- 1,136
- Garconis
- Garconis
My recent research paper:
The year is 2002; my fingers are tightly gripped around a black coated piece of plastic. My fingers are moving ever so rapidly. My thumb moving up and down repeatedly causes ammunition to be pumped into the head of a police officer. Blood droplets splatter into my eyes. If I keep firing at this corpse, his head will eventually be decapitated. Ah, the joy of playing the role of Tommy Vercetti in virtual reality. The joy of playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
So much controversy has erupted due to pixilated maturity. Mature video games have been the cause for much controversy in the past year. Many argue that violence, blood and guts, nudity, and strong language should not be in video games. The video game that seems to be the leader, or cause, for all of this controversial talk would be the excellent and beautiful work of art, called Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a comprehensive rating system for computer and video games. Each video game is rated by three trained raters. The raters are from a wide range of backgrounds, races, and ages and are said to have no interests in playing video games often. Raters can include many different people: retired school principals, parents, professionals, and other individuals from all walks of life (How are the ).
All console games must be rated before advertising or production of the video game can take place. The highest possible rating to be given to a video game is Adults-Only, or AO. Though, to this date, no video game console manufacturer has allowed such a rating. The highest rating for video games released is M-rated (mature), which has been the cause of much controversy in the past few years. To give a better understanding of what mature games are like: mature-rated games are similar to R-rated films, in that both include the same type of content, such as strong language, blood and gore and strong sexual content. Also, both are aimed at audiences 17 years and older (Video Games Have ).
Roughly 50 percent of console games carry and E, for everybody, rating. That means that the other 50 percent is marked for teens and above (Nintendo Gamecube ). About 70% of PS2 users are 18 or older, which means that game developers will be making more and more mature games because the crowd is so big. And with the success of Grand Theft Auto 3, many are now not afraid to come forward and market mature games (Snider).
With the release of the new hit Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, much controversy has erupted. From the name of the games title, one would think that your main objectives in this game are stealing cars in a Miami-like city, called Vice City. The truth of the matter is that stealing cars from innocent pedestrians is only half of the game. Vice City is filled with prostitutes, which can enter your stolen car and increase your health. Also, killing police officers and pedestrians are expected in order for one to complete this game. If a player drives through the city of Vice, they could find things like strip clubs and places to buy weapons, such as apache helicopters equipped with missiles, chainsaws used to cut through pedestrians, or hammers used to crack skulls.
If a reporter existed in Vice City, they might report something like this:
Thursday night, Vice City was the target of a large chain of car jackings. It was later realized that these accounts of grand theft auto were from the works of only one man. Witnesses say a new face could be seen driving a golf cart down Main Street and swerving in front of vehicles. One victim had this to say "I was just listening to Flash FM when I saw a golf cart swerve and stop in front of me. He pulled me out and just said 'I hope you've got insurance.'"
Many victims where injured by chainsaws and hammers. Some brutally murdered by a PSG-1 Sniper rifle being shot directly in the face through car windshields, detectives say. Many don't know who this man is, but rumors have begun circulating that he was recently "bribed" from jail by a local lawyer. More coverage on this growing catastrophe soon.
All of the things mentioned above are possible to do in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This game is the newest and most realistic first-person shooter game yet. The rules in the game are nothing, except to break all the rules that one should follow in an un-virtual world. The more people you kill and the more crime you commit, the better (Cuomo).
David Walsh, of Good Morning America, stated that there is killing and prostitution. Walsh said he is concerned with how the game will affect kids outlook of what is normal in real life. Its not so much the copy cat factor. . .but kids and teens are in the process of shaping their norms. When you kill a prostitute after having sex with her thats not something we want boys doing (Cuomo).
Why would game developer Rockstar create such a game? They have learned one lesson: simulated crime pays and it pays well. The game has already sold four million copies before it was even released. An industry expert says Vice City could sell over ten million copies, which would bring in over $400 million dollars to Rockstar (Cuomo).
