- Go back through essay plan- try to add theory/issues/debates & link to quotes/research you have (check out oct 25th macguffin)
- Book bibliography- include key media theorists aswell
- Include a section on video games in bibliography (producer, year, country)
- Audience theories - Desensitisation, uses and gratifications, hypodermic model/effects theories
- Try to incorporate quotes about theoretical ideas in your essay
- Don't Use 'My'/'I' in essay
- Get balance right between quotation & own words
- Keep looking for up to the minute research
Friday 11 January 2013
Tutorial Targets 11/01/13
Essay Draft
A
society that glorifies violence will grow more violent’ [1]
How do video games such as 'call of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push
the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on
audiences?
This critical investigation will focus on the
negative influences that video games carry and have on audiences. It will
investigate whether games such as ‘call of duty’ and ‘grand
theft auto’ reinforce or subvert the stereotypical image of video games where ‘Teenagers
who play violent video games over a number of years become more aggressive
towards other people’[2] and as a result ‘Video games
were accused of glorifying violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’[3] . This allegation has
created a negative image for the younger generation who are seen to
be aggressive due to the fact that 'Video games provide extremely
powerful symbols that can be used to mold a youth subculture' [4]. In this case the aggressive
and violent subculture which has currently been portrayed within the media as
they blame many of the institutions responsible for the productions of these
games, such as Infinity Ward for Call of duty and Rockstar Games for Grand
Theft Auto, given the amount of attacks over the years which have taken place
from media texts such as the ones mentioned in this critical investigation.
'Videogames have experienced an enormous
growth in recent years, in terms of revenue’ [5] this is supported by the fact that
its revenue has ‘overtaken cinema and are now almost at the level of
worldwide music sales'[6]. This shows how ‘the videogame industry has thus gone from its birth as
a cottage industry to mirror the organisational structures and working
practices of other large media institutions[7]’. Not only has video games benefited consumers, but also
contributed to the economy as well as 'In the UK British games companies contributed around £2 billion to the
economy’[8] This
is a positive outcome from video games as they help built a better
infrastructure for the UK and its economy given the current situation of the UK with threats of heading into a
triple dip recession.
With video games emerging in the
late 1970s, ‘violent video games came of age in the 1990s’[9] Mortal Kombat a 2d violent
fighting game, which redefined the boundaries of acceptance with its ‘combination
of excessive gore violence’[10]. During the 1990s there were a
considerable amount of controversies which Mortal Kombat brought about, one of
those controversies being the lethal finishing move, known as the fatality
which was a unique feature of the game. The way deaths were portrayed was far
too explicit and brutal for that day and age, as the zeitgeist of the 1990s was
the total opposite to gore and violence. However controversially it
was the extreme violence which lead Mortal Kombat to its success of becoming
one the most popular video games of all time. Mortal Kombat provides the perfect
example of how the issue of violence within video games has changed over the
years, with newer games producing more violent content with aesthetically pleasing
graphics, shows how the advance in
technology has manipulated people’s culture into forming a much aggressive
subculture, which has been prevalent amongst the young throughout the
media. At the time video games were breaking into a wider market with the
upcoming fourth generation consoles being produced and distributed by
gaming conglomerates Nintendo, Sega and Sony. It can be said that
theories such as Stanley Cohen's moral panic can be applied to Mortal Kombat as
it received widespread complaints of gore and violence, which resulted in the
forming of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a self regulatory
body, whose job it is to apply age restrictions on videogames to censor harmful
content from the young and vulnerable. Games
such as this show how the spirit of age has changed, as consumers of modern
society have become desensitised to violent content, as the repeated viewings
of violent imagery has led to consumers accepting violence rather than
rejecting it, therefore raising the concern of the effects of violent video
games on its audience.
