Virtual Violence

So we don't like terrorists. We don't like violence. We dont like anti-social behavior. We think we are peace loving people. But ask yourself, given the knowledge that you cannot be killed, given the knowledge that you are the master of combat and that rules can be broken, would you continue to remain a peace loving non-violent person? You might want to believe that you will. But video game statistics show otherwise.

I happened to go through the Times list of top 10 games of 2006 and I noticed that violent games stood out. Violence thrills and sells. This is why gaming is a 100 billion dollar industry. You play a game with the knowledge that you don't lose your life in the real world when you die inside of the game, unlike the matrix. Hence it thrills you to have a complete inventory of weapons like Rocket launchers, plasma guns, machine guns and shot guns. The feeling of obtaining a kill without damage to yourself, the sound of the reloading gun, planting the bomb at the right place, sneaking up behind someone and hacking him - it all sounds thrilling. Is this any indication of what we would really do in life lest there was no law to stop us? While some could argue that we are on the right side of this violence fighting aliens, communists, terrorists or simply your wife's kidnapper, you still might be the kind who wouldn't even consider picking up a weapon in real life.

I truly am a sucker for guns. I love the sound of the reloading shot gun and the bass generated by the firing plasma gun. My favorite games are Quake, Doom, Hitman and Half Life. Some of these happen to be the most popular gaming franchisees. I love the mayhem. I am a sadist who shoots bodies until they no longer are there. But does this feeling extend to the real world? I wouldn't mind playing around with a sniper rifle. I wouldn't mind lying in my balcony all stretched out with the barrel pointing out from the gaps in the balacony railing. Some fried chicken and coke on a tray on the side, while I target whatever seems appealing. Keeping the ethics of killing aside, all these years of violent gaming have definitely increased my love for weapons and damage. Is this what I would do if I was placed in a lawless world?

I was recently listening to some demos by engineers of top game development studios. They were showing off the graphics, the gameplay and the technology of some of games their companies are going to release later this year. What stood out was the focus on destruction. One of them said "There is no element in the game that you cannot destroy if you have the right weapon". Unlike the previous generation of games wherein you could only shoot at certain objects and destroy there, we move on to fully built cities that become a desert of rubble within minutes of playing the game.


See the demoes to believe:


1) World in Conflict:



2) Enemy territory: Quake Wars



Games like Grand Theft Auto and Carmageddon truly exemplify violence. These games are on the wrong side of the law. You win by looting people, stealing cars, damaging city property, dealing drugs and running over people. These were also the best rated games when they were released. Even games that look as simple as Need for speed instill anti-social behavior. Driving over-speed, banging cops, indulging in illegal street car races are an integral part of the game. While roads in India might not be as inviting as in the games, could these be responsible for exploitation of any small stretch of good flat road in the country?

Is it just me or do others feel this way as well?