Rockstar Games is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment that is geared mainly at adults. They make every effort to market the games responsibly; they target advertising and marketing at only mature audiences over the age of 17. Rockstar knows that their games are for adults, and they arent going to stop producing them just because of all of the controversy that has erupted (Cuomo).
Gamers do have a choice in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City however. You dont have to kill cops or shoot off heads to have fun. You can just cruise around on moped or fly a helicopter all day, without killing or breaking laws. It is just as fun to cruise around and explore while soaking up the Vice City sun, as it is causing a ruckus while having the army blaze bullets past your head.
With the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, there has been a great deal of talk about how the violence among the game will promote violence among the player. Jeffery Dombneck, age 17, states that he has a problem with parents who do not give kids enough credit. Stating that parents think players will imitate or recreate the violence in a video game, he points out that most kids have enough common sense to distinguish between virtual and real world (Give video-gaming kids ).
Well, fine, what if someone under 17 years of age gets their hands on a copy of an M-Rated game; who would be to blame? The video game supplier; and also, this is where parents come in: Retail stores are not supposed sell M-Rated games to those whom are under the age of 17. So, it seems that the parents are the ones who buy the video games for their children (Give video-gaming kids ).
Of course, not all stores will do an identification check to make sure a customer is 17 years old before selling a game. Therefore, it is obvious that those who are under the age of 17 can still get their hands on a blood packed, sexually filled, uncensored language videogame. And this is what makes parents and onlookers angry. Something must be done to assure that these youngsters do not get their hands on the Mature titled games.
Lawmakers in St. Paul, Minnesota are working on a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to sell mature games to those under 17 without the consent of a parent.
The bill would also restrict the display of mature games in public places (Violent video games targeted). Why should a game be banned from display? Even if a mature game includes sexual content, blood and gore, it doesnt show that on the display box. Maybe that could be the reason then. One could see the display and think the game is all right for kids, since it doesnt show any bad scenes on the display. Then they would begin playing the game and realize that is wasnt a good idea to give to 12 year old Jimmy as a present.
To bring all of this into aspect, a 19 year old blames Grand Theft Auto for the multiple crimes he has committed. Nineteen-year-old Micah Zoerner of Wisconsin has been charged with multiple counts of theft, burglary, and auto theft. He was spotted stealing a car and was arrested. Detectives said that Zoerner told them he had been inspired by the Grant Theft Auto game (Teen says game ). Can Zoerner be telling the truth? Or is he just using the recent controversy to his benefit? That will be for the judge to decipher.
Vice City isnt the only game causing controversy lately. A video game titled BMX XXX has also stirred up the publics opinions on what should and shouldnt be in video games. The game is a freestyle bicycle game where one controls topless women on 20 inch bikes. As a reward for winning events, players are awarded with real live stripping (Sieberg).
The ability to see real and pixilated breasts through the entire game play has caused Sony Computer Entertainment America, or SCEA, to react. SCEA is a company which produces video game consoles, and they are the leading company in video game consoles sales. Stating that the topless female images where not crucial to the games game play experience, SCEA decided the images must be removed from the game. They said that is posed a detrimental threat to their console brand (Why Sony Censored ).
The other two main video game console producers, Nintendo and Microsoft, did not have a problem with the nudity. Therefore the topless females are still included in the Nintendo and Microsoft version of BMX XXX. If Nintendo, who is the most youth-centric console out of the three main systems, didnt have a problem with the topless women in the video game then why should Sony?, asks an anonymous source from the BMX XXXs developer (Why Sony Censored ).
The two recent games, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and BMX XXX, put together, push the limit of the Mature game rating. If the violence from GTA: VC increased anymore, and the nudity of BMX XXX was anymore than topless, it would seem that the ESRB rating board would give the games an Adults Only rating. But is it possible for any of this to actual have a large impact on ones self? It would seem possible, but even so, is it worth it to ban these mature games even to those over 17? By doing so, it would definitely assure that those who cant handle the intense games would never get their hands on them. But, for crying out loud, it is just pixilated images. If you want to blame someone for 17 or older persons who cant decipher between virtual and real, then blame society for creating such weak minded individuals.