With Web 2.0 Converging many of the media
platforms, accessibility to violent media content on the web has been made more
easier than ever, ‘User generated content on sites such as youtube does
not carry any age classification, nor is there a watershed before which it
cannot be viewed’[11] it can be argued that
regulation of sites such as these are hard to put in place due to
the globalisation of the web, some argue that it is down to the
parents to be the censor, to protect their kids from viewing
violent content as the cultivation theory suggests that those who are
exposed to violence in the media are influenced to behave in a violent manner[12]. This may lead to
copycat behaviour where people who consume violent texts
may start to imitate the behaviour seen within violent video games
such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. Evidence of this would be the most
recent incident being the Connecticut school shooting where 27 people were
killed. It was said that the shooter ‘Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent
video games such as Call Of Duty in a windowless bunker’[13] Not only does this show how the
game may have influenced his behaviour in the real world, but also shows how
the media drew connections between the shooting and the video game Call of
Duty. This therefore reinforces the issue/debate whether violent video games
are corrupting its audiences, and highlights how the media are turning violent
video games into a moral panic.
Following the increase of violent content being
prevalent amongst most video games in today’s era, there has been a number of
concerning issues surrounding violent video games. ‘Neuroscientific studies show reduced cognitive brain functions in individuals exposed
to violent media.’[14] This infers that violent content can
have a damaging affect on audiences as it reduces vital mental processes such
as decision making and problem solving. Similarly ‘Gentile & Anderson
(2003) state that playing video games may increase
aggressive behaviour because violent acts are continually
repeated throughout the video game[15]’ this again can be linked to
desensitisation and the copycat theory as the repeated viewing of violence may
influence audiences to mimic the actions seen within games such as Call of Duty
and Grand Theft Auto. This could perhaps be present within this incident where
the video game Grand Theft Auto was ’used as the rationale behind the
fatal shootings of three police officers at the hands of 18 year old Devin
Moore in June 2003’[16]. This conveys the influences
that violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto have on its audiences, as
individuals are no longer becoming consumers of media texts, but becoming
products of them instead. ‘One boy followed the motto of “eat, sleep
and play games” and had got kicked out of higher education, which subsequently
meant he was damaging his relationships with his friends and family’[17] This study illustrates how
‘the time spent in our hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of
the ‘real’ and the world’s shift into simulation[18]
In
contrast, the oppositional reading of violent video games is that they may
benefit some audiences as it ‘satisfies
some basic human needs. The adrenaline rush, the satisfactions of imagination,
fantasy, and vicarious adventure, probably explain why millions of nonviolent
people enjoy violent entertainment’[19]. Similarly violent content may
offer audiences uses and gratifications such as escapism as they are diverted
away from any problems that they may have in the real world ‘Today, most children play real-time,
first person shooters in which the players view the world through the eyes of
the video game character that they control’[20]this infers how players become immersed
within the game as they become someone else rather than themselves, it can
be argue that this can be a positive outcome from violent video games as it’s ‘a
way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone’[21]. This can be applied to Grand
Theft Auto as ‘if they want to
steal a car, they steal a car in the game instead of in the real world’[22] therefore can be argued that
violent video games do carry some positives about them as it offers audiences
with uses and gratifications, and gives them a way of exploring their violent
nature without causing any harm in the real world.
Moral Panics about violent video games have been
present throughout the years concerning the excessive violence within video
games. It can be said that ‘Violent
video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why
some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour’[23] This shows how the media use
violent video games as an escape goat for the anti-social behaviour seen within
society, creating an amplification spiral, leading to an overall moral panic
over violent video games. This can be linked to the cultivation theory as
audiences who consume heavy amounts of TV will start to believe what the media
show them, leading to an eventual acceptance that violent video games are
corrupt. Some argue that violent video games needs to be censored in order to
protect the youth, according to new legislation which has be introduced the
government claim that ‘responsibility will be
transferred to the Video Standards Council (VSC), which will rate games
according to the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI)’ [24] This shows how the government are
taking action in the regulation and censorship of video games as they
have assigned the responsibility over to Video Standards Council,
however the concern raised by critic Nick Robinson that the 'the
new rules are just “a smokescreen” because they enable Government to look like
it is acting when in fact it is abdicating its responsibilities'[25] This raises the
question that although the government have assigned responsibility of
regulation and censorship to VSC, there's still
nothing stopping younger kids getting their hands on games which may
display violent and x rated content, therefore being a concern to society. An
example as to where censorship and regulation has taken place would be the
incident ofAnders Behring Breivik, where he ‘claims in
his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011 Norway
attacks’[26] as a result of this ‘Coop
Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed this video game from its
shelves as a result of the Norway attacks’ [27]
Throughout violent video games,
there have been clear boundaries between genders; it can be argued that the
dominant sexes that play these types of video games are males as ‘males are more attracted to violent
imagery than females are’[28] this can be
argued that most men are seen as having a dominant hegemonic masculinity, and
therefore play violent video games to reinforce this. From a feminist
perspective, violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto oppress women, as it
can be argued that voyeurism is omnipresent within the game. An example of this
would be the prostitution see within the game, ‘Such actions were made possible by
game, and arguably encouraged, since the player received a health bonus by
having sex’[29] this connoting how women are seen as
sexual objects linking Laura Mulvey’s theory of male gaze, as the game demeans
women, portraying them as worthless.
