New Video Game Sparks Old Question

[BEEN7]

Gamers are constantly battling the notion that video games have the ability to transform us into mindless zombies incapable of separating the virtual world from the real world. And I'd agree, if, having grown up playing Pac-Man and Super Mario, I would have had an obstinate urge to devour blue flashing spirits and kick retreating turtles that have receded into their shell. But curiously, my psyche never taunted me into living out those 2-D rendered scenarios, nor do I have this desire to clock a prostitute upside her head before mowing down innocent pedestrians a la Grand Theft Auto.

 

[BTravlin]

I don't have a problem with Grand Theft Auto being played by adults but do not want to see kids have access to it. I don't care for it myself either because it's just trash. Game makers have a whole universe of creativity available with which to devise interesting games without having to resort to this level of crap.

 

[Matt S.]

I don't have a problem with Grand Theft Auto being played by adults but do not want to see kids have access to it. I don't care for it myself either because it's just trash. Game makers have a whole universe of creativity available with which to devise interesting games without having to resort to this level of crap.

I agree, only kids with bad parents are playing GTA. It is an adult product.

I wouldn't call it trash though. It's a very complex product that took 50+ people years to make. There are a hundred hours of things to do in the game; tons of characters with many hours of dialogue voiced by real actors. The core of the game is a story of personal conquest, as your character rises to power in a criminal organization. You're free to kill hookers... Or not, as you wish.

The content may be objectionable to many people, I am not arguing that... But it's also a lot more sophisticated than driving around killing prostitutes, and it's unfair to call it trash.

You want more creative games? Blame the game publishers' marketing departments. They decide what will sell the most copies and that is most of what gets made. The people who make the games often fight their own administration to get their unique creative vision out the door.

When a company spends millions of dollars on making a game... maybe as much as $20M before marketing costs... it wants to guarantee a return, and sadly that usually means NOT being original. When a company is creative and makes a hit, everyone rushes to copy them, just like TV and movies.

BTW, I am a video game designer. Today at work I was inventing reasons for the player to kill bad guys... Complex, sophisticated reasons that will only be discovered over many hours of play. But I promise, in this product you don't get to shoot anyone who doesn't richly deserve it!

 

[BTravlin]

My apologies to you then. I'll save my scorn for the marketing department.

 

[Matt S.]

No offense was taken. Nor do I hold Marketing solely responsible. Just provding some perspective.

 

[eriediver2002]

I love killing ala PS2 that is. In fact just turned off SoCom. I love sniping
In real life tho I never have the urge to kill (well not often anyway)