-Jon Fuller
The year is 2002; my fingers are tightly gripped around a black coated piece of plastic. My fingers are moving ever so rapidly. My thumb moving up and down repeatedly causes ammunition to be pumped into the head of a police officer. Blood droplets splatter into my eyes. If I keep firing at this corpse, his head will eventually be decapitated. Ah, the joy of playing the role of Tommy Vercetti in virtual reality. The joy of playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
So much controversy has erupted due to pixilated maturity. Mature video games have been the cause for much controversy in the past year. Many argue that violence, blood and guts, nudity, and strong language should not be in video games. The video game that seems to be the leader, or cause, for all of this controversial talk would be the excellent and beautiful work of art, called Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a comprehensive rating system for computer and video games. Each video game is rated by three trained raters. The raters are from a wide range of backgrounds, races, and ages and are said to have no interests in playing video games often. Raters can include many different people: retired school principals, parents, professionals, and other individuals from all walks of life (How are the ).
All console games must be rated before advertising or production of the video game can take place. The highest possible rating to be given to a video game is Adults-Only, or AO. Though, to this date, no video game console manufacturer has allowed such a rating. The highest rating for video games released is M-rated (mature), which has been the cause of much controversy in the past few years. To give a better understanding of what mature games are like: mature-rated games are similar to R-rated films, in that both include the same type of content, such as strong language, blood and gore and strong sexual content. Also, both are aimed at audiences 17 years and older (Video Games Have ).
Roughly 50 percent of console games carry and E, for everybody, rating. That means that the other 50 percent is marked for teens and above (Nintendo Gamecube ). About 70% of PS2 users are 18 or older, which means that game developers will be making more and more mature games because the crowd is so big. And with the success of Grand Theft Auto 3, many are now not afraid to come forward and market mature games (Snider).
With the release of the new hit Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, much controversy has erupted. From the name of the games title, one would think that your main objectives in this game are stealing cars in a Miami-like city, called Vice City. The truth of the matter is that stealing cars from innocent pedestrians is only half of the game. Vice City is filled with prostitutes, which can enter your stolen car and increase your health. Also, killing police officers and pedestrians are expected in order for one to complete this game. If a player drives through the city of Vice, they could find things like strip clubs and places to buy weapons, such as apache helicopters equipped with missiles, chainsaws used to cut through pedestrians, or hammers used to crack skulls.
If a reporter existed in Vice City, they might report something like this:
Thursday night, Vice City was the target of a large chain of car jackings. It was later realized that these accounts of grand theft auto were from the works of only one man. Witnesses say a new face could be seen driving a golf cart down Main Street and swerving in front of vehicles. One victim had this to say "I was just listening to Flash FM when I saw a golf cart swerve and stop in front of me. He pulled me out and just said 'I hope you've got insurance.'"
Many victims where injured by chainsaws and hammers. Some brutally murdered by a PSG-1 Sniper rifle being shot directly in the face through car windshields, detectives say. Many don't know who this man is, but rumors have begun circulating that he was recently "bribed" from jail by a local lawyer. More coverage on this growing catastrophe soon.
All of the things mentioned above are possible to do in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This game is the newest and most realistic first-person shooter game yet. The rules in the game are nothing, except to break all the rules that one should follow in an un-virtual world. The more people you kill and the more crime you commit, the better (Cuomo).
David Walsh, of Good Morning America, stated that there is killing and prostitution. Walsh said he is concerned with how the game will affect kids outlook of what is normal in real life. Its not so much the copy cat factor. . .but kids and teens are in the process of shaping their norms. When you kill a prostitute after having sex with her thats not something we want boys doing (Cuomo).
Why would game developer Rockstar create such a game? They have learned one lesson: simulated crime pays and it pays well. The game has already sold four million copies before it was even released. An industry expert says Vice City could sell over ten million copies, which would bring in over $400 million dollars to Rockstar (Cuomo).
Rockstar Games is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment that is geared mainly at adults. They make every effort to market the games responsibly; they target advertising and marketing at only mature audiences over the age of 17. Rockstar knows that their games are for adults, and they arent going to stop producing them just because of all of the controversy that has erupted (Cuomo).