To conclude, it can be argued equally whether video
games are at the heart of violence, some argue that they produce a self
fulfilling prophecy where by audiences imitate the behaviour seen, whereas
others argue that it’s simply a medium where users can explore their violence
tendencies without harm in the real world. With gaming institutions producing and
distributing masses of violent video games, it is becoming clear that this has
evolved into a major concern, as it may pose a threat to society as the more
desensitised audiences become with violent content the more they will think
that violence is acceptable, leading to an eventual moral panic. Conversely it
can be believed that 'Video game popularity and real world youth
violence have been moving in opposite directions'[30] as Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology noted that ‘players are able to leave the emotional
effects of the game behind when the game is over’[31] therefore providing evidence
against the hypothesis that on-screen violence causes individuals to behave in
a violent manner whereby is seen as going against societies norms and values.
Word count: 2067
[1] Congressional Record, V. 144, Pt.
10, June 25, 1998 to July 14, 1998 – by Congress published by
government printing office
[2] Violent video games make
teenagers more aggressive, study finds - Telegraph. (n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk
- Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/9593188/Violent-video-games-make-teenagers-more-aggressive-study-finds.html
Sheffield, England:
Sheffield Academic Press.
[4]
IBID
[5] MediaEdu - Media Studies
Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[6]
IBID
[7] GTA IV
Cultural Milestone MM25 Fans Sept 08. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377244/GTA-IV-Cultural-Milestone-MM25-Fans-Sept-08
[8]
IBID - MediaEdu - Media
Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[9]
EFFECTS OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, AGGRESSIVE COGNITION, AGGRESSIVE
AFFECT, PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR: A Meta-Analytic Review
of the Scientific Literature By Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman, from http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/videogames1.pdf
[10] Mortal
Kombat (video game). (n.d.).GiantBomb.com ~ Video Game Reviews, News, Videos
& Forums - Giant Bomb. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from
http://www.giantbomb.com/mortal-kombat/61-15743/
[11] Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
report on harmful content on the internet and in video games. (2008). London: TSO.
[12]
MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-regulation-and-censorship/
[13] Connecticut
school massacre: Adam Lanza 'spent hours playing Call Of Duty’ - Telegraph.
(n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk -
Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. Retrieved
January 31, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9752141/Connecticut-school-massacre-Adam-Lanza-spent-hours-playing-Call-Of-Duty.html
[14]
Playing violent video games good or bad. (n.d.). Psychology today. Retrieved January
10, 2013, from www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201011/playing-violent-video-games-good-or-bad
[16] Massey, R. (2009). The Link Between Video Games and Violence.
München: GRIN Verlag.
[17]
Gaming
addiction: myth, medical condition or moral panic? « Rebecca Craft's world….
(n.d.). Rebecca Craft's world…. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://rebeccacraft.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/gaming-addiction-myth-medical-condition-or-moral-panic/
[18] Call of Duty Gamer as Author MM33 Sept 10. (n.d.). Scribd.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377533/Call-of-Duty-Gamer-as-Author-MM33-Sept-10
[19] Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A
Review of Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music
Recording & Electronic Game Industries, Appendix A - "A Review of
Research on the Impact of Violence in Entertainment Media" (Sept. 2000);
[20] Signorielli, N. (2005). Violence
in the media: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
[21] Is Media Violence a Problem? Essays and Articles at eNotes.
