They said the D.C. shooter played violent video games.

[threadysparrow]

You guys like video games, I like video games. As video gamers, I think it is important for us to be educated and intellectually armed to put up a good argument when our passions are attacked in the media. This post is very long and I am sorry so forgive me but you can't get a thoughtfully formulated complex idea like video game violence into 3 lines of text.

 

These are the news articles:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/dc-navy-yard-gunshots/

 

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Washington-DC-Gunman-From-Fort-Worth-NBC-News-223948451.html

 

I am not pulling this out of my ass. I studied the impact of violent games when I was earning my degree. I am not more qualified than you guys to talk about this stuff, I just studied it and formed my own opinions from what I read.

 

While I support all video game research and you should too if you have children in your life and you like games, and while I do not like how Activision is lobbying the government not to fund it, I also realize that adults can play these games and not turn into criminals and the violence that adults see in games is very different from a child's perspective.

 

This nut in D.C. this morning had MANY mental issues and the media wants to blame the video games. And again, here we go with the disregard for the actual science and mental health and the pumping up of the hype bullshit. The same thing happened with the Aurora shooter and the Sandy Hook shooter. Both of them played violent video games and the media had the PERFECT F***ING OPPORTUNITY to have a real discussion about mental health and personal responsibility but the only thing they focused on was "DID THE GUYS PLAY CALL OF DUTY?! BLAH RABBLE BLAH!"

 

This is the truth that has been researched time and time again. People who are not mentally F***ed in the head are not going to play a video game and then kill 12 people. That just isn't going to happen. What happens is that people who have the potential to commit horrific crimes are already attracted to violent video games because it is a chance for them to live their fantasy out on the screen. They have a whole different mindset when playing a game. They might reload a checkpoint a bunch of times just so they can get a close up of a headshot.

 

In some games you are rewarded for violence. Most games have violence as the secondary variable (saving the world but killing Makarov rewards you, but you are not rewarded primarily for the violence itself). The media wants us to believe that the violence is the primary motivator for the reward within video games.

 

Just ask yourself this. Does it make more sense that the man was a normal guy and after playing video games he turned into a murderer... OR OR OR OR OR!!! does it make more sense that he was already crazy and he found comfort in the violent aspect of video games?

 

Trust me, he would have done this anyways.

[DirkaFat]

When you say "most games have violence as the secondary variable..." are you talking about cod specifically?

[Shrubpig]

I mean honestly... in this day and age, who hasn't played a violent video game?

[Ookami]

Ive heard that most rapist and pedophiles played Sims before commiting their crimes.

 

 

BAN SIMS!

[threadysparrow]

When you say "most games have violence as the secondary variable..." are you talking about cod specifically?

no I mean like most video games that can be classified as violent. I don't know one game other than GTA that you are rewarded just for the violence itself. Most games that are violent in nature have violence as the secondary aspect. For example, the goal of Tomb Raider is to escape, not to kill. But you kill in order to escape. Therefore violence is not the primary motivator.

[threadysparrow]

I mean honestly... in this day and age, who hasn't played a violent video game?

EXACTLY! So if violent games caused mass murder, everyone would be in a constant shootout with the neighbors all the time.

[T.Vengeance]

They said the dc shooter shot waterguns as a kid.

[threadysparrow]

They said the dc shooter shot waterguns as a kid.

That would pretty much have the same impact on his mind as violent games. Waterguns are probably more dangerous than violent games. Think about it, I am sure hundreds of kids have been hurt by plastic waterguns in the last 50 years.

[WunderWuffle]

They said the dc shooter shot waterguns as a kid.

I remember that there was a 'kid' Counter Strike mod where you had like clown heads, and shot bubble guns...

[Wulfgar]

Society needs to step back and stop blaming media/entertainment on something like this. It's the fault of the DC shooter alone. We still have a lot to learn from tragedies like Columbine.

[_ASSASSIN_]

it has to do mostly with the fact that they are mentally unstable
a report has already been done with the FBI showing that most people that committed murder had written their own fantasies of killing/reading than playing videogames"
whatever medium there is, it has nothing to do with the medium itself, it's mainly in it's users way of using it to execute his sick thoughts in his head, but I doubt these mediums actually motivate people to do this

[Ookami]

Society needs to step back and stop blaming media/entertainment on something like this. It's the fault of the DC shooter alone. We still have a lot to learn from tragedies like Columbine.

Seriously dude cant agree more. Problem is gun freedom in US. I know that you dont sell guns to psychos, but still noone knows when a normal guy will "snap". They need to explain it somehow and media does blaming the games.

[beebskadoo]

Apparently people don't remember that News media only care about getting a good story not telling the truth........... It doesn't matter what the facts state or what the studies say, they have an agenda and they pursue it no matter what.

[ttam]

The people that blame violence on video games are probably the same people that blame the wall for running into them or for their coffee cup jumping from their hands and crashing to the ground.

[threadysparrow]

it has to do mostly with the fact that they are mentally unstable

a report has already been done with the FBI showing that most people that committed murder had written their own fantasies of killing/reading than playing videogames"

whatever medium there is, it has nothing to do with the medium itself, it's mainly in it's users way of using it to execute his sick thoughts in his head, but I doubt these mediums actually motivate people to do this

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1

[Wulfgar]

Remember Marilyn Manson's interview after Columbine, and everyone's attempts to lay the blame at his feet? Fascinating stuff:

 

http://youtu.be/mUFhnScvcm8

[_ASSASSIN_]

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1

[threadysparrow]

the post was so good imo that I am going to give you +1 one more time

[_ASSASSIN_]

the post was so good imo that I am going to give you +1 one more time

wow thanks man, I just got that tid-bit of info from when I was doing a debate in English on if video games was a bad medium

[beebskadoo]

See I stay the hell away from mainstream media, because they all have political/social agendas. Rather than reporting the news as is, they spin it out of context. Look at Fox News, their coverage of Wiki Leaks, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley) All were deemed as threats to the american people and the scum of the earth which is clearly a factual folly. News media is a multi Billion dollar business that is controlled by a few select individuals. If an entity is supposed to be the voice to the populous it makes sense to be voiced by the populous. In no way are the American people being represented (opinion wise) if the opinions are coming from a select group of individuals. Makes me sick.

[beebskadoo]

99% of crimes commuted were done by people that are wearing.......PANTS. 

 

BAN PANTS!!!!!!!

[orangecat]

If violent video games are to blame then we must not ever watch sports or play sports game. They have a UFC game that has realistic fighting they also have a real life version on TV. What about hockey players get in fights all the time. So if violent video games are a problem maybe they should do something about other forms of media also not just blame the video games. besides they can blame video games all they want but it's never going to go away. Who do they think pays for the games the 10 year old or their parents with an actual job and income. The videogame market is huge makes tons of jobs and is worth billions.

[TechTheWorld]

They also said that Mac was better than PC. 

[Snickerzz]

who doesnt play violent video games?! thats like saying the shooter ate mcdonalds do mcdonalds makes killers

[Bonsai99]

Guiz violent video gaems lyk call of dooty shud be banned becuz its lyk a training ground foar terroritz that threten our contry and kill pplz!!

 

Media Corporation/Government Logic.