Stupid "violence in games" study

This article shows that the brain reacts to videogame violence the same as "real" violence. My favorite part of the article is where they explain that "real" means SIMULATION. So, in essence the study finds that the brains reacts to videogame violence the same as it does to "simulated" violence......shocking.

I'm sure this will be brought up by Jack Thompson in his next trial.

So what if you laugh when killing people in games, especially first person shooters? Does this mean I don'`t look at it as real violence?

The only reason this research was done was to further a politician's agenda. If I remember correctly from a thread or news article, it was stated that in order for the Govt to do anything about violence in video games, the defendants needed to have credible research to back up their claims.

So basically what you have is some politicians with a vested interest in this playing out in their favor (saying video game violence is bad) funding the reasearch. Sure, we'll get impartial results from this kind of research...

Well it is true that while you yourself might consciously know the difference between what is fake (simulated) and what is real, the brain's ability on a sub-consicous level cannot. Therefore a person who has seen too much violence or disturbing images within their sensorium is indeed fucked in the head, and one can be prone to be "Not Disturbed" by what should disturb one. Also if the mind thinks that something is real, (i.e. a scary movie freaks you out suddenly) the body produces adrenaline and other endorphins no different than if you were in a life or death situation. Too much can seriously alter a person's health.

That said however... aside from the permanent damage to one's health due to excessive amounts of adrenaline (and others), assuming it's a regular habbit... a person is fine as long as they can understand where lines are drawn. I'm the dude who laughs @ the movies when someone gets blown up, or shot in the head and it's filmed from an odd angle or something. Most ppl don't laugh and think it's weird... but then a part of a movie that's supposed to make me laugh is "Stupid" to me and I might at best smirk. This pychosis is probably brought about from having seen too many violent depections and getting myself into some very REAL "real life" situations where the final solution was violence. I think this is what a lot of ppl against video games are trying to get at a lot of the time, but until the day we can all be arrested for thinking, well then it shouldn't be anyone's business to tell others that something is too violent, or too risque for someone. I enjoyed the heck out of Man Hunt when it first came out, but I didn't go and start committing mass murders either. Thus that study on violence in games is just another compiler piece for the masses to use against others, that will ultimately get picked up by a moronic politician at some point and then with little to no understanding of the actual gaming hobby or industry try to "Cleanse" things.

Interesting, but utterly worthless as most of those studies end up.

MERCENARY X99

It's hilarious, people who react to simulated violence in one way react to simulated violence in that way.

Incredible insight.

these studies are bullshit no matter how you cut it since everybody behaves differently differently, so they can't prove anything.

If you haven't actually read the entire article, and it doesn't sound like anyone in this thread actually did, here's the only important part you need to remember:

"Whether violent videos make people more aggressive though is hard to prove, the magazine noted. Studies have suggested players of violent games are in fact more aggressive but have left open the question of whether the games made them that way."

EX_Andy said:

If you haven't actually read the entire article, and it doesn't sound like anyone in this thread actually did, here's the only important part you need to remember:

"Whether violent videos make people more aggressive though is hard to prove, the magazine noted. Studies have suggested players of violent games are in fact more aggressive but have left open the question of whether the games made them that way."

Click to expand...

Actually, the most important part of the article, and the piece of information that basically destroys any credibility it COULD have, is the following:

It suggests that video games are a "training for the brain to react with this pattern," Mathiak says.

Click to expand...

So videogames are training my brain how to react to violence? Thousands of years of human evolution and the inherent instincts I have as a descendent of hunter/gatherer humanoids has nothing to do with this?

I'm sorry, but as I said in my original post, I think the fact that they tested against results from people commiting "simulated" violence is the most striking blow to this article.

But then again, I can't read

Today's Penny Arcade: "Videogames are in the news"

I guess I should post this here.
When Nancy Grace bitches about violent video games, the shit has officialy hit the fan. And he treats Jack Thompson like a sane person. I lost all respect for her...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/21/ng.01.html
(the violent games part is at the end)

ferrarimanf355 said:

When Nancy Grace bitches about violent video games, the shit has officialy hit the fan.

Click to expand...

Ahhh Nancy Grace oh how I'd like to fuck the shit out of her. Some might not like her but she gives me wood.

MERCENARY X99