Videogames and Violence Essay -- Violent Games Ethics Morals Essays

goggle boxgames and military unit In 1979 the United States was vehemently attacked by aliens from outer space, an event that was to forever change life on our planet. The release of Space Invaders for the Atari Video Computing System became an instant hit. Kids stopped listening to music, playing sports or going to movies, choosing instead to defend the nation from alien attack, from the safety of their television sets. The advantage of Space Invaders launched the video game revolution as the demand for personal game consoles soared (Atari). Videogames soon became the preferred leisure activity for children, forcing parents and critics to question the possiblibility of ill effects. With the approach of new engineering science, parents have even more reason to be concerned today. On October 26th of 2001, Sony released its Playstation 2 game console to the public. It features a 300mhz processor with 32 megabytes of RAM and 42 sound channels. Compare this to Ataris 1.19mhz process or with 4k of ROM and mono sound, and it is easy to conclude that todays systems deliver lifelike sound and graphics. Unfortunately these advancements in technology and gaming quality have been utilized into creating games that more often than not contain highly violent plots, action, and graphics, forcing critics to once again question the ethics bottomland such games. Three students were killed at a Kentucky high school in 1997 by 14-year-old gunman Michael Carneal. Testimony was given in a Congressional listening on violence in videogames that Michaels only experience with handguns came from playing video games (Rattiner). On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold launched an assault on their schoolmates of Columbine High School, murdering 13 and wounding 23 bef... ... and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 78, No. 4, 772-790. April 2000.http//www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp784772.ht mlAtari Video Gaming System.http//retrogamer.merseyworld.com/atari2.htmCesarone, Bernard. Video Games and Children. ERIC Digest. ERIC. 1994http//www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed365477.html Cesarone, Bernard. Video Games Research, Ratings, Recommendations. ERIC. November 1998.http//www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed365477.html Choi, Suzanne. Computer Games and Violence A Childs Friend or Foe?University of Calgary http//www.ucalgary.ca/dabrent/380/webproj/sue.htmlRattiner, Marlen. Video Game Violence. About.com 29 March 2000http//videogames.about.com/games/videogames/library/weekly/aa032900a.htm