(n.d.). Study Guides, Lesson Plans, Homework Help, Answers & More - eNotes.com.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www.enotes.com/media-violence-problem-article%20Is%20Media%20Violence%20a%
[22] Diploma – the c-word: censoring the media?. (n.d.).www.englishandmedia.co.uk.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm28_diploma_censor.html
[23]
The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games.
(n.d.). Smart Kids Parenting | Raise
Smart Kid. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games
[24] (BBFC), t. B., & manufacturers, t. g.
(n.d.). New video games regulation a ‘smokescreen’ - University of Leeds. University of Leeds. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3273/new_video_games_regulation_a_smokescreen
[25]
IBID
[26]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 10, 2013,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty:_Modern_Warfare_2
[27]
IBID
[28] " Family and Relationships: Our Appetite for
Aggression." Vision-Insights
and New Horizons. A quarterly journal.. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2013. http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=457
[29] Nielsen, S., Smith, J. H., & Tosca, S. P.
(2008). Understanding video games: the essential introduction. New
York: Routledge.
[30] Kutner, L., & Olson, C. K. (2008). Grand theft childhood: the surprising truth
about violent video games and what parents can do. New York: Simon &
Schuster.
[31] IBID - The Positive and
Negative Effects of Video Games. (n.d.). Smart
Kids Parenting | Raise Smart Kid. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games
A
society that glorifies violence will grow more violent’ [1]
How do video games such as 'call of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push
the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on
audiences?
This critical investigation will focus on the
negative influences that video games carry and have on audiences. It will
investigate whether games such as ‘call of duty’ and ‘grand
theft auto’ reinforce or subvert the stereotypical image of video games where ‘Teenagers
who play violent video games over a number of years become more aggressive
towards other people’[2] and as a result ‘Video games
were accused of glorifying violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’[3] . This allegation has
created a negative image for the younger generation who are seen to
be aggressive due to the fact that 'Video games provide extremely
powerful symbols that can be used to mold a youth subculture' [4]. In this case the aggressive
and violent subculture which has currently been portrayed within the media as
they blame many of the institutions responsible for the productions of these
games, such as Infinity Ward for Call of duty and Rockstar Games for Grand
Theft Auto, given the amount of attacks over the years which have taken place
from media texts such as the ones mentioned in this critical investigation.
'Videogames have experienced an enormous
growth in recent years, in terms of revenue’ [5] this is supported by the fact that
its revenue has ‘overtaken cinema and are now almost at the level of
worldwide music sales'[6]. This shows how ‘the videogame industry has thus gone from its birth as
a cottage industry to mirror the organisational structures and working
practices of other large media institutions[7]’. Not only has video games benefited consumers, but also
contributed to the economy as well as 'In the UK British games companies contributed around £2 billion to the
economy’[8] This
is a positive outcome from video games as they help built a better
infrastructure for the UK and its economy given the current situation of the UK with threats of heading into a
triple dip recession.
With video games emerging in the
late 1970s, ‘violent video games came of age in the 1990s’[9] Mortal Kombat a 2d violent
fighting game, which redefined the boundaries of acceptance with its ‘combination
of excessive gore violence’[10]. During the 1990s there were a
considerable amount of controversies which Mortal Kombat brought about, one of
those controversies being the lethal finishing move, known as the fatality
which was a unique feature of the game. The way deaths were portrayed was far
too explicit and brutal for that day and age, as the zeitgeist of the 1990s was
the total opposite to gore and violence. However controversially it
was the extreme violence which lead Mortal Kombat to its success of becoming
one the most popular video games of all time. Mortal Kombat provides the perfect
example of how the issue of violence within video games has changed over the
years, with newer games producing more violent content with aesthetically pleasing
graphics, shows how the advance in
technology has manipulated people’s culture into forming a much aggressive
subculture, which has been prevalent amongst the young throughout the
media. At the time video games were breaking into a wider market with the
upcoming fourth generation consoles being produced and distributed by
gaming conglomerates Nintendo, Sega and Sony. It can be said that
theories such as Stanley Cohen's moral panic can be applied to Mortal Kombat as
it received widespread complaints of gore and violence, which resulted in the
forming of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a self regulatory
body, whose job it is to apply age restrictions on videogames to censor harmful
content from the young and vulnerable. Games
such as this show how the spirit of age has changed, as consumers of modern
society have become desensitised to violent content, as the repeated viewings
of violent imagery has led to consumers accepting violence rather than
rejecting it, therefore raising the concern of the effects of violent video
games on its audience.
