Since the early 90’s people have had concerns about the suitability of video games. When more and more games that depicted graphic violence (such as Doom and Mortal Kombat) were released, many people started to rethink their view of video games and the target audiences.
In 1993 parents and legislators became overly concerned after a game called Night Trap, which victimized and portrayed violence towards teenage girls, was being played excessively by children aged 7-12. This was when Congress first got together to discuss the impact of video game violence and how it’s marketed towards children. They had input from TV executives and psychologists, as well as representatives from Nintendo and Sega while discussing the issue.
People argued that video game revenue had doubled in the past decade, proving the influence of video games on the public, while the games industry replied that in that past decade as video games became more popular, violent juvenile crime had decreased by half.
Violence in video games has caused outrage by the public in past years because of incidents in which violent crimes had been committed by perpetrators claiming they were influenced by their favourite video games. For example, in April 2000, a 16 year old boy killed his mother, father and sister afterproclaiming that he was on an “avenging mission” by Squall Leonhart, the main character of the video game Final Fantasy VIII. And in June 2003, 18-year-old Devin Moore shot and killed two policemen and a dispatcher after taking one of the officers’ weapons after an arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle. At the trial, the defense claimed that Moore had been inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Video games can contribute to the lowering of self-esteem and can also promote anti-social behavior – in one opinion. Video games can also provoke critical thinking and empathy and social skills can be enhanced. If a player ends up addicted to video games – playing them 24/7 and becoming a shut-in because of this – then it can be argued that video games will have a negative impact on behavior. But in general (if played responsibly) video games can have a positive effect on a person’s behavior – they could also be a useful tool in teaching children (mind/mental stamina/puzzle games).
After the conflict, video game age ratings were put in place. In the UK, video games are rated by an organization called PEGI [1]
Games can receive the following ratings:
3 – Suitable for all ages. May contain mild comic violence but no profanity, nudity, sexual references or frightening sounds/images.
7 – Generally appropriate for all ages, but may contain sounds or images that could frighten a small child. Any partial nudity will not be sexual in nature.
12 – May contain slightly more graphic violence directed at fantasy characters, non-graphic violence against human-like characters or animals, slightly more graphic nudity and mild profanity.
16 – Can contain realistic depictions of sexual activity and violence, criminal activity, drug and tobacco use and more extreme profanity.
18 – Can include violence strong enough to cause a sense of revulsion, explicit sexual activity and glamorised drug use.
PEGI also provide descriptive icons on the back of video game cases, small warning boxes covering topics like bad language, violence, fear, sex, and discrimination.
These ratings provide a helpful guide to buyers, especially parents or people with a nervous disposition. Video game ratings have and continue to cause a stir in the community, many people not finding them very fair – why should someone of a certain age (not mental sensibility – you could have a very mature 15 year old but a very irresponsible 25 year old) be able to play certain games?
Something to bear in mind however, is that these ratings do not limit who can play the game, only buy it. It is only fair that a parent can be fully warned of the content before buying the game for their child. Dear teenagers, if you can show your parents that you are responsible and mature – you may have a higher chance of playing the 18 rated game you want.
I personally think that age ratings are helpful, and that many angry, avid gamers should take a step back and realise how helpful those age and warning stickers really are – for parents, for new gamers, and those with phobias. It is not appropriate for a 12 year old boy to be playing a game where he can kill policemen and prostitutes, just as it is not okay for someone with an extreme fear of spiders to have the shock of their lives when a swarm surprise them in the middle of gameplay.
As I said before, they don’t limit who can play the games, only who buys them. The rules in the UK are fairly lax and no one can control what games you play at home.
A possible solution to this whole ordeal though, would be to censor the whole game, so that when you initially buy it, it could be rated a 7, but then have a section where you can unlock the more gory stuff if you’d like, change how graphic it is depending on age; 12, 16, or unlock the full 18 rated game. Parents could have this option under a parental lock in the menu screen or even device settings if eventually all games were produced this way. It would take a lot more work, but may put an end to all the arguing.
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