02-13-2003, 11:15 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Gaming Is Good For You?
"Computer games are good for you, say researchers who studied the complex social interactions in the popular shoot-em-up Counter-Strike."
I do have to say that I occasionally enjoy an FPS, and as such it's good to see counterpoints to classical theory on this category of games. Mind you, I still wouldn't get a 5-year-old hooked on it, but games aren't all bad.
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02-13-2003, 11:43 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,023
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Why oh why does it have to be Counter Strike... "J00 NEWB!! SPTO SHOOTING MEE!!!!11! same team llama!" Couldn't they pick something deeper and/or recent, and more social? Like a RPG?
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It was often obvious when teenage boys were playing, he said, because there was much more trashtalk and sexist or homophobic insults flying around. But, said Prof Wright, it was a mistake to think that this meant that gamers were misanthropists.
"The most common emotion when people are playing is laughter," said Prof Wright.
The only reason that people can get away with insulting friends and foes was because they knew them so well, he said.
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Heh... homophobic insults... yep, that's CS. And it's obvious this guy's never played an online FPS before.  Heck, homophobic could be the title of a fps. As for laughter, of course... it's a game after all... but I have a hard time believing laughter beats swearing. It's usually a mix.
And who on earth says you'll know the fellas on the other end of the line? Geesh... I've trash talked with folks in languages I don't even know and had a great time doing it. I've had sessions of Unreal Tournament 2003 where I've swapped insults with a guy for 2-3 hours straight, and at the end of the match you'd think we were old pals or something. It's all in good fun usually.
As for 5 yr olds... no different hooking them on simple video games than it is hooking them on any other game. My life wouldn't have been complete without games like Donkey Kong and Pac Man and the Atari. But parents, please follow the rating guide. Don't let your 9yr old play the latest blood filled FPS. Even if the violence won't make him blink, he's going to run around shooting the ground, he's going to give everyone else a headache, and we don't feel like babysitting him. Find the game that matches the age level.
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02-13-2003, 11:47 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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Here's the way it is:
Blaming games is so much easier then taking responsibility.
If a kid in germany goes on a rampage and kills a bunch of people, then of course it's not the school's fault, or the kid's, or the parents, or society as a whole, of course it's the games! That this kid might not even have access to a computer, let alone games is besides the point. Or the fact that someone so mentally unbalanced could go over the edge just nicely without them.
Same thing with the US sniper[s] Everyone was saying it was "obviously" caused by Grand Theft Auto, where one can indeed more or less snipe. But the fact is that these losers lived in a car, and probably did not even know about the existence of this game!
I'll just play my games, and if anyone has a problem with that..
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02-13-2003, 12:52 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 145
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Bjorn, while I agree to an extent, I do think that video games and violent films contribute to the youth crimes. I am talking about school shootings, and things of the sort. Despite that though, I still beleive that you cannot have censorship in a free society. You cannot stop crime, only prevent some of it, so why take away my freedoms to attempt to acheive something you never can? (kind of like the "drug war".) Yea...that was off topic, but thats ok  .
BTW...are you Bjorn from rockbox?
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02-13-2003, 01:11 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 602
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
I am talking about school shootings, and things of the sort.
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The problem, I believe is that the kids have access to weapons... Here in Norway, most kids don't have a clue on how to get a gun, because almost nobody have a gun... therefore, no school shootings in Norway :-)
I've been playing blood-dripping games since DOOM, and haven't had any violent tendenses yet :-)
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02-13-2003, 02:34 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 13
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I wonder why they chose exactly this game....
This is the game that got blamed after the recent school shootout in Germany...
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02-13-2003, 04:25 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,133
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
Bjorn, while I agree to an extent, I do think that video games and violent films contribute to the youth crimes. I am talking about school shootings, and things of the sort. Despite that though, I still beleive that you cannot have censorship in a free society. You cannot stop crime, only prevent some of it, so why take away my freedoms to attempt to acheive something you never can? (kind of like the "drug war".) Yea...that was off topic, but thats ok . |
To some extent, people that are going to be violent are going to be violent. Whether it's from games, tv, movies, or even historical events. I'd say actually the biggest problem is current events. One kid does a school shooting, others think it's a good idea. Not that the news shouldn't be reported, but I would say that it's these events that are more the "inspiration" than video games.
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02-13-2003, 04:42 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 405
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Bah. Some of my comments were rather rude a couple hours ago, so i'm editing my post.
Gaming is definitely a good way to take your mind off things, and to actually relax every couple hours. As for its good for you, anything is good for you if its in moderation. Same with games. Too much of it is not reccomended, but none at all could make you go insane.
Maybe we should have a PPCT gaming tournament thingie with one of the games for the PPC.
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02-13-2003, 04:48 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
I do think that video games and violent films contribute to the youth crimes.
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Oh I certainly agree video games have an effect on people; but mostly those that don't know anything about them or people that are already on the edge and could be pushed over it by anything, including videogames.
However, I don't think that video games per se have an effect on crime. Movies.. maybe. Video games.. not in most people. And the people that do go out and commit crimes do so for other reasons; fun, money, respect from others etc etc. not because they've seen it in a video game. Sure, they might copy some of the language or attitude, but that doesn't mean the game is responsible for the end result.
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I am talking about school shootings, and things of the sort.
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There are millions and millions of gamers everywhere. From africa to the US, from the netherlands to korea.. If video games were responsible for school shootings or things like that, we'd see these on a weekly basis. Why isn't that happening? Because 99 % of the people that play these games are well balanced individuals; people who know that you can't and shouldn't act out these things in real life. I still don't understand how people can see a connection between counterstrike and a school shooting.. if anything, playing CS will teach you that you can be shot dead quite easily, in the blink of an eye. Still want to do it? Inflated ego? Well, you can hardly blame the game for things that are already there or created by forces other then the game. [school, parents, peer pressure, pure stupidity, etc]
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so why take away my freedoms to attempt to acheive something you never can?
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You mean, do stuff in a game you can't do in the real world? Exactly. I enjoy violent games, and I've been playing them since the earliest days of Doom, Quake, and the good old days of DN3D, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage, etc. Am I a violent person? Far from it. The games had no effect on me whatsoever [except improve my english language skills]
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BTW...are you Bjorn from rockbox?
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I have no idea what that is, so no. 
EDIT:
Did a quick search, you mean the open source replacement for the Jukebox firmware project? That's Bj�rn Stenberg [note the dots above the o and the different last name] But as fate would have it, I happen to own a Jukebox Recorder 10 ]
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02-13-2003, 05:26 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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Not that I learn my life lessons from comedians, but I recall Chris Rock once talking about how all the latest violence is being blamed on games, movies, music, etc.
His reaction?
"What happened to the good ole' days, when people did these things just b/c they were crazy?"
...I guess that rationale almost doesn't exist anymore.
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