Task 2 - Effects Debates

Violence

Video game violence has received a lot of criticism for years, with some people making connections with game violence and violence in the real world. Some countries, such as Australia, have gone far enough as to ban certain games. Manhunt, a game which received some favorable reviews, was banned in several countries due to its glutinous violence. 

Image: http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb//GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Manhunt%202/Everything%20Else/manhunt3--screenshot_large.jpg


In my opinion, Manhunt is about as violent as Gears of War which has received almost no complaints regarding its violence, and some games like Gears of War also have options to turn off blood and gore.

Explicit Sexual Content

Sexual content is another thing video games are under a lot of controversy for. Even though there are many games that have sexual content, most don't have much or go any further than underwear. However there are games that have sexual content that have received criticism for that reason, the GTA games have had this problem because they allow the player to enter strip clubs and have sex with almost anyone they want. Some games use sexual content for creating comedic situations like Saints Row 3, which had a weapon in the shape of a giant dildo and lets the play completely strip their character of his or her clothes.

Image: http://theplayvault.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/saints01.jpg



Abusive/Inappropriate Language

There are hundreds of games with inappropriate and abusive language, this is usually used to put emphasis on a character's personality or feelings in certain situations. However, sometimes some words just don't need to be said, in GTA 5 alone the "n word" is said over one hundred times. There is controversy in the game industry due to language, in some online games children can be heard though microphones screaming abusive words, usually the ones they heard in their games. However that doesn't mean that the game is responsible for this as other forms of media like movies and website like YouTube have the same language in them. Games are also given age ratings to avoid letting children getting them, so this can also be blamed on parents.




Addiction

Video game addiction can become a real problem in some cases. Some people can even get violent when their games are taken away from them, and others have called in sick at work to stay home and play a game they could just play when they get home. When someone is very addicted to a game they might even end up spending way too much money on things like DLC (downloadable content). Video game addiction has been found in all kinds of player, including people who don't even own a console and only play games on their phone.

 

Stereotyping and Representation

Video games have been under a lot of controversy because of the way that races and gender roles have been represented. One example of this is how in almost every game that allows you to play as a woman; most armour you will receive will be what is basically underwear, although that kind of representation on women has died down a bit, it can still be found in games today.




Censorship

Censorship in video games is dictated by the age rating and target demographic. The game Mortal Kombat had to be censored for multiple reasons, mostly gore as fatalities would show the characters basically tear each other's limbs off. Censorship also prevents younger children from seeing sexual or violent content, which is good news for parents.

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