Gamers do have a choice in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City however. You dont have to kill cops or shoot off heads to have fun. You can just cruise around on moped or fly a helicopter all day, without killing or breaking laws. It is just as fun to cruise around and explore while soaking up the Vice City sun, as it is causing a ruckus while having the army blaze bullets past your head.
With the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, there has been a great deal of talk about how the violence among the game will promote violence among the player. Jeffery Dombneck, age 17, states that he has a problem with parents who do not give kids enough credit. Stating that parents think players will imitate or recreate the violence in a video game, he points out that most kids have enough common sense to distinguish between virtual and real world (Give video-gaming kids ).
Well, fine, what if someone under 17 years of age gets their hands on a copy of an M-Rated game; who would be to blame? The video game supplier; and also, this is where parents come in: Retail stores are not supposed sell M-Rated games to those whom are under the age of 17. So, it seems that the parents are the ones who buy the video games for their children (Give video-gaming kids ).
Of course, not all stores will do an identification check to make sure a customer is 17 years old before selling a game. Therefore, it is obvious that those who are under the age of 17 can still get their hands on a blood packed, sexually filled, uncensored language videogame. And this is what makes parents and onlookers angry. Something must be done to assure that these youngsters do not get their hands on the Mature titled games.
Lawmakers in St. Paul, Minnesota are working on a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to sell mature games to those under 17 without the consent of a parent.
The bill would also restrict the display of mature games in public places (Violent video games targeted). Why should a game be banned from display? Even if a mature game includes sexual content, blood and gore, it doesnt show that on the display box. Maybe that could be the reason then. One could see the display and think the game is all right for kids, since it doesnt show any bad scenes on the display. Then they would begin playing the game and realize that is wasnt a good idea to give to 12 year old Jimmy as a present.
To bring all of this into aspect, a 19 year old blames Grand Theft Auto for the multiple crimes he has committed. Nineteen-year-old Micah Zoerner of Wisconsin has been charged with multiple counts of theft, burglary, and auto theft. He was spotted stealing a car and was arrested. Detectives said that Zoerner told them he had been inspired by the Grant Theft Auto game (Teen says game ). Can Zoerner be telling the truth? Or is he just using the recent controversy to his benefit? That will be for the judge to decipher.
Vice City isnt the only game causing controversy lately. A video game titled BMX XXX has also stirred up the publics opinions on what should and shouldnt be in video games. The game is a freestyle bicycle game where one controls topless women on 20 inch bikes. As a reward for winning events, players are awarded with real live stripping (Sieberg).
The ability to see real and pixilated breasts through the entire game play has caused Sony Computer Entertainment America, or SCEA, to react. SCEA is a company which produces video game consoles, and they are the leading company in video game consoles sales. Stating that the topless female images where not crucial to the games game play experience, SCEA decided the images must be removed from the game. They said that is posed a detrimental threat to their console brand (Why Sony Censored ).
The other two main video game console producers, Nintendo and Microsoft, did not have a problem with the nudity. Therefore the topless females are still included in the Nintendo and Microsoft version of BMX XXX. If Nintendo, who is the most youth-centric console out of the three main systems, didnt have a problem with the topless women in the video game then why should Sony?, asks an anonymous source from the BMX XXXs developer (Why Sony Censored ).
The two recent games, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and BMX XXX, put together, push the limit of the Mature game rating. If the violence from GTA: VC increased anymore, and the nudity of BMX XXX was anymore than topless, it would seem that the ESRB rating board would give the games an Adults Only rating. But is it possible for any of this to actual have a large impact on ones self? It would seem possible, but even so, is it worth it to ban these mature games even to those over 17? By doing so, it would definitely assure that those who cant handle the intense games would never get their hands on them. But, for crying out loud, it is just pixilated images. If you want to blame someone for 17 or older persons who cant decipher between virtual and real, then blame society for creating such weak minded individuals.
-Jon Fuller
