I think realistic violence games does change people. I know gamers who max out the gore on their games. When I’ve asked them why they don’t turn the gore down, their response is usually along the lines of, “because it’s less fun.”
That does not mean that everybody who plays violent games will become uncontrollably violent, just as not everybody who does marijuana moves onto harder drugs.
But they are indicators of possible future behaviour. Most heavy drug users did start out smoking marijuana and many of the uncontrollably violent nuts did prepare themselves by participating in violent scenarious, somewhere.
Contrast that with the Grand Theft Auto series, in which the player attempts to rise as a street criminal by stealing cars and having sex with hookers. It simply cannot be healthy to produce games like that, particularly when the game may actually mirror the lives of many of its players.
The same is true for films in which there are no clear cut right and wrong characters; merely those who outshoot and survive.
This is all the same old BS from the days of pin ball machines or even puritan laws outlawing “9 pins” (bowling).
In the 1980’s it was video arcade games like space invaders.
ALL of this is just BS denial.
This was an evil person who was going to do an evil deed.
His life was about to be destroyed and reduced to a living hell in mental care. he was finished as a member of society. He acted like the trapped rat.
Seeing the Normandy landing scene in Saving Private Ryan didn’t make me want to leave the movies and kill someone.
I personally attest to the horrible darkness that pervades our entertainment these days.
I hadn’t been to a theater in 2 years until last weekend.
The previews were an assault on the senses and the psyche.
It was horribly spiritually dark and evil.
I’ve never played a video game and never will.
Wait a second. I’ve played chess on my computer. And actually won once.