Man, I'm depressed.

[jonks]

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: sirjonk
Just read something interesting that I didn't think of but should have.

What happens when games progress to essentially photo-realistic graphics? We're not quite there with human character models, even in Crysis, HL2 and the like. But it's not far away. What happens when the guys (and gals) you shoot/kill look like real people. Even if you don't show blood splatter or dismemberment, how will killing people in a photo-realistic environment be rated by the industry?</end quote></div>

It should be rated no different then current.
When people play video games, there are no victims or people getting hurt. Video games are for fun, to kill stress, to escape, or an outlet for aggression.

What difference does it make if the graphics are realistic or not, the fact of the matter is, when you blow stuff up or kill in a video game, it creates no victims.

Stop it, you're making sense. But let me illustrate my point. Flash back 10 years or so. You take an enemy video game cartoon character, visibly pixelized, and imagine your in-game character shoots him. The game emits a beeping sound, the bad guy blinks a few times and disappears. Flash forward a few years from now. The enemy character looks almost indistinguishable from a guy you'd see on any tv show or movie. He's sweating, he blinks, his chest moves as he breaths. Your in-game character shoots him. The gun roars. The bullet hits him, he twists slightly, and the momentum from the hit throws him up against the wall. The dvd quality audio emits a human cry of agony. He slowly slides down the wall, while staring at you. His hand twitches, then he's still. Now repeat that 100x throughout the game with a variety of different weapons. The result I think would be essentially an M rating for every game involving violence, with the possibility that a large number even being assigned the dreaded AO.

For those of us who can differentiate between games and reality (i.e. not Jack Thompson or apparently any politician), this presents a bleak outlook.

Of course, I'm being a bit alarmist as there's too much money to be made to simply shut down the violent game industry. I hope. I played Manhunt during first year law school finals, staying up till 3am to finish it one night. I was so wound up, but after killing a few dozen people in a disgustingly violent manner, I felt pretty chill.

 

[bamacre]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Sometime today there will be a program on TV about how video games are like alcohol. So Far, however, they haven't destroyed my liver. I play a lot of WOW and all kinds of people curl up their noses, but I frankly don't give a crap what they think. I am having fun and they can either find their own fun or stew in their own sh!t. I know what I like and don't see any reason to judge my fun by somebody else's opinion. All sorts of assholes pump themselves up with self importance by pretending to have some sort of objective judgment like games are bad, that comes, in fact, right out of their asses.

Do what you want and somebody will be upset. Do what others want and somebody will be upset. Pick one. It should be rather obvious which way to go, no?</end quote></div>



LOL @ Moonbeam admitting he plays WoW.

Admit it, you have a problem, and its only a matter of time until you confuse fantasy and reality. It's only a matter of time until you try to cast a level 6 spell on someone in your own town.




Edit: Sorry, that was probably kinda dumb. I don't get into that genre of games and I am unaware of the terminology. I can't play a game unless I get a gun and it allows me to kill someone. In reality though, I don't even own a gun.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: sirjonk
Stop it, you're making sense. But let me illustrate my point. Flash back 10 years or so. You take an enemy video game cartoon character, visibly pixelized, and imagine your in-game character shoots him. The game emits a beeping sound, the bad guy blinks a few times and disappears. Flash forward a few years from now. The enemy character looks almost indistinguishable from a guy you'd see on any tv show or movie. He's sweating, he blinks, his chest moves as he breaths. Your in-game character shoots him. The gun roars. The bullet hits him, he twists slightly, and the momentum from the hit throws him up against the wall. The dvd quality audio emits a human cry of agony. He slowly slides down the wall, while staring at you. His hand twitches, then he's still. Now repeat that 100x throughout the game with a variety of different weapons. The result I think would be essentially an M rating for every game involving violence, with the possibility that a large number even being assigned the dreaded AO.

For those of us who can differentiate between games and reality (i.e. not Jack Thompson or apparently any politician), this presents a bleak outlook.

Of course, I'm being a bit alarmist as there's too much money to be made to simply shut down the violent game industry. I hope. I played Manhunt during first year law school finals, staying up till 3am to finish it one night. I was so wound up, but after killing a few dozen people in a disgustingly violent manner, I felt pretty chill.

