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Time for a rant.
Topic Started: Apr 21 2012, 12:48 PM (114 Views)
Sora
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If you embrace the darkness... You might enjoy it.
First I wanna say that I hope I'm not judged negatively for saying what I'm about to. Also, this topic isn't just for myself. I had something on my mind I thought I could only get off by writing it down, so I did so. If you guys feel the need for a rant, go ahead.

I have had this on my mind for years...

I'm growing tired of hearing all of this stuff about how videogames are bad... That they corrupt children, make them less intelligent, or cause them to be violent.


I've wanted to be a videogame designer/developer since the sixth grade. Wanna know why?

1.) It allows me to be creative, and do anything I wish.

2.) I can create videogames for children/people of the modern world to enjoy.

3.) I can create something to be used as an outlet from the problems within this world.



Now... Having said that... People dislike their kids playing games due to them being violent? Really? They say that also makes their kids violent? That's not true unless their kids were already violent.

I was bullied my entire life before age 16. My parents divorced when I was young. My mom's ex wasn't really the greatest person either. I've had to deal with a ton of stuff that, for the most part, I never really told anyone other than close friends or family. Honestly, there's still things I'm not willing to share with anyone. Now, you may think this is off topic, but I assure you; it isn't. I used games as an outlet. I played violent games to take it out on games, rather than furniture, or a person. People could do all they wanted to me, but... It was rare that I'd ever retaliate.

Games allow you to immerse yourself into a world other than this one. They are like a book, only... You can do as you please. You don't have to go from beginning to end, like books do. There aren't many books that allow you to choose your path, or your ending.

Not to mention, asside from being an outlet, games are fun... And they do teach us things. There are videogames intended for learning, but even those that aren't can teach us things. Final Fantasy, for instance, majorly increased my vocabulary. A lot of the words used weren't immediately explanatory, so, as a child, I often had a dictionary somewhere. I'd read the thing to learn what the game was talking about.


Now... Having said all of this, if people still don't want their kids having/playing violent videogames (or games in general); DON'T BUY THE THINGS! Most games (and music, and movies, and tv shows, and anime) that are rated for 17+ are rated that for a reason. Pay attention to the ratings of the things you buy. Don't just blame game/music/movie/tv/anime companies. You are the one that allows what does and doesn't come into your kids life, as far as material items. If they got it from a friend or the other parent, just take it away from them until they're old enough to play the thing. Ratings are there for a reason.

So.. You want to use the excuse a kid is impressionable? Yes, a kid playing a highly violent game could learn to be violent from it, but ya know, they could learn the same thing by watching their parents fight. If they're gonna be violent, they either already are, or have seen violent things in their life. Violence is all around us. It's gonna happen. Games and other sources of entertainment can't be blamed; only people can. People are violent. People buy the things. Ultimately; it's the fault of people, not companies which produce these things.
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Lovin
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Goddess Lovin
I think most people simply feel that they would rather their children get outside and play. I'm definitely not going to deprive my potential children of video games (especially Final Fantasy) but I would prefer it not be the only thing they want to do. It's a habit that a lot of young kids have fallen into and has led to childhood obesity and unproductivity. I do love that motion games have become popular (Wii and Kinect, etc) because they're not only entertaining but you don't sit on your a$$ for hours eating cheetos.
I just want it all.
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Sora
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If you embrace the darkness... You might enjoy it.
My point is that it's kinda pointless to buy the games for kids and then complain (and even go as far as to blame those who make the games) for their kids being one way or another... Whether it's them being violent or lazy or stupid or whatever... It's not really like any of these things can be blamed all on games. The parents buy them. If they don't want certain things to happen, they shouldn't buy them... But many buy them and just complain... 'Cause sadly there are people in this world who are totally just that special brand of crazy to do such things. :laugh:
Edited by Sora, Apr 23 2012, 03:10 AM.
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Lovin
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Goddess Lovin
Well yeah, I can see your point. If you don't want your kid playing violent video games, then dont get them for him. Wait until he/she is old enough to buy them theirselves, then they can get whatever they want.
I just want it all.
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Sora
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If you embrace the darkness... You might enjoy it.
What got me to the point of actually wanting to say it openly was reading how all of these countries are blaming videogames for the way their children are... How some have gone as far as to entirely ban videogames, and treat them as contraband. How some people have tried suing certain game companies, and even a few who may be on their way to going out of business because all of this (the articles I read were not mentioning specific ones being sued/possibly going out of business, or I'd name them).

As someone who has wanted to be a game designer for half my life, it just annoys me that people seem to treat games (and well, honestly anime and movies as well) as an excuse for what causes problems in their kids...

As a personal example, my parents were always fighting. I used games to get out. Final Fantasy 6 (SNES) was my first FF game, and one which I immersed myself in. I got to get away from everything that happened. I was able to ignore it. I was able to stay calm because of it. Honestly, looking back, if I was ever violent, it was monkey-see, monkey-do from looking at how my dad was violent, not from playing violent videogames. Kids look up to parents/guardians to learn what to do and not do in life, and if they see something over and over again from their parents, and it's something that isn't always treated as a bad thing, of course the kid will think it's okay to do. But no, parents blame the games. Most parents act like children, then tell us to stop being childish, then tell us how we're not adults when we're younger, yet they themselves act like children all the time (yeah I know I said that already, but basically I'm saying it's an endless cycle).

A few of the game companies used a similar argument, too, saying that the kids are more than likely acting that way from the environment they're in (although it was risky for them to say such things). A few of them were even "notably angered" by the accusations of videogames being the root cause of their children's violence. It's been about a year since I read the article (so this isn't gonna be word-for-word), but this is what they said that made the person writing it say they were "notably angered."

"It's not our fault. We make them to make money. We have that right. We do not only make violent games, we make educational games as well. Violent ones do tend to sell better, but that is NOT all that we make! If you do not want the things in your house or in the hands of your children, then DO NOT BUY THE THINGS! There's a rating there for a reason!"


I actually laughed out loud when I read that part, because that did stop most of the arguments. Apparently parents hadn't thought of that before. They were just thinking of a way to make money off of a lawsuit. <_< People are stupid sometimes.
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