
"There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game."
'Morally irresponsible'
The original Manhunt game caused huge controversy and was blamed for the murder of Stefan Pakeerah.
Police said robbery was the motive behind the attack on Stefan in Stokes Wood Park on 26 February 2004 - and not the video game blamed by Stefan's parents.
Manhunt's maker Rockstar North has always insisted its games are geared towards mature audiences and are marketed responsibly.
Leicester MP Keith Vaz, who campaigned with the Pakeerahs against the original version of Manhunt, praised the decision to ban Manhunt 2.
He said: "This is an excellent decision by the British Board of Film Classification, showing that game publishers cannot expect to get interactive games where players take the part of killers engaged in 'casual sadism' and murder."
However,
the actions of Anders Brehivik are 100% linked to video games, as he
admitted this himself. It's been said by many that Brehivik was a
“product of the internet” due to how he isolated himself to the
two games he played the most. Call
of Duty
and World
of Warcraft.
Call of Duty “trained him to kill” Although World of Warcraft
didn't raise his violent tendencies it did immerse him into the world
of video games. It was when he turned to Call of Duty when his
fantasies of murder rose. Because of these tendencies, he tragically
murdered 77 people in Oslo Norway. In my opinion, this is the
extremely unfortunate circumstance of a man who is not
mentally
stable in possession of violent entertainment. And due to events like
these video games can have the power to at least encourage actions of
individual people.
Norwegian extremist behind the country’s worst-ever peacetime massacre, spent an entire year immersed in World of Warcraft, an online multi-player fantasy game.
He claims to have used the internet for 70 percent of what he said was 15,000 hours of self-study. And, on the second day of his trial, he admitted that the Knights Templar National and pan-European Patriotic Resistance Movement he claims to represent was “merely a few individuals,” a likely reference to like-minded people he met on internet forums.
The deaths of the 77 people Breivik massacred in Norway are sadly all too real. But the killer himself looks more and more like a product of the internet. As prosecutors skillfully drew out details of Breivik’s failed life in the run-up to the attacks, it seemed that from 2006 — when he wound up his business selling fake diplomas and moved in with his mother — Breivik had retreated into an online world.
Of course, in turn with the negative
effects games can have on people, they can also have positive effects
too. Staying on the topic of World of Warcraft, a 12 year old boy in
Norway called Hans saved himself and his sister from a Moose attack
“Using the skills he acquired in game”. The second the Moose went
in to attack them, Hans “taunted” the moose, this is an action in
game that attracts enemies to you and protects weaker team members.
He then proceeded to “fake death” which caused the Moose to lose
interest and wander off back into the woods. This is another case of
video games directly influencing somebodies actions, but this time
two people were saved by doing so.
Video
games have the power to influence and change peoples lives in terms
of hobbies and pass times. For example, airsoft is becoming a much
more popular sport due to franchises such as Call
of Duty
and Battlefield.
Many
fans of modern/realistic shooting games have turned to airsoft as an
outdoor hobby due to how similar the two pastimes are. To the point
of airsoft sites marketing themselves as “call of duty in real
life” as a smart business ploy. 95% percent of airsoft regulars are
avid gamers, this section of the document doesn't have quotes or
article posts. This is coming from a personal side, as I've been an
airsoft player myself for a few years. It's also a chance for players
to let out their competitive side to a larger setting.
Whilst
certain genres of game can be believed to make certain changes to the
world such as violent video games causing crimes etc the biggest
impact into the world of media has come from competitive gaming. With
games like Starcraft
2
and the entire fighting game genre becoming more and more popular
when it comes to televised tournament style entertainment, video
games are becoming more and more like a sport. This is true when it
comes to the top Starcraft players, getting payed as much as certain
sports icons per tournament. With players winning hundreds of
thousands of dollars for every tournament they win. Hence the term
“E-Sport” that everyone uses now. This stands for electronic
sport.
However,
what I want to touch upon in this document is the effects competitive
gaming has on the players themselves, as this document is about how
it individually effects people, which in turn, effects the world
around them.
My first example is my brother Jake, for the
longest time, throughout most of his growing up. He suffered from
severe anxiety and panic attacks. This ended up becoming severe, to
the point when simply stepping out the front door was too much for
him to cope with. But since playing Mortal
Kombat
competitively was introduced into his life, he has done a vast amount
of travelling in the space of a year. Something he would never have
dreamed of doing a small number of years before. The idea and
knowledge that video games have the power to change someone's outlook
on life also suggests that video games may well have the power to
change the world in some way shape or form. Even if the game doesn't
change the world for everyone, it's changed their world at least.
