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Have Video Games Become Too Violent?

Have Video Games Become Too Violent?

Video games have been connected with a string of bad press over the years due to violent content and the supposed effects this could have on the people playing such games. Games have been banned, police statements have been made and bloody torsos have been sold as ‘collector’s edition’. There is no doubt that violence is fairly prevalent in video games and the video game culture. The real question is have these games become too violent?

At the risk of sounding like an old codger (I’m 25) I’m going to recall part of my childhood experience with video games for you now. You see, when I was a youngster video games were primarily a pre-adolescent activity. I grew up with an original Game Boy playing the likes of Donkey Kong and Super Mario Land, a hobby passed onto me by my dad who was of the generation of kids that hung around the arcades every evening playing Pong and Space Invaders. The video game industry has long since passed the days of Space Invaders at the arcades and now caters for the more mature gamer amongst others.

That’s not to say that the Pac-Man games of our parents generation don’t exist today, they have just become a lot more intelligent. Kids are now entertained by augmented reality and motion control and gadgets like the iPad and smart phones have largely replicated the style of gameplay the arcades used to provide. This in turn means that in most cases, adults who still wish to play video games need a ramped up experience in order to keep them entertained. If you were to take a look at the data for all time video game sales for the PS3 (provided here) you can see that games with high levels of violence feature heavily. God of War III, GTA IV, Killzone 2, Red Dead Redemption, Resident Evil 5 and numerous Call of Duty games all feature and are all 18 rated games.

So it’s clear that the video game industry caters largely for the older gamer, but in my opinion adding an age restriction to a game does very little in terms of discouraging younger gamers from playing. I don’t want to turn this into a debate about age restrictions and if parents should or shouldn’t be buying games for their children, so instead look at it this way. Games are often compared to films in terms of cinematic experience and story telling ability. Great games are noted as being enjoyed for generations, just as great films are. So would films on general release to the public, be allowed to show the same level of violence that we find in games today? I’m talking about the detailed knife takedowns in Battlefield 3, the torture scenes featured in more than one Call of Duty game and the brutal decapitations in Dead Space 3.

Tomb Raider has never been violence free, but the latest release has shown a serious increase in graphic death scenes.
Tomb Raider has never been violence free, but the latest release has shown an increase in graphic death scenes.

A good example of a game that has matured with the times is Tomb Raider. Now Tomb Raider has always featured a certain level of violence, but it’s thanks to the recent reboot, rated 18 that the level of graphic violence has been pushed to the next stage. I’ve read a few arguments from loyal fans questioning why that level of violence was ever deemed necessary in the first place. Other younger gamers are disappointed that they are no longer able to buy a game that, at least in my eyes, was seen as a fairly family friendly game. Other titles such as Skyrim, a game that has won numerous awards, offer perks that will increase the level of violence as you improve your character.

Not every game is heading in the direction of increased violence however. Games like Borderlands 2 and Gears of War: Judgement have menu options that cut the level of violence and profanity making them more available to younger players. An idea for developers to consider would be that more games could have options like this, but making them permanent implications. This way two versions of the same game could be released with different ratings allowing access for gamers of varying ages. I’m not saying content should be cut, just simple menu options like those mentioned above.

Skyrim's skill tree offers a perk that will increase the chance of decapitating your enemy upon their death.
Skyrim’s skill tree offers a perk that will increase the chance of decapitating your enemy upon death.

There are various reasons as to why popular games are becoming more violent. Part of the rise could be down to the popularity of first person shooters such as the Call of Duty series. These shooters (of which more than just CoD are included) generally don’t hold back on the violent scenes and are aimed at all out action and adrenaline. An example of this in Call of Duty would be a torture scene during the first Black Ops game now famously known as the glass punch. Other games may in turn try to emulate the popular gameplay structure of these games, eventually turning such scenes into the norm.

Another reason could be that the video game industry simple wasn’t able to fully realise its artistic visions in the past. The whole industry has advanced so incredibly in the past 10-15 years that super detailed games with huge environments are expected for most AAA releases now. Violence has always been commonplace in video games, but if games like Carmageddon (which was widely criticised upon release) were being made with today’s graphics would there be as much of an uproar?

While I myself am not adverse to a little bit of video game violence as long as it’s in context, It’s clear to see that as a whole the levels of blood and gore contained in popular games and the culture surrounding them has increased and some people might not like it. With next-gen consoles just around the corner the potential for this to increase even further is definitely there, but as it stands I don’t personally see it being too bad, aside from a rare few occasions (such as Hitman Absolution’s Facebook app).

Do you think video game violence has become too extreme, or is it all just fun and games? If you have any views on video game violence feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to reply to you.

New Video Game Releases – December Schedule

New Video Game Releases – December Schedule

Welcome to The Reticule’s definitive roundup of gaming releases throughout December 2012. All release dates stated are for the EU, across all currently available platforms. Keep this page bookmarked for easy access, as we will link all previews and reviews when we post them on the site.

Still catching up with this months games? November’s release schedule can be found here.

4th
Guardians of Middle Earth
PS3

A shadow grows over Middle-earth as the greatest armies of the Third Age prepare for the coming battle. Take up arms in the clash over Middle-earth with the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time. Form memorable and unlikely alliances with and against friends as the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre comes to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

RunSanity
iOS

Battlefield 3: Aftermath
PC, Xbox 360

Set amongst the shattered districts, streets and surrounding villages of a post-earthquake Tehran, Battlefield 3™: Aftermath depicts a continuing struggle for supremacy and survival amongst the devastation. With operational capacity severely compromised the opposing forces must adapt and engage in vertical and horizontal urban combat amongst the dust and rubble with cracks and fissures in the terrain providing unexpected cover and paths to objectives. Additional support comes in the form of heavily modified troop transports and civilian vehicles specially adapted to deliver deadly force to the enemy.

