there have been countless articles on them. scientists, researches, psychologists have spent hours trying to work and find out about the truth of the claims and theories put forward. and they're right in their way, since it does involve the singlemost two biggest industries of all time -- the video games and movies industries. they say that violence presented to young (being the keyword here) and impressionable minds tends to affect and influence them, hence leading them to reciprocate and portray the same actions when they grow up to be adults. they believe in their findings so faithfully that they have approached to court to try and censor and moderate the kind of content which is churned out from the various studios! how absurd can they get?

now, people will say that exceptions will always be there ... but i can state so many examples where even the most violent games have not affected the person concerned ... infact, it has improved their concentration, and attention to detail. made them more alert and given them the ability to think quick, and react fast! such characteristics are what are developed when you undergo a military training course, not by sitting at home reading newspapers and magazines. maybe outdoor games increase your physical fitness, but their are many situations which work faster than the outdoor games to stimulate and improve the abovementioned characteristics, which can't be created in real life. that in itself is the biggest argument point. later come the factors such as entertainment, stress relief and blah blah blah. but surely, i don't think games are responsible for people going violent!

there was a case a few years back where some teenagers commited armed robbery of a few shops and banks. they were eventually caught, and when they stated that their favourite game was doom, the entire issue was blown out of proporsion and the game was blamed the majority of their actions. they were reportedly stated as to have said that the game made them 'feel invincible' ... goodness! isn't it clear? they are the exceptions, not us! and based on such isolated cases, the entire industry is being put to blame!

the video game industry in the states alone generates more revenue than hollywood. its the biggest industry, followed by hollywood and then the adult industry. that says to how much scope there is for video games. the sector employs people from almost every field. programmers, animators, writers, marketing managers, directors, producers ... you name it! this is the future. the game america's army was said to have been made so that the military could recruit the ones who were 'brilliant' at the game for the military. who knows, that might be true ... but in the broader picture, how should that make a difference? in the free world, can't a person make a choice and take responsibility for his own actions?

that is the crux! instead of saying that the person is mentally unstable and of a violent nature, we blame the games which might give the person a false sense of strength and his/her own abilities. that's very unfair, and very untrue! its as absurd as saying the clothes a girl wears is responsible for her safety when she is surrounded by men. instead of blaming the men, we blame the girl ... if you can disagree to that example, why not to the case at hand?

ok, im pushing this post too long ... so to cut it short, don't hate the game, hate the player!


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