With Web 2.0 Converging many of the media
platforms, accessibility to violent media content on the web has been made more
easier than ever, ‘User generated content on sites such as youtube does
not carry any age classification, nor is there a watershed before which it
cannot be viewed’[11] it can be argued that
regulation of sites such as these are hard to put in place due to
the globalisation of the web, some argue that it is down to the
parents to be the censor, to protect their kids from viewing
violent content as the cultivation theory suggests that those who are
exposed to violence in the media are influenced to behave in a violent manner[12]. This may lead to
copycat behaviour where people who consume violent texts
may start to imitate the behaviour seen within violent video games
such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. Evidence of this would be the most
recent incident being the Connecticut school shooting where 27 people were
killed. It was said that the shooter ‘Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent
video games such as Call Of Duty in a windowless bunker’[13] Not only does this show how the
game may have influenced his behaviour in the real world, but also shows how
the media drew connections between the shooting and the video game Call of
Duty. This therefore reinforces the issue/debate whether violent video games
are corrupting its audiences, and highlights how the media are turning violent
video games into a moral panic.
Following the increase of violent content being
prevalent amongst most video games in today’s era, there has been a number of
concerning issues surrounding violent video games. ‘Neuroscientific studies show reduced cognitive brain functions in individuals exposed
to violent media.’[14] This infers that violent content can
have a damaging affect on audiences as it reduces vital mental processes such
as decision making and problem solving. Similarly ‘Gentile & Anderson
(2003) state that playing video games may increase
aggressive behaviour because violent acts are continually
repeated throughout the video game[15]’ this again can be linked to
desensitisation and the copycat theory as the repeated viewing of violence may
influence audiences to mimic the actions seen within games such as Call of Duty
and Grand Theft Auto. This could perhaps be present within this incident where
the video game Grand Theft Auto was ’used as the rationale behind the
fatal shootings of three police officers at the hands of 18 year old Devin
Moore in June 2003’[16]. This conveys the influences
that violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto have on its audiences, as
individuals are no longer becoming consumers of media texts, but becoming
products of them instead. ‘One boy followed the motto of “eat, sleep
and play games” and had got kicked out of higher education, which subsequently
meant he was damaging his relationships with his friends and family’[17] This study illustrates how
‘the time spent in our hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of
the ‘real’ and the world’s shift into simulation[18]
In
contrast, the oppositional reading of violent video games is that they may
benefit some audiences as it ‘satisfies
some basic human needs. The adrenaline rush, the satisfactions of imagination,
fantasy, and vicarious adventure, probably explain why millions of nonviolent
people enjoy violent entertainment’[19]. Similarly violent content may
offer audiences uses and gratifications such as escapism as they are diverted
away from any problems that they may have in the real world ‘Today, most children play real-time,
first person shooters in which the players view the world through the eyes of
the video game character that they control’[20]this infers how players become immersed
within the game as they become someone else rather than themselves, it can
be argue that this can be a positive outcome from violent video games as it’s ‘a
way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone’[21]. This can be applied to Grand
Theft Auto as ‘if they want to
steal a car, they steal a car in the game instead of in the real world’[22] therefore can be argued that
violent video games do carry some positives about them as it offers audiences
with uses and gratifications, and gives them a way of exploring their violent
nature without causing any harm in the real world.
