Dead Island and Indiscriminate Violence

Violence in games is often set up as an attraction feature in "mature" games. Nightmare Mode takes a look at why the industry has taken that lazy turn.

[TheGameFoxJTV]

Very good read, and true for the most part.

[BattleTorn]

I won't say this guys not-a-gamer, but most gamers dont dislike a game over how the uninhibited violence may affect society. Perhaps violent games aren't intended to affect society's view on violence. Much like many movie, despite the authors thoughts (thinking gore in film server purpose).

Sure there are movies, like Scorsese's The Departed, that use violence as metaphor for our humanity, but most do not. This author forget to mention the plethora of films that uses violence in similar 'rewarding' entertainment, or "their embrace of violence as their focal point."
Films like Kill Bill, any zombie movie (ShawnOTDead, ResidentEvil), various horror flicks (Hills Have Eyes, Human Centipede)

There are plenty of movies the have 'rewarding' uses of gore. Which one could consider their effects on society.
With all gory entertainment, I'd still argue; let's not have society be affected by material that's simply not intended too.

[Perpendicular]

Firstly, films like Kill Bill and Shaun of the Dead use violence as a means to satirize it. Unlike in, say Dead Island, violence is not the centerpiece but rather an extension or a consequence of what happens in the story. Dead Island seems to be constructed around killing stuff, and then having some setting and story built around that. I mean, smashing zombies in various inventive ways is the core mechanic of the game

The violence itself isn't a problem - it can be greatly beneficial even - but most of the "violence-centric" movies you mention don't really have violence as their main attraction point. Sure there are extremely violent scenes in Kill Bill, but it's usually satirical in nature. Similarly, Shaun of the Dead utilizes far more comical violence (although it's extremely brutal) and is more about poking fun at the zombie genre. Dead Island tries to that...sometimes. It tries to funny, it tries to be serious, but it doesn't choose either alley and ends up being...meaningless.

[Saryk]

I have two different opinions about violence. Man on Man violence is usually unnecessary to a point of stupidity. Watching some guy getting his brains blown out might be cool the first time, but the one hundredth time doesn’t matter. So the visual of the guy getting his brains blown away could be taken away and no one would mind.

However I have a choice to buy or not to buy what ever the developer produces.

I would prefer to have some kind of new enemy that is not a zombie or human………

Too bad Alien vs Predator wasn’t that good!

[aliengmr]

I think its more complex than just; how much violence and gore is portrayed, how much is necessary, and effects on society. I honesty do NOT believe violence in movies and games has had any impact on our culture. The reason is that as the entertainment industry has evolved so have we, the "viewers". A movie can reproduce the taking of a life and we react to it with in the boundaries of the story or context. Make it real and the vast majority of people will react quite differently. Point is we all know the difference between fantasy and reality. When we sit in a theater we are isolated with in the boundaries on fantasy no matter what we are going to see. Violence in that context is fantasy no matter how realistic. It effects us sure, our imagination is a very powerful thing, but no where near the effect reality has on us.

Another aspect is artistic expression. While I consider games and "experience", part of that experience is art. Blood and gore lend a certain feel to movies and games. Kill Bill is a very good example for this. The over the top nature gave the films character. With games its a bit different. Movies guide you through an experience whereas in games you make your own, for the most part. The amount and style of the gore depends on the game. Its not a question of how much. If you were to take a WW2 FPS and give it over-the-top blood and gore the experience would be ruined. It works the other way too. Space Marine had to have loads of gore, if it didn't it just would not have worked.

We all know when we are watching a movie or playing a game that it isn't real. From that point on any effects from violence and gore are in that context and mean nothing in the real world. People often wonder whether or not the amount of violence in movies and games is a sign we are becoming more obsessed with violence or being desensitized to it. To that I say; open a history book. To say that fantasy violence has any effect on society is absurd. WW2 saw the deaths of over 60 MILLION people. The Russians lost 26 million, and that doesn't include the millions more died during WW1 and the Russian Revolution. Needless to say, the Russians did not have a happy start to the 20th century. Compared to that, video games and movies are meaningless. Its ironic that violent movies and games have presided over a relative low point in world violence.

I love video games, but I would never compare their influence with that of the loss of so much life. Just because fantasy looks more realistic doesn't make it more real.

[Perpendicular]

The article wasn't really about whether violence in games has had a negative impact on our culture (or on specific individuals, for that matter). I don't think it has. That particular discussion is often fruitless. The article poses a question instead: Is violence necessary in games? The answer should be obvious. Of course not! But then why are so many (especially AAA) games filled with it? Because it's an easy way of creating thrills, I think. Collecting eggs on a virtual farm isn't the most evocative experience I could imagine.

I touched upon artistic expression in the article (in relation to films), stating that while you can cite many films that use violence accurately, it's harder for games. Dead Island, as the article is about, doesn't do anything with its violent content. It's just there.

I never stated anything about a difficult differentiation between fantasy violence and real violence. I agree with you, humanity has always been violent (maybe that's why we crave it in a digital form? Consider the gladiator fights in Rome, while not always deadly, they were still fighting for other people's entertainment).

The problem doesn't lie with violence itself. I'm fine with its use in entertainment and art. Often, it's even beneficial. However, I want developers to think about violence before putting it into a game. Making a violent game just seems lazy, because it's the easy way of engaging the player. Why not try and develop interesting and engaging non-violent mechanics. I recall Extra Credits doing an episode where they suggested a game that took place in Ancient Rome, where you played as a senator who had to convince the others to well...something. It'd be difficult, and I've no idea how to make it sufficiently engaging, but it would be an amazing challenge.