A simple position on: Gaming

It seems to me like every day there is some new group either damning or sanctifying video games. It's an interesting debate, so I figure I'll throw my 2 cents in.

Video games are about an experience. Are there some violent video games? Absolutely there are. Are they the cause of moral dissolution in our country? More than likely not. Does that mean we can just say 'screw it' and make all games available for all players? Absolutely not.

Let's start with the ESRB and work from there.

The ESRB was founded in 1994, nearly 29 years after the first video game was created on an oscilloscope. So, what happened in that time? Lots off stuff, but we are moving forward here. The reason being that graphic abilities during the mid 90's took off, and suddenly people were getting worried about what their kids were seeing. So, the ESRB was made, not to dictate who could play what, but to give a reasonable understanding of what was included in a game. When you see that big, black M on a game sleeve, that's the ESRB saying that there is content unsuitable for the average player under the age of 17.

Ok, so all those kids out there who are dying to play the next Super Bloody Gorefest IV will have to wait 7 years. But, the ESRB does, for those of you who are interested, have this nice guide to the ESRB ratings, which parents can use to look up what got the game the rating it has. 

All well and good. 

However, this discussion was meant to be on why games are neither good, nor bad. Well, it comes down to lots of things. 

Games are meant to be an experience we typically can't have on our own. I am very unlikely to find myself in medieval europe, fighting dragons and wizards and using magic, nor in middle earth, nor in a galaxy far far away. And I shouldn't find myself in a bloody 1940's war, or stealing cars to shoot down the neighborhood. However, games allow me to step out of the literal aspects of life and into the imaginative ones. They create rules and guidelines that my imagination follows, and allows me to go nuts. Games with story allow me to live a movie, games without one allow me to run the movie my own way. 

So, that kid that just stole a car because GTA told him so? He's doing it because he wants the car, and sees an easy out. Games gives us the experiences we can't have in reality. Those people who go and try to could have a multitude of differing mental problems, or simply don't recognize the difference. Is that the majority of gamers? No, I don't think so. Every day, hundreds of new games storm the internet, but the problems seem to be fairly slight. 

Time will tell, but I think the idea of violent video games making us violent, (while we are in the most peaceful time in human history), is a little silly, but we need to keep it in game. 

Thank you for reading! <3