New computer game study - Surprising results, First wide-focus study? Options

[Fuchs]

There is a new study on the effect of Computer and Video Games. Very interesting results, put into book form. Here's the link to the first chapter from the book's website.

Don't let the title fool you, they do seem to be rather objective, even though they flat out call most of the media and politicians wrong.

[the_dunner]

I found it pretty interesting to skim through this and note that some of the arguments made are the exact same arguments that were made against D&D in the '80s. The authors seem to have reached a common basic conclusion that most tabletop RPGers could've told them decades ago. Games can be a great, healthy outlet. Hardly a stunning revelation, huh?

Thanks for the link!

[Stahlseele]

heck i knew that for months allready . .
there's been studies like that since the first oh so gruesome school massacre which have been ignored because they've been actively TRYING to link videogames and the such to them going berserk . . but i ask you this: why is the BIGGEST similarity that they all decided to do this sort of thing at school? because it's the schools that make people go and kill people . .
next thing they will decide to try and ban bread, because over 90% of all terrorists and other criminals just consumed bread before doing whatever they did . .

[BlueRondo]

I'm not sure what to think of this:

According to research on the effects of violent media, the ESRB may have parts of its ratings system backward! One of the predictors of which violent media are likely to result in violent real-world behavior is material that does not show the realistic negative consequences of violence, such as pain, suffering and blood.19 Violent video games that are rated M are more likely to show those negative consequences. Those that are rated T or E achieve such lower ratings in part by not showing those negative consequences: dead bodies just disappear; blood is animated rather than realistic. Also, those games in which the player is rewarded with extra points for avoiding a violent confrontation (e.g., the SWAT series) are given the same M rating as those games in which the player is given extra points for piling up virtual corpses.

Apply this to the MPAA, and Star Wars gets a higher rating than Saving Private Ryan since it doesn't depict as much pain or gore. And what about Bugs Bunny? That must be the worst of them all!

Anyway, as far as I know, Cops and Robbers (or Cowboys and Indians) was a popular game with children far before videogames or even tabletop RPG's. I don't understand why anyone would be shocked by the prospect of kids enjoying imaginary violence.

[Cantankerous]

Anyway, as far as I know, Cops and Robbers (or Cowboys and Indians) was a popular game with children far before videogames or even tabletop RPG's. I don't understand why anyone would be shocked by the prospect of kids enjoying imaginary violence.

Hell, this was ME! We played every variation of violent imagination games there were. Shooting everything from Krauts to Viet Cong to alien invaders to Injuns (and I am one *lol*) to Cops (we were very anti-establishment) to neighborhood pets to our parents; with everything from cap guns so small a derringer would have looked huge, to full wooden stock, metal slided Springfield 303s that were full sized to "Jonnie Laser" Ray guns to every conceivable style of actual BB and/or pellet gun we could get our imaginarily murderous little hands on. And I have it on good authority from my Grand Pa, pre RADIO days (he was born in the late 1880s) it was STILL pretty common, except there were fewer guns and a bit less sophistication involved in the games.


Isshia

[apollo124]

We had loaded guns in my house the whole time while I was growing up and even still today. And they weren't locked in a cabinet or anything. All of us kids knew exactly where the guns were and what they could do. We knew about them because our dad took us out shooting and taught us about gun safety from the time we were able to understand it. Not one of us ever shot anybody.

The problem ain't guns, or video games, or RPG's, it's maybe a lack of parenting. It's mental issues with the person behind the gun.

Hell, when I was a kid we even got Lazer Tag guns and enjoyed shooting each other!

[Dr. Curiosity]

That looks like a very useful resource, thanks for sharing.

Remaining objective doesn't mean that you can't call people wrong - you just have to be able to back it up with substantial evidence, and it looks like they do.

[WhiteWolf]

I'm not sure what to think of this:

According to research on the effects of violent media, the ESRB may have parts of its ratings system backward! One of the predictors of which violent media are likely to result in violent real-world behavior is material that does not show the realistic negative consequences of violence, such as pain, suffering and blood.19 Violent video games that are rated M are more likely to show those negative consequences. Those that are rated T or E achieve such lower ratings in part by not showing those negative consequences: dead bodies just disappear; blood is animated rather than realistic. Also, those games in which the player is rewarded with extra points for avoiding a violent confrontation (e.g., the SWAT series) are given the same M rating as those games in which the player is given extra points for piling up virtual corpses.

Apply this to the MPAA, and Star Wars gets a higher rating than Saving Private Ryan since it doesn't depict as much pain or gore. And what about Bugs Bunny? That must be the worst of them all!

Anyway, as far as I know, Cops and Robbers (or Cowboys and Indians) was a popular game with children far before videogames or even tabletop RPG's. I don't understand why anyone would be shocked by the prospect of kids enjoying imaginary violence.

I think the new Rambo movie has even Bugs Bunny beat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)