Moral Panics about violent video games have been
present throughout the years concerning the excessive violence within video
games. It can be said that ‘Violent
video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why
some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour’[23] This shows how the media use
violent video games as an escape goat for the anti-social behaviour seen within
society, creating an amplification spiral, leading to an overall moral panic
over violent video games. This can be linked to the cultivation theory as
audiences who consume heavy amounts of TV will start to believe what the media
show them, leading to an eventual acceptance that violent video games are
corrupt. Some argue that violent video games needs to be censored in order to
protect the youth, according to new legislation which has be introduced the
government claim that ‘responsibility will be
transferred to the Video Standards Council (VSC), which will rate games
according to the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI)’ [24] This shows how the government are
taking action in the regulation and censorship of video games as they
have assigned the responsibility over to Video Standards Council,
however the concern raised by critic Nick Robinson that the 'the
new rules are just “a smokescreen” because they enable Government to look like
it is acting when in fact it is abdicating its responsibilities'[25] This raises the
question that although the government have assigned responsibility of
regulation and censorship to VSC, there's still
nothing stopping younger kids getting their hands on games which may
display violent and x rated content, therefore being a concern to society. An
example as to where censorship and regulation has taken place would be the
incident ofAnders Behring Breivik, where he ‘claims in
his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011 Norway
attacks’[26] as a result of this ‘Coop
Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed this video game from its
shelves as a result of the Norway attacks’ [27]
Throughout violent video games,
there have been clear boundaries between genders; it can be argued that the
dominant sexes that play these types of video games are males as ‘males are more attracted to violent
imagery than females are’[28] this can be
argued that most men are seen as having a dominant hegemonic masculinity, and
therefore play violent video games to reinforce this. From a feminist
perspective, violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto oppress women, as it
can be argued that voyeurism is omnipresent within the game. An example of this
would be the prostitution see within the game, ‘Such actions were made possible by
game, and arguably encouraged, since the player received a health bonus by
having sex’[29] this connoting how women are seen as
sexual objects linking Laura Mulvey’s theory of male gaze, as the game demeans
women, portraying them as worthless.
To conclude, it can be argued equally whether video
games are at the heart of violence, some argue that they produce a self
fulfilling prophecy where by audiences imitate the behaviour seen, whereas
others argue that it’s simply a medium where users can explore their violence
tendencies without harm in the real world. With gaming institutions producing and
distributing masses of violent video games, it is becoming clear that this has
evolved into a major concern, as it may pose a threat to society as the more
desensitised audiences become with violent content the more they will think
that violence is acceptable, leading to an eventual moral panic. Conversely it
can be believed that 'Video game popularity and real world youth
violence have been moving in opposite directions'[30] as Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology noted that ‘players are able to leave the emotional
effects of the game behind when the game is over’[31] therefore providing evidence
against the hypothesis that on-screen violence causes individuals to behave in
a violent manner whereby is seen as going against societies norms and values.
Word count: 2067
[1] Congressional Record, V. 144, Pt.
10, June 25, 1998 to July 14, 1998 – by Congress published by
government printing office
[2] Violent video games make
teenagers more aggressive, study finds - Telegraph. (n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk
- Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/9593188/Violent-video-games-make-teenagers-more-aggressive-study-finds.html
Sheffield, England:
Sheffield Academic Press.
[4]
IBID
[5] MediaEdu - Media Studies
Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[6]
IBID
[7] GTA IV
Cultural Milestone MM25 Fans Sept 08. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377244/GTA-IV-Cultural-Milestone-MM25-Fans-Sept-08
[8]
IBID - MediaEdu - Media
Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
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Detailed Essay Plan
How do video games such as 'call
of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push the boundaries of on-screen violence and
what is the impact of this on audiences?
Introduction – Brief description of my critical investigation
I will start off the essay with a quote as I feel that it’s
a nice way to set the essay.
'A society that glorifies violence will grow more violent’
My critical investigation will focus on the negative influences that video games have on audiences, [A] and whether games such as ‘call of duty’ and ‘grand theft auto’ reinforce or subvert the stereotypical image of video games [R] which is currently portrayed in today’s society through the media. I shall also talk about how the media blame the institutions responsible for the media products mentioned in my critical investigation.
