Columbine Student on VG Violence

Sophia wrote in to mention some discussion of Video Game Violence on 1up.com this week. Brooks Brown had the experience of attending Columbine High School around the time of the now infamous shooting incident. Via his blog, Brown goes into a detailed discussion of Why Violence in Gaming is a Good Thing. From the article: "GTA isn't about fucking hookers or killing cops. It's a story of a guy who got screwed trying to get back on top. It is, by nature, a story game. Postal 2 may let you kill anyone you want in bloody and disgusting ways - but that's not what it is about either. It is, by nature, a tech demo in the abilities of programmers and AI. it is WE - the gamers - who change what the game is about and determine what happens. It is the person playing who determines what the game contains." Jane Pinckard has a quick reaction to his post. More commentary on this subject is available via John Davison's Blog, who met Brown at a taping of a news program which was ostensibly to be about gaming in general. Instead he was ambushed about violence in games and ended up walking out.

Comments

*cough cough* Derrida *cough cough*

[biryokumaru]

Please! No more post modernism!

*weeps*

My review of Grand Theft Auto

[Rude Turnip]

Well, it's basically a game where you can drive around an ambulance and take people to the hospital, drive around a fire truck and put out fires, drive around a police car and catch criminals or drive a taxi and take people places. Of course, there's much more you can do, but I'm not into all that violent stuff.

Straight from the source.

[Shky]

This is all well and good, but I think it misses a crucial point - this.

Right...?

Re:Postal 2 was about AI?

[yotto]

Not to "me too!" a comment, but Just yesterday I was driving by a parking lot and in the far corner your standard "crotch rocket" motorcycle was sitting all on its own. I couldn't help but think it was placed there specifically because it would trigger a mini-game.

Luckily, I live in reality and was amused by that thought, not inexoribly drawn into it like a moth to a flame.

Re:Postal 2 was about AI?

[FriedTurkey]

I know driving around in cool cars in videogames and then getting into my piece of shit car makes me so angry I want to shoot people too.

Re:Violent Games Mask the Real Problem

[Just Some Guy]

As I drive to my brokerage to check on the high return of my mutual funds and other investments

You had me until this sentence:

1. Nobody willingly visits their broker. It's like dropping in on an Amway salesman and asking "what's new?"
2. Ever hear of this thing called the intarweb that you're using right now that also has realtime portfolio management?

Re:Violent Games Mask the Real Problem

[Just Some Guy]

Oh, and:

3. 1999 called and wants its "high return of mutual funds" back. Actually, so do I.