Another day, another study about violence in videogames. The latest research comes courtesy of the University of Luxemburg, where it has been decided by Professor Obvious that violent videogame commercials are more memorable than non-violent ones. Y'think?
MIT's Technology Review reports on the findings:
[Researchers] developed a simple racing game called AdRacer ... A player drives around a virtual course and scores points by hitting targets along the way -- as she drives, unobtrusive graphical ads are displayed as billboard graphics ... while a camera records her eye movements. After playing, each player's ability to recall of brands shown on the side of the road was tested.
Those who played a violent version of the game, where the goal was to run down pedestrians, resulting in a blood-splattered screen, demonstrated significantly better recall of advertised brands than those who played the regular version ...
I really don't know if we needed a study to reach this conclusion. Violence is memorable, especially to a species as brutal and macabre as us. You're going to remember someone who punched you in the face long after you've forgotten someone who gave you five bucks. There's a reason why so many violent games exist, and it's not because the game industry is sick and twisted.
It's because we're all sick and twisted, deep down.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
10:40 AM on 09.04.2009
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the guy's head got shrunk... ULTRA VIOLENCE
Which stands out more: "Buy this drink and you may find inner peace" or "BUY THIS DRINK THAT PUNCHED ITSELF THROUGH A WALL!"
'Viagra: For the man who wants security, as well as protection' or 'Viagra: You could %$*& concrete!'
I know which people would remember more.
This is a bit more complicated than that. This is like remembering that someone nearby drove by in a blue 2008 Honda Civic with the moonroof open as someone else punched you in the face. The study is suggesting thatviolence heightens our Spidey-senses and makes even the non-violent aspects of the environment memorable, which is not the same thing as saying that the violence itself is memorable.
I don't watch TV at all, I haven't for a few years now.
So, it may be that I've forgotten the ads by now...
Please list all your obviously correct conclusions so science would never have to lose time with studies about gaming.
As per your abstract, this study does not talk about violent ads, it talks about ads during violent videogame encounters are more memorable, and I don't see how this is obvious at all..
If the conclusion was otherwise, that ads in non-violent version were more memorable, I'm betting you would still call it captain obvious, that the person playing would be more focused on the action on screen so s/he wouldn't notice the ads in the violent version of the game as much as the non-violent one.
I really love common sense.. No science required!
Sorry for the typo. Must be painful to read for a native speaker of english..
Granted, nothing like this exists, but it was fun to think about.
But seriously, I don't remember any violent video game ads off the top of my head, except--as Nic128 and The-Excel said--the Super Smash Bros commercial with the characters beating themselves senseless. But that wasn't memorable because it was violent, it was memorable because it was hilarious.
And speaking of hilarious, I think comical video game ads are much more memorable than violent ones. We all remember the Crash Bandicoot ads, right? Those were awesome.
Also, violent games tend to sell more units, therefore being allotted more budget resources devoted solely to promotion of said title.
Which is why RE5 sold like lava-hotcakes and Okami sold like dog shit. Sons of bitches.
:(
Sure enough...
The study wasn't conducted regarding violent commercials, it was conducted about regular commercials during violent video games. That means that both the players of the non-violent and the violent "AdRacer" games saw the same commercials. The only difference was that one version of the game was violent, and one version of the game was not.
The study indicated that people tended to remember commercials (not related to violence) better when violent things were happening in the video games. On top of that, the people playing the violent version of the game actually spent less time looking at the ads, but remembered them better.
So basically, I think the Destructoid article above misconstrues the study. It's not about the violence being memorable, it's about things happening peripheral to the violence being more memorable, despite the violence.
In this case, I think the study is pretty fascinating. Who knows, the result could be that all those hours of FPS's have got our synapses firing faster (or something, I'm not a science guy) and that we think better in high stress situations than non-gamers.
Also, in terms of the video gaming industry, this could mean that violent video games could get more ad dollars, which in turn could either perhaps help to legitimize mature games as a whole or, on the negative side, see more violence-for-violence's sake shovelware churned out.
So all in all, I wouldn't really call this a "no duh" study.
Also I don't remember any video game ads besides the ones from my childhood.
You haven't read every single comment, then.
Wait don't I get at least partial credit too?
And I think Laika1 got it as well but is too snarky to give a damn.
Haha oh and Laika perhaps understood the score, tough to say
women are natures punching bags!