‘Teenagers who play violent video games over a number of years become more aggressive towards other people’
‘Video games were accused of glorifying
violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’
'Video games provide extremely powerful
symbols that can be used to mold a youth subculture'
Paragraph 1 -
In this paragraph I shall give a brief insight into the video game industry and demonstrate how rapidly the industry is growing [I]. I shall also explain how video games benefit not only players but society/economy as they generate high amounts of revenue contributing to the UK’s economy which is a positive thing given the current situation of the UK within the Economic cycle (recovery)
'Videogames have experienced an enormous growth in recent years, in terms of revenue they have overtaken cinema and are now almost at the level of worldwide music sales'
'In the UK British games companies contributed
around £2 billion to the economy, a figure that has probably greatly increased
because of the success of the British-designed game Grand Theft Auto IV, which made a staggering $500 million in its opening week '
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
GlobalisationMoved from being a cottage industry
Economy - SHEP
Paragraph 2-
This paragraph will go on to talk about how violent video started to become popular from very early on looking at historical texts such Mortal Kombat. I will also be looking at how technology has enhanced the viewing and playing experience for audiences, portraying how modern games such as the ones mention in my critical investigation have become more graphically violent, with the advance in graphics and look at how the violent video games rewards players for their actions
'Although the first video games emerged in the late 1970s, violent video games came of age in the 1990s, with the killing games Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Wolfenstein 3D'
Mortal Kombat is a perfect example of how the issue of violence within video games has changed over the years, with newer games becoming more violent not only in story line but graphically aswell shows how an advance in technology has manipulated peoples culture into forming a much aggressive/violent subculture, particularly amongst the young. However during the 1990s there were a considerable amount of controversies which the game brought about. The lethal finishing move known as the fatality was a feature of the game which brought about most of the games controversies, as the way the deaths were portrayed were to explicit for that day and age, however controversially it was the extreme violence which lead Mortal Kombat to its success of becoming the most popular video games of all time. At the time video games were breaking into a wider market with the upcoming fourth generation consoles.
‘ In some games, players are rewarded through verbal praise’ -> This can be Seen within the game Call Of Duty as when you kill someone you are often praised verbally or through on screen text.
‘In the Grand Theft
Auto series, players become characters
who win points for carjacking, killing prostitutes and running over
pedestrians’
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Desensitisation
Regulation and censorship
Moral panic - Stanley Cohen
Media technology and the digital revolution
Hypodermic needle
rewarding for violent behaviour
Historical - SHEP
Paragraph 3 –
This paragraph will look at the way violent video games such as call of duty and grand theft auto have become easily accessible with the growth of platforms such as e-media making it easier for content to be accessed.
‘The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth’
‘User generated content on sites such as youtube does not carry any age classification, nor is there a watershed before which it cannot be viewed’
I will go on further to talk about the government and other gaming regulators and their role within violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty ‘US Government has created and distributes violent video games to youths, and does so without checking the ages to whom it distributes the game' page 3 .This showing the lack of governments censorship of video games as the quote refers to them distributing games without knowing who they are going too,.
‘The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have classified
this game as suitable for people aged 18 or over. The government now wants to
tighten up the regulation, classification and censorship of videogames
According to legislation being introduced this week, responsibility will
be transferred to the Video Standards Council (VSC), which will rate games
according to the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI) This shows how the government are taking action in
the regulation censorship of video games as they have assigned the
responsibility over to VSC, however the concern raised by critic
Nick Robinson that the 'the new rules are
just “a smokescreen” because they enable Government to look like it is
acting when in fact it is abdicating its responsibilities' This raises the question that although the government have given
responsibility of regulation and censorship to
VSC, there's still nothing stopping younger kids getting their
hands on games which may display violent and x rated content.
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Regulation and Censorship
Ownership and Control
Web.2.0
Political - SHEP
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Regulation and Censorship
Ownership and Control
Web.2.0
Political - SHEP
Paragraph 4-
This paragraph will convey the concerns of violent video games on audiences, looking at how scientific research has shown that individuals that play these types of games are more prone to violent thought s and aggressive traits.
‘Watching violent films and playing games like Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Modern Warfare makes youngsters more prone to violence’
‘Gentile & Anderson (2003) state that playing video games may increase aggressive behaviour because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game’
‘Video games were accused of glorifying
violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’
‘Neuroscientific studies show reduced cognitive brain functions in individuals exposed to violent media’
‘Violent video game play the player learns to associate violence with pleasure (rewards for hurting another character)’
I shall go on further to also
address the issue of how these effects are taken into the real world, given a
wide range of examples of cases of murders and violence which have been
specifically linked back to violent video games.