Meh, no violence in any video game is anywhere close to as "lifelike" as in movies. At best, video games will one day have the same visual quality as a movie ... but still, I see violence in video games as a good thing. I play games to do things that I really wouldn't do in reality. It's a safe way to just go crazy and blow crap up. Perhaps because I'm 27 and not 47 or 7, I don't see ANY downsides to violent video games. Ahh well. I'll continue to play what I like on my PC. Nobody can stop me from playing what I want to play.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: bamacre
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Sometime today there will be a program on TV about how video games are like alcohol. So Far, however, they haven't destroyed my liver. I play a lot of WOW and all kinds of people curl up their noses, but I frankly don't give a crap what they think. I am having fun and they can either find their own fun or stew in their own sh!t. I know what I like and don't see any reason to judge my fun by somebody else's opinion. All sorts of assholes pump themselves up with self importance by pretending to have some sort of objective judgment like games are bad, that comes, in fact, right out of their asses.

Do what you want and somebody will be upset. Do what others want and somebody will be upset. Pick one. It should be rather obvious which way to go, no?</end quote></div>



LOL @ Moonbeam admitting he plays WoW.

Admit it, you have a problem, and its only a matter of time until you confuse fantasy and reality. It's only a matter of time until you try to cast a level 6 spell on someone in your own town.




Edit: Sorry, that was probably kinda dumb. I don't get into that genre of games and I am unaware of the terminology. I can't play a game unless I get a gun and it allows me to kill someone. In reality though, I don't even own a gun.

Not at all, my friend. You would love WOW and would make an excellent hunter. You get to have a pet. My favorite class in the game.

To blackangst1:

I have played all classes to at least 60 except warlock and priest. Am currently mostly on my 70 Pally and 65 hunter but started a new Paladin to try a different spec.

 

[TheSlamma]

Hillary will have you playing Barney games if she gets in office.

 

[alzan]

Well when I and my brothers were younger (1960's) the uproar was the Three Stooges, in my 20's and 30's it was Dungeons and Dragons (the original RPG) and now it's video games. Having enjoyed and still enjoying all three, I can see a correlation to real-world violence but no causal relationship. I was taught early-on the difference between what we see on the screen or imagine in our minds.

As a few others have posted, personal responsibility and accountability have to be taught. In other words, "Parent, it's not just a noun."

I am going to write my federal congresspersons about this issue and hope to enlighten them.

alzan

 

[Drift3r]

Some reason why MH2 received a AO rating was banned in some parts of the world including the US and London were.....

1.) It's extremely violent beyond the GTA antics you see in most games. There is tons of blood and gore in MH2.....Think Saw and Hostel type gore.

2.) MH 2 allows you to use your Wii controller to simulate the killing of people in game. Yeah nothing like simulating the strangulation of another virtual person using your Wii controller right ?

3.) Tons of foul language, drugs, and sex related references and images. Some of the storyboard art below.

*****WARNING DON'T CLICK IF YOU ARE AT WORK !!!!!!!!******

http://firingsquad.com/media/h.../mahunt2article/03.jpg

http://firingsquad.com/media/h.../mahunt2article/02.jpg

http://firingsquad.com/media/h.../mahunt2article/07.jpg

Don't get me wrong I think MH 2 should be played by adults but only soley by adults. I am glad it got a AO rating as it shows the industry knows how to apporpriately handle games such as MH2.

I would not though want to see any kid playing this game at all if not for a prolong period of time. Especially a kid who is angry at the world for what ever reason, ie..sexually/mentally/physically abused and or neglected.

P.S. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all prohibit AO rated games being sold for their consoles. Also just about every single game and electronics retailer in the U.S. have their own company policy that prohibits the sale of A.O. rated games.

So this isn't exactly Congress or the Senate getting involved as much as the industry regulating themselves for a title which they have deem to of gone to far. I don't view this as a bad sign. In fact I view it as a positive sign that shows the gaming industry knows how to police itself.

Now the developers of Manhunt 2 have delayed the game to see what their options are at the moment. They might appeal the rating or edit the game enough to just receive a M rating thought. More then likely they'll do just that and edit the game down a bit.