Deep Play Response
1.I think video games confirm this not with graphic violence, but with one of the underlying principles of our society; competition. Most modern video games promote the idea of competition; “you either win or you lose, and by god you wanna win.” Because our society is a capitalist society, we’re trained for competition because that’s the only way to get through. So it only makes sense that our games would reflect this as well.
2. Arrest is when you are confronted by an ethical dilemma in the game and you begin to realize something far deeper. I recently experienced arrest when I played a game called “The Witcher”, in which you play a slayer of demons and monsters. Your character arrives in a town that is under attack by a spectral hound known simply as, “The Beast”. As you investigate the origins of The Beast, you discover that The Beast was created by the sinful actions of the townsfolk, but you discover that the townsfolk blame a local witch for summoning the creature. It is here that you must make a choice, kill the townsfolk and defend the witch, or kill the witch. This was a decision that shocked me, because both sides had done bad things, so the decision was not an easy one to make. It really brought home a point that things in life, especially ethics, are rarely cut and dry.
3. I believe that representative violence in games can desensitize if proper perspective isn’t maintained. That’s when enacted violence comes in, because through true action we are confronted with the reality of violence. When children resort to violence the reason is usually one of two things 1. Play or 2. Bullying and intimidation. The first is perfectly natural and I would equate it to when young cubs of any species wrestle with each other. Bullying on the other hand is a product of our current culture where competition and domination are commonplace.
4. Video games have fallen into the trap or gender stereotypes through imitation of much of our current media, where for whatever reason, the cookie cutter gender types sell. Mainstream gaming is mainly the culprit here, but is slowly beginning to edge out of these tendencies. Games that are geared toward adolescents have the stereotypes because it is believed that these are the role models they should be looking up to.
5. Because depending upon how the games are designed, they can act as simulations (America’s Army). They can settle soldiers into a particular mindset that they need in order to be effective.