'Grand Theft Auto used as the rationale behind the fatal shootings of three police officers at the hands of 18 year old Devin Moore in June 2003’
Another study revealed the violent results of parents trying to gain control over an “addicted gamer”, the boy kicking a hole in his sister’s wall and becoming full of rage after his parents disconnected the internet’ This study shows how the time spent in our hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of the ‘real’ and the world’s shift into simulation (Baudrillard - Hyper- reality)
‘It is believed that excessive video game playing may reduce a child’s
empathy or his/hers willingness and desire to help others’
"The
Connecticut school massacre gunman Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent video
games such as Call of Duty in a windowless bunker, according to an interview
with a plumber who worked at the family home" – this being a recent
event shows the concern perhaps a moral panic of violent video games within
society today
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Moral panic
Baudrillard - Hyper reality
Media effects - Cultivation
Copycat theory
Social - SHEP
Paragraph 5 –
In contrast to paragraph 4, I will show the alternative view, showing how violent video games can benefit audiences by enhancing their skills such as hand eye co-ordination, etc, I shall also use the theory of uses and gratifications to explain why audiences play violent video games and the pleasures it offers.
“Satisfies some basic human needs. The adrenaline rush, the satisfactions of imagination, fantasy, and vicarious adventure, probably explain why millions of nonviolent people enjoy violent entertainment.”
“Violent entertainment may offer viewers – especially young males – a way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone.”
‘Today, most children play real-time, first person shooters in which the players view the world through the eyes of the video game character that they control’ This shows how audiences play video games that are true to real life as they allow audiences to see through the eyes of video game characters within first person shooters such as call of duty without having to risk their lives.
I shall also talk about how not all audiences that consume violent video games behave in a rational way as 'Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts Institute of Technology noted that there is a decreased rate of juvenile crime which coincides with the popularity of games such as Death Race, Mortal Kombat, Doom and Grand Theft auto. He concludes that teenage players are able to leave the emotional effects of the game behind when the game is over'.
'Video game popularity and real world
youth violence have been moving in opposite directions'
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Uses and Gratification - escapism (diversion)
Social - SHEP
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Uses and Gratification - escapism (diversion)
Social - SHEP
Paragraph 6 –
This paragraph will talk about how the media have caused a widespread moral panic about violent video games as they blame most violent video games for the reasoning behind violent behaviour.
Violent video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour -> Stuart halls preferred and oppositional readings, preferred-> video games used an escape goat as to why young people become violent
'The media effects theory has achieved widespread acceptance by society. This theory suggests that those who are exposed to violence in the media are influenced to behave in a violent manner'
Anders Behring
Breivik claims in his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the
2011 Norway attacks. . Coop Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed this video
game from its shelves as a result of the Norway attacks – This
could be linked to moral panics due to the way the chain retail
Coop Norway reacted by taking down the game from their shelves
(Censorship) also another form of Baudrillard’s concept of hyper-reality.
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Baudrillard- hyper realityStanley Cohen - Moral panic
Censorship
Stuart hall - Preferred and oppositional readings
Social - SHEP
Paragraph 7 –
This paragraph will talk about gender, the different types of audiences which consume violent videogames. This paragraph will also talk about how violent video games such as Grand theft auto oppresses women and portrays them to be shown as sexual objects, as the games includes prostitutes who roam the streets, therefore bringing up a feminist debate.
·
Mostly males who play - “males are more attracted
to violent imagery than females are”
· Prostitution - ‘Such actions were made possible by
game, and arguably encouraged, since the player received a health bonus by
having sex’ – This showing how women
are seen as sexual objects linking to the theory of male gaze, Laura Mulvey, it
also demeans women, oppressing them as they are seen worthless
·
Hegemony -> dominant ideologies
Theorists/Key terms/issues and debates
Feminism - Laura Mulvey - male gaze
Marxism - Hegemony
Representation - sexual violence - prostitution
Conclusion 8-
In the conclusion I shall gather all previous points made and come to a conclusion whether violent video games are corrupting audiences and will take into account whether the on-going stories published about videogame violence should be considered a concern as it could potentially turn into a widespread moral panic
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