A
certain milestone of video games changing the world is based on the
“games for health” program established in 2010. This mainly
includes the Playstation Move. Which focuses on funding ideas that
may lead to significant breakthroughs in the future of health care.
With the playstation move being used in healthcare now to assist with
helping patients deal with Alzheimers there is no denying that video
games can have a positive effect on parts of the world. The same
example applies for things such as the nintendo DS with games like
Brain
Training
that are largely bought by elderly people wanting to keep their minds
active. And middle aged women buying Nintendo's Wii
Fit
to try and stay in shape.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Games for Health Conference, it is an event that’s held in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio, which focuses on funding ideas that may lead to significant breakthroughs in the future of health and health care. The conference creates opportunities to develop innovative solutions that empower individuals to better manage their personal health. I’m honored and excited to take part in the event so I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at some of the things I plan to talk about.
A
project was started called “The wounded warrior project” Which
involved 5 US troops stationed in Afghanistan playing Call of Duty
with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was a non profit organized event.
The two teams were connected Via Skype and the event organiser Greg
Zinone stated “The troops loved it, we couldn't get them off!”
QJ.net states “It's nice to see video games and technology bring
normality to the lives of those that live 7000 miles away from their
loved ones”
US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan played Call Of Duty online with Los Angeles Dodgers who volunteered to compete in the non-profit organized event, part of the Wounded Warrior project.
Former Great Lakes Loons Nathan Eovaldi and Josh Linblom also played, as the two teams faced off online while also connected via Skype. The US soldiers apparently waited 5 hours to play with the Dodgers, with many fans stationed in Afghanistan, and the event organizer Greg Zinone said that the soldiers ‘loved it, we couldn't get them off.’
It’s nice to see videogames and technology bring a bit of normality to the lives of soldiers living iover 7000 miles away from their families.
Have online games kept you connected with people who you would otherwise never see?
The
US military doesn't just use video games for entertainment however,
sources state that before the assault of Osama Bin Laden's home, The
navy seals trained using a system that created a mock environment of
what Bin Laden's hideout was structured like, and troops would attack
it using a mouse and keyboard. There are talks of the Cryengine 3
development kit making something called the “Dismounted Soldier”.
This would involve the soldier holding a replica of their weapon in
their hands, and would react to all of the soldiers basic strategic
movements to provide the most realistic simulation yet. Which is a
testament somewhat to the positive side of gaming influences in a
form of practice that isn't gaming oriented.
A
large factor as to how much of a powerful grip video games have on
the general public it's time to go further into World
of Warcraft. A
large number of press
articles
and news reports linking things like child neglecting, bullying etc
are often linked to this franchise. The way Blizzard
have managed to create a game with the levels of immersion world of
warcraft offers the statistics are frightening. Here are some
statistics recorded from a national poll.
“Taking just the
United States and Europe into account, the game engrosses 800 million
dollars per year. Which is more than the GDP of Samoa. Which doesn't
include the 5.5 million players in Asia who often pay by the hour.
“
“In the United States, the average play time per week is
23 hours. The average work time is 35 hours. “
“More
players play world of warcraft around the world than the population
of Cuba.”
It's statistics like this that lead me to believe
that video games are powerful enough to make a difference when
required, or when an individual believes it's required. Unfortunately
more often than not, the individual commits a criminal act with a
deluded imagination. There have been many bizarre acts of cruelty due
to world of warcraft, there have been outlandish reports of children
being neglected by parents, children committing suicide, shootings
and other crimes. Personally, I think it's scary just how much of a
grip electronic video games have on people all over the world. It's
common knowledge that for the most part, it's not purely the video
game itself that causes these unfortunate events. Many of them have
some form of mental defect, but the game can have the ability to push
that individual over the edge in my opinion.
To conclude, I
believe that video games alone may not necessarily have the power to
change the world, but The power video games have over people is
enough to make change in certain areas. Whether that is a good thing
or a bad thing is always going to be up for debate, there will always
be the casual gamer who will never understand how games affect a
single person so severely. There will always be someone who becomes
too immersed in the game and wants to take it that one step further,
or one step too far. And there will always be the outsider who
believes that video games in general are a bad thing, the type of
people who will pin A light-hearted game like advance
wars on
the game
boy advance on
an act of deluded violence.
To
quote Penn Jillette the world class magician “The cliché of the
typical nerdy kid who doesn't go outside and stays to play games is
completely true, and it's also true for the nerdy kid to read comic
books and turns into this genius.” Just because video games are
influential to some people doesn't always mean they're going to turn
into a criminal, or end up performing a criminal act. That “nerdy”
child could always grow up to work on the cryengine 3 developer kit
and design military simulation for our military.
