Video Game Culture

In chapter 6, Nielsen focuses on how public perceptions of games have evolved, and how video games are used by different groups. In western societies, television and games were considered less important, and attractive than literature and painting that are traditionally dignified, but in the middle of 20^th century, game and television turn out to be something different, and people started to get interested in TV, and games. People consider games as means to satisfy their specific desire of theirs. However, people generally didn’t have good perception of games like unsophisticated in their form, problematic in their content, the cause of health problem, from obesity to addiction, aggressive teenager, and ever-present scourge of anti-social (Nielsen pg.134). Mortal Kombat was the one of the most controversial games causing social issues. After troubling games were published, U.S. congress made the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for distinguishing the player’s age such as childhood to adults only. And most recently, the GTA series are considered the most controversial game (Nielsen pg.136). In GTA, people can do anything like having sex with prostitute, killing people just walking on the street, stealing car, or money from people, and even kill the police. And Nielsen said this game is risky to certain people.

                “With Media panic we are referring to the public’s reaction...the novelty is seen as inherently dangerous for people, who are thought incapable of distinguishing fantasy from reality” (Nielsen pg.137)

I agree with this, because I believe that People who are very young are largely, and easily influenced by the content of game. In South Korea, I still remember really shocking news. A Kid stabbed his sister’s body with knife, and killed her. In his interview, I think he said like he could hardly distinguish the game from reality, and he thought killing would be nothing just like the game. He had some serious mental problem. And more surprisingly, the game was “Ragnarok online” which did not seem to have harmful effect to players since the graph, and actions of characters were too simple to influence players, however, it was true that the kid was largely influenced by playing the game, and finally did something unforgettable.

People’s reactions to video games are different by where they live. The examples can be found in the book.  21 years old American committed suicide and South Korean died in exhaustion after playing for 86 hours. In china, the government banned anyone under the age of 18 from online game where PK is allowed (Nielsen pg.140). Government should get more involved in the risks of playing games to prevent terrible events, because as games will become more and more part of our lives, there should be promising, and practical regulation to stop game corporation producing a game which is somewhat causing a social issues.

Here’s my question for you guys. Do you guys remember any news of people who died or got killed by games?