This is a paper I wrote on the topic of “Internet Issues” for a Web Design class… none of it really relates to anything from the course material, but some of it has to do with the series of tubes. I got an “A” and the only comment was, “Your argument would be stronger without the sarcasm.” I disagree. It's relatively poorly written as I wrote it in maybe 2 hours before class, but I thought it might spark some interesting discussion. Enjoy.

While video games may be habit-forming, in the sense that they make you want to drop everything and play, this is a similar behavior to people who are grabbed by engrossing novels, or in the same way that the average American child devotes at least 4 hours every day to watching television according to parentstv.org. Recent presses in the medical industry have sought to make gaming, especially in the realm of online play, a bona fide “addiction”, carrying with it warning labels and all kind of cultural and family taboos. Not only are these accusations of addiction unfounded by any study to date as decided in June of 2007 by the American Medical Association, but if furthering political jockeying does provide skewed statistics to uphold these claims, an industry that has hardly had enough time to realize its own potential will be destroyed.



Since their humble origins in the late 50s and their widespread household introduction in the 80s, video games have been the center of more than a few political controversies. Various political figures (including current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton) out to make a name for themselves latched on to this new type of media in attempts to gain clout within a political system that thrives on negativity. Their claims included that playing games like Grand Theft Auto and Counterstrike resulted in violent behavior from gamers, and that video games had addictive properties, like a drug, and thus should carry warning labels. Others, like attorney Jack Thompson, continually go so far as to suggest that the blame for school shootings like Columbine and the Virginia Tech massacre should be placed solely on video games.
Violence in video games and the argument about their addictive nature go hand in hand. Many of those seeking a downfall, or at least government control or censorship of video games would say that the violent sequences are what make people addicted, and the in-game rewards (new gear, or a stronger character, etc.) reaped for this violence keep them continually coming back. While it is true that many of today’s top-selling games are based firmly around a violent narrative, so too are many of the most popular movies, and they have been for decades, while video games are still in their infancy in comparison.



For instance, the number 2 best-selling movie of all time according to imdb.org, Star Wars, was only rated PG for sci-fi violence and brief mild language, while a recent sci-fi fantasy video game Mass Effect received an “MA” or Mature rating, though their content is comparable. Mass Effect caused incredible controversy for its “sex sequences” wherein a player who had completed extensive hours of play and completed various “romance” sub-plots could bed one of the supporting characters before the final mission. Even though the intimacy is only alluded to, never shown, Fox News was all over this “travesty”, calling Mass Effect a sex simulator and bemoaning a world where parents have to review the various media their children are engaged with. Ironically, the content in Mass Effect is arguably more tame than in Star Wars, where the viewer sees a real life scantily clad Leia being dominated presumably as a sex slave by Jabba the Hutt, whereas with Mass Effect people are worried about the side-boob and hindquarters of a digitized alien. Essentially, within this society, there is a double standard being held between media such as television and movies and their interactive successor the video game.
These politicians also seem to forget that there is a narrative occurring, video games are not simply just run-and-gun adventures, they tell worthwhile and enriching stories where the player oftentimes decides the course and flow of action. Gerard Jones, in his book Killing Monsters, explains that children need the influence of comic book heroes and pop culture entertainment to successfully create realistic images of themselves, saying that by reflecting on these characters and their actions (heroic and tragic) is a healthy, and age-old way (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Odyssey, Beowulf) for people to learn about themselves.



If this is true, then video games create hypothetical situations that offer a multitude of scenarios centered around moral-building, increasingly in today’s market where many video games offer a “choose your own adventure” plot flow (except you are the character, and you probably don’t die as much). Peter Buse suggests that in video games the chance for self-reflection is lost, because the action is so fast-paced that the player doesn’t have a chance to reflect. However, one could argue the fact that reflection comes with every choice you the player makes, as not only is the narrative built around your choices, but you must also watch as the consequences of your actions unfold, one of the most rewarding aspects of modern gaming. In Fallout 2, the plot focuses on a post nuclear-apocalyptic California, where the protagonist, controlled by the player, sets out on a quest to find a tool that can save his wasteland village from the nuclear radiation that threatens it. Within the game, players may choose to avoid this quest, but will quickly realize the negative effects this has on the game world, as well as the constant telepathic pleas of a dying village shaman.
Many critics of violent video games cite Grand Theft Auto (GTA) as their main point of focus; a game where the player assumes the role of a gangster, typically bent on revenge, and the lines between good and evil are blurred because the character will do whatever it takes. Typical gameplay includes robbing, killing, carjacking, virtual alcohol binges, and sometimes even sex with hookers, all around it’s like playing the movie Scarface (and actually they made a Scarface game that plays a lot like GTA). Also, in these games, more often than not, the player’s character is rewarded negatively for all of his years of crime and murder, which is essentially to aid in the reflection process, “Do bad things, reap the consequences.”
As the video game industry continually introduces games which allow the player to decide the action and the character’s moral compass, so too are they releasing Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, where a player in his home can be joined by millions across the world through the magic of the internet. These are what critics argue are the most addictive of video games, for their typical reliance on violence as a main plot focus and the extremely reward-oriented style of gameplay. Essentially, as with most video games, this is due to the fact that you get back what you put in. If you want to be a tailor, and make custom apparel for all of your adventuring buddies, that’s fine, but don’t expect to be rewarded the same as the guy going out to slay dragons.
What this results in is people playing for hours on end, dumping every instant of time that they have not devoted to other responsibilities, and sometimes time they have devoted to other responsibilities, in to these games in order to keep their Player Character powerful. This is, naturally, what the critics focus on as the addictive aspect of these games, and it’s all the evidence they need. What they almost always neglect to mention, however, is that these gamers are not just in it for the rewards, or to be most powerful, they are building relationships, strong ones.



Anyone can pick up a game at the store and play through alone and become the most powerful character in the game world, but what WoW does is make sure that players are brought together in getting stronger, and seeing the story advance. Getting the strongest equipment requires large groups of 40-60 people, and its not as if you can just grab a bunch of random folks, these have to be people who you trust and you know are capable of getting the job done. That’s just one aspect of in-game relationships, there have been marriages and funerals in-game in the WoW community. I recently stopped playing myself and still miss some of the friends I made while playing, after having my character essentially grow and become powerful alongside his, and watching each other’s back, it’s like losing a good friend.
Never mind that gamers are enriching themselves and strengthening their identities through stories they themselves control, while simultaneously joining with kindred spirits and forming lasting friendships, all the while trying to save their virtual world, none of that is important because video games cause violent streaks and are not breeding friendship and camaraderie, but instead forming an army of belligerent, psychotic, techno-addicted super-soldiers who are going to send the next generation plummeting in to extinction if something isn’t done to stop the addiction.
Not.