What Game Violence Can Teach

An anonymous reader writes "Julian Murdoch from GamersWithJobs asks the question 'Can game violence be good?' in a provocative article entitled The Red Suit. After a week playing Introversion Software's Wargames-inspired nuke game Defcon, his answer is that it can be, if not good, then at least informative. 'I admit that in a rousing teamspeak game of Defcon I am not drawn into bouts of real-time reflection. But on closing down the game for the night, I find myself oddly thoughtful: sad, reflective, a bit fragile. But not upset, and not wanting to wipe the game off my hard drive. Violence in games can teach us things. It can reach us in ways beyond mere titillation. It's all about context.'"

Comments

Re:I've learned a lot from games.

[kalirion]

I've learned a lot from games as well.

Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!

Re:should teach context for safe outlets

[Anonymous Coward]

Games are supposed to be a way to virtually get out frustrations that are illegal and wrong to do in real life.

Actually I'd have said "games let you me fun things I'd never get to do in real life". Like being a Jedi, or flying a fighter plane, or having sex.

None of these things are necessarily illegal, but I just don't get to do them.

That said why aren't there more sex simulators? (checks to see if "post anonymous" is on)

Re:should teach context for safe outlets

[misleb]

In short, those people are just stupid, and should be removed from the gene pool.

Oh, the irony!