MrKniceGuy.com

Tag: Violence

  • Mass Media and Video game “reports”

    There was a time, long ago, that reporters for news networks and newspapers went out into the field and researched the news they were bringing to the people. Whether it was news from front lines of war, or news from a natural disaster, or some amazing thing that happened to a family in peril. The reporter went and talked to the people who knew. The Solder at the battlefront, the eye witness of the crime, the father of the family. But lately it seems those days are gone. Now hearsay and “I heard” seems to be the research for so called “reporting.” Is it so hard to get the news from the source anymore? Or do these reporters even care? For some it’s just a matter of viewers. How many eyes can I get…

    That, I believe, is the case for Mr. Glenn Beck. Jumping on the “video game” bandwagon with apparently no expertise in the area he has called on some “sources” for comment on the GTA:IV controversy. Let’s take a look:

    Yes, I know what you are thinking. These two “sources” know about as much about video games, especially the game mentioned, as I do about breeding penguins. But that doesn’t stop Mr. Beck. He is not interested in what knowledgeable sources have to say, he is interested in being on the “bandwagon.”

    Mark Methenitis is one of my favorite blog writers as he has experience in both playing video games and legal matters. Why Beck hasn’t had Mark on his show should be no surprise; Mark will not bow to the “popular” view but prefers to think for himself, analyzing the facts and responding most eloquently I might add. Please take the time to read his response here.

    I was going to respond to the above video but Mark does such a great job, his post stands on its own.

    Today a new interview surfaced between Dr. Cheryl Olson, who is the co-author of a book called Grand Theft Childhood, a book with actual research done in the world of video games and violence. Watch his face as he realizes she is not going to bend over and agree with every little thing he says.

    But wait, did you hear that?

    “I will tell you that all these video gamers: they’re bloggers, as well as video gamers – they’re writing all kinds of stuff about me [that] I’m the enemy now of video gamers. I could care less about video games. Video game bloggers? They’re losers”

    Not that I care at all what Mr Beck thinks of me or “video game bloggers” in general, is this the kind of rude, blanket statement we can expect from CNN reporters now? I don’t have cable television, but I do know people who (as of now) watch his show. Now I know what I have not been missing.

    On the topic of GTA. I have said it before and I will say it again. This game is made for mature adults. Just as I would not let my child watch The Godfather or Platoon I would not let my children play or watch this game. That is why I was asked for ID when I purchased it, despite looking way over 17 years of age. The issue at hand has to do with parenting, not video games, music, books, movies or television. It has to do with parents being involved in their children’s lives. Ask you child about the games that they play. Watch them play them if you have trouble with the controls. You cannot pass the responsiblity to monitor your child’s media habits to the 18 year old clerk at GameStop or Blockbuster. You have to take action to raise your child.

    MKG out.

  • The Church and Halo – Evangelism or Killing Simulator?

    An article printed in the Sunday New York Times written by Matt Richtel approaches the the hot topic of Halo fever with a religious twist, is it morally right to use Halo video games as a tool to draw young people in to church? Furthermore, should the church advocate the playing of such a violent video game at all, let alone with in the walls of the congregational building?

    The first problem I find is the misquoting scripture, a main point in the article, with obvious motive against the church. Had Matt actually looked up the 6th commandment he had referred to he would see that the correct translation of the Hebrew text is “you shall not Murder” (Exodus 20:13). I hope that you are able to tell a difference between killing and murder. The story of the Halo universe pits humanity against an alien race called the “Covenant” bent on destroying all life in the universe. Defense of sentient life in the universe seems like a reasonable cause for “violence.” But that’s all really just part of the story mode, and not what the kids are reported to be playing at these events. These evening gaming sessions are geared toward team multiplayer. Pitting 4 vs. 4 or 8 vs. 8 players with a team goal. By eliminating the other team or carrying a flag from one side of the map to another one team triumphs over another. I wonder if the author has ever been on a team, oh, say a soccer team (I’ve seen lots of blood at soccer games). The benefits of team work are undisputed. The ability to work with other people, communicate, and work towards an objective to name a few. Does the author truly put no value those things?

    It’s also worth noting that no one is killing anyone else while playing this game (or any other video or board game for that matter). The players are killing (or attempting to kill as the case may be) the characters the other players are controlling. Take chess for example. When you move your piece forward on the board and take (or “kill”) the other players pawn, you are not killing the other player, just the piece the other player is controlling. This is all too often overlooked when discussing video games and would be good to remember.

    The game has been rated “M” for mature audiences. Whether you agree with that or not is not the point. The game has some blood in it, so you must be conscious of who plays it. But, take this image into consideration. You will not see any more violence than that in the game. Does the New York Times require you to be “mature” to view that image? No and it would seem silly to them to do so. So why the double standard?

    I would not think twice before having a Halo night at church, just as long as it was clear to parents what we were doing. It is much better to have kids playing Halo at church than buying drugs at the local apartment complex and playing while they are waiting to hook-up…

  • More on VT and Video Games

    This is a great article from Winda Benedetti at MSNBC.com you simply must read:

    LINK

    my favorite part:

    “the most deadly school shooting in history took place at the University of Texas in Austin… in 1966. Not even “Pong” had been invented at that time.”