by Kirk Stefanski

Created on: October 30, 2008

Without the need to introduce any sort of religious opinion, and perhaps to the derrision of hardcore gamers, there is indeed a correlation between violence in video/computer games and violence performed by real human beings in our tangible physical world. As a gamer myself, as well as a veteran, allow me to offer a brief discourse.

Many of today's games strive for realism graphically, as well as with respect to the physics of the scenes, persons, and objects depicted. Solid Snake firing a .45 caliber slug has come a long way from the simple sprites and bleeps of when games began. Our minds interact now with worlds not dissimilar from our own. Of course...different minds choose different worlds.

It is precisely the technologically impresive nature of todays gaming environments which has allowed games to emerge as a true art form, akin with film and literature as depictions of history, emotion, abstraction; and of course there's plenty of space left for simple entertainment and mindless distraction.

There is a connection between vidoe games and violence. That connection shows itself as a reflection of the dispositions, preocupations, considerations and imagination of society at large, and feeds into them. Creative minds have found a medium to portray ideas artistically that involves the observer as participant in the art. The story unfolds, ultimately in a prescribed fashion, but depending on the game, may not be linear. Often the best games incorporate elements of unpredictability and different outcomes of story based on choices made during gameplay.

It is interesting to note that a recent trend has been to offer the player the choice of resolving a situation through either violent or non-violent means and methods, just like in real life. Of course, it is the player's choice to find themselves playing a game that offers even the possibility of violence. The fact that games offer realistic military scenarios that aren't by and large accessible to everyone is an indication that many people find the depiction of these acts entertaining, if not downright enjoyable. Whether they would perform the same acts in real life is highly questionable. What is however demonstrable, is that repetive performance of an act, whether physical or in the mind's eye, leads to a net increase in the efficiency of the action, or potential action. Thats why we use multi-million dollar computer simulators to train pilots before they ever set foot in a multi-million dollar strike fighter.

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