Okay, so video games now are all about the 'ultraviolence' and what-not. It is not so much as winning the game, as it is killing as many people as possible. Gamers have developed this mind set 'if it moves, shoot it....multiple times!' Video games have lost their plots and well-developed story lines only to be replaced by bloodshed and nifty graphics. There are plenty of games out there that are not all about the killing factor. An example, the Final Fantasy games...I know, how nerdy of me to bring up such games, but seriously; the graphics improve with each game, and the story lines are beautiful, and it makes for very memorable games. This games have been around since the '80's because it isn't all about the killing and dominating.
So my questions to you good people are such: what is so appealing about this killing games? Why is the society of gamers so obsessed with killing than they are about a plot or story? I know they want action, something to do, but does that mean they have to shoot everything that moves?
8 comments:
Because I hate turn based combat and I can't wield a Giant Sword around in real life, nor is it as equally effective as a stress reliever. Everyone can press a button.
Not everyone can aim and press a button...well...and keep moving.
Our culture has a weird obsession with violence. It is in many ways glorified through video games and movies and such. The news for example, top story is rarely if ever about something sweet and nice, it is about the hard hitting story that shocks everyone. It is also something that is fantasy that can be played out. Violent behavior isn't produced in video games but the images put into peoples brains can desensitize the most sensitve person. I don't have a problem with video games that are violent but I think it is important for the person to really understand the information taken from the game they are playing and make sure they know it is NOT real, and not be completely brainless about the media that is fed to them. This goes for any type of media really, but in conclusion it really is just a reflection on our nations culture which should make us think, what about the people in other parts of the world where violence isn't a fantasy because it's their reality.
I don't play many video games, but obviously if the creators are continuing to produce games about violence and killing, it is for a reason. People buy what they like, and people produce what is consumed. The creators want to make money, and this seems to be the way to do it. We can't say why people like what they like- it can't be expressed as a large-scale interest. Individuals like things for different reasons. If the objective is something easy, like killing the enemy, then the game is entertaining. It could be shooting targets, but it is more exciting to kill a moving "enemy". Thrilling...
I think these games are so popular because people don't want to have to go through a storyline (it's almost like reading a book and God knows who wants to do that). People want instant gratification of being able to put something or someone in their sites and be able to pull the trigger . I have to admit that these games do have very good graphics however these games do lack the very story lines that games very based off of to begin with. I like story filled games as much as the next person but sometimes you just want to blow something up.
I love RPG's so much. Final Fantasy's stories in every game are so engaging that you have to keep playing. Things get violent along the way, but that's not the real purpose of the game. It's all about the experience.
First off your not nerdy for bringing up final fantasy, actually in the 80's SquareSoft almost went out of business then they created FFI, which made so much money they were able to stay around. So your not alone lol. I do have to disagree with one of your statements the storylines of the games ever since SquareSoft became SquareEnix have been awful compared to the others. FFVII was probaly the last good story line they have created and thats why squareenix is remaking all the orignals because they know they cant create a good storyline. Dont get me wrong i am still a big fanboy of those game and i beat them all praying that there will be a another great one, but who knows. I honestly find the ff's way better then any shooting games they are so fun to play. I have literaly beat FFVII at least 12 times and each time i love it more and more. No shooting game can compete with that.
I agree that many games have lost the idea of a plot and just gone straight to shooting people. I as well miss the days of Final Fantasy, Super Mario, and Zelda. These games all involved some violence, but it was not nearly as often or as graphic. Not only that but the games actually had a purpose or story line. I think game makers have lost sight of what really makes a video game great, the plot. Cool graphics and some violence along the way are expected and part of the territory, but without a good story line and memorable characters, the games value goes way down in my book.
The thing that I think is so appealing about killing and the reason that society is so obsessed with it is because (and I know this is going to sound bad) they are making an impact. It may be a good impact (killing the bad guy) or a bad one (killing an innocent bystander) but in the end somehow that person that played the game made a difference. Plus when someone is killed I think that some people may get the sense that they got "the job done". Death in many cases is so final, but in the game it's fake so we all think it's not that bad, so in the game when someone kills someone else, they have done a thing that cannot be reversed and I think that that may make people feel good.
I think that everyone was once into the plot of the game and they played to achieve the goal that was embodied in it, but after a while they got so engrossed in the killing part that they slowly forgot the plot and then later the reason for the killing.
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