5th
Guardians of Middle Earth
Xbox 360

6th
Mass Effect 3 Trilogy
PS3

Shadow of the Game
PC

Time of Fury
PC

7th
Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers
PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Agricultural Simulator 2013
PC

Nickelodeon Dance 2
Wii, Xbox 360

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
3DS

The Paper Mario: Sticker Star game is a flat-out epic new adventure, starring the Mushroom Kingdom’s most famous hero in an elaborate papercraft world. With the land positively packed full of stickers, Mario™ will collect and use them to fight off baddies, uncover secrets, and more. Fans of the Paper Mario series will discover all new gameplay elements new to the franchise, while newer players will enjoy a craftastic new twist on their favorite Nintendo hero.

12th
Hawken
PC

HAWKEN is a free-to-play, online, multiplayer, mech-based first-person shooter that puts you in the pilot seat of a giant robotic war machine. Customize and upgrade your mechs the way you want, then join your friends on the battlefield to rain destruction across HAWKEN‘s beautiful and immersive alien landscapes.

Iron Sky: Invasion
PC, PS3, Xbox 360

14th
Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D
3DS

18th
Wooords
iPhone

19th
WWE WrestleFest
Xbox 360

21st
Vektropolis
PC

Armored Kill Launches On PS3 – Vehicular Warfare At It’s Finest

Armored Kill Launches On PS3 – Vehicular Warfare At It’s Finest

Yesterday, September the 4th, was a very exciting day for all PS3 owners of Battlefield 3‘s Premium service. Armored Kill is finally available to this select group of individuals and there are many reasons they should feel lucky.

If it wasn’t for the fact that being an Xbox 360 non-Premium owner, I have to wait another three weeks to get my hands on this DLC, I probably would be too busy playing this to actually write anything about it. But as things are I’m here, envisaging all the reasons I will be downloading Armored Kill as soon as it’s humanly possible for me to do so.

For one it has the biggest Battlefield map of all time Bandar Desert, home to the devastating new AC-130 gunships which you’ve probably seen in the gameplay trailer released for Armored Kill at July’s E3 event. It also has three other maps, Alborz Mountain, Death Valley and Armored Shield, all which look stunning in their own right and offer more of what I think Battlefield 3 is all about, large scale open combat.

On top of the customary four new maps released, there are also five new vehicles (six if you include the AC-130), five new assignments, five new achievements/trophies and a new game mode, Tank Superiority. The new game mode sees everyone controlling their own tank, either an MBT or a destroyer, with the aim of trying to take control of the only flag on the map. Much like in a King of the Hill style game, the flag is often placed in a very open position and as such it is wise not to try and capture it alone.

Expect many opinions and reviews in the coming weeks about Armored Kill, from us here at the Reticule.

Armored Kill is available now for PS3 Premium members, September 11th for PC and Xbox 360 Premium members, September 18th for PS3 non-Premium members and September 25th for Xbox 360 non-Premium members.

First Battlefield 3: Aftermath Details Emerge

First Battlefield 3: Aftermath Details Emerge



The first details for the third DLC pack for Battlefield 3 have emerged on the official site along with the above piece of concept art.

Aftermath will be set in Tehran after an earthquake has struck which means we will see four new multiplayer maps already full of dust and debris. We can also look forward to cracks and fissures providing on the maps to provide cover and new paths to objectives. There will also be some heavily modified military and civilian vehicles to take for a ride, and there will also be a new game mode, no details on that yet. Before Aftermath comes, we have Armored Kill which is coming in September, more details on the vehicular DLC can be found on the official blog.

Mass Effect 3 On PC Through Origin Only, EA Clash With Valve?

Mass Effect 3 On PC Through Origin Only, EA Clash With Valve?

Bioware have announced on their forums that, just like Battlefield 3, any physical or digital copies of Mass Effect 3 on the PC must use EA’s Origin service in order to run. A FAQ has been released answering a few interesting points including problems they have encountered with selling through Steam.

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A Relaxing Battlefield 3 Video

A Relaxing Battlefield 3 Video

I don’t think anyone in their right mind would use the word relaxing to describe anything related to Battlefield 3, this this video by BFO_Grizzle certainly is relaxing, taking in a cinematic view of Operation Metro. Lovely stuff for a Friday afternoon before you finish work.

Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand – Early Thoughts

Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand – Early Thoughts

The Back to Karkand DLC for Battlefield 3 hit the PC and 360 yesterday while PS3 owners got it last week. (damn exclusivity deals) If you pre-ordered the game you will get free access to the pack which re-imagines four maps from the brilliant Battlefield 2 and also throws in a handful of new unlockable weapons and some new vehicles to play with. If you didn’t pre-order you can get the DLC for £11.99. A steep price, but quite possibly worth it. Hit the jump for some thoughts.

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DICE Make Good Patch Plans For Battlefield 3

DICE Make Good Patch Plans For Battlefield 3

DICE are releasing a mahoosive patch tomorrow for Battlefield 3 which is making some changes to the awful Tactical Light and fixes a problem where a TV guided missile could be shot into its own helicopter. The whole list is copy/pasted after the jump, but there is one upcoming change which I welcome with open arms.

“Our plan for the future is to introduce a warm-up mode, where players can move about and play the game, but with scoring disabled; then, when the number of players goes above the threshold — that’s when the real round starts.”

Sitting on a server with only a handful of players, not being able to do anything because you are being stuck in place is awful, and puts people off joining low populated servers. If this change is brought it, it will bring Battlefield 3 into line with Battlefield 2 where you could have as much fun as you wanted before the game started properly. This will be an ideal time for you to hop onto an empty server and practice your jet or helicopter flying. Full change list for tomorrow follows.

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