Videogames are taking the heat

Videogames have been a predominant force in the entertainment industry, producing revenue of $9.9 billion last year. With the influx of the next generation of consoles just around the corner, excitement and controversy will continue to grow for the industry. Violence in videogames has been a constant source of ammunition for politicians as they look to videogames as a scapegoat for children committing crimes inspired by videogames. This gives people the misconception that videogames are a bad influence and give children ideas on how to commit crimes.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) helps consumers decide which games are suitable for respective age groups. Game play that involves violence, blood and gore receive the "M" rating, which is for mature audiences of ages 17 and up. It's primarily games with these ratings that receive the most heat from politicians. One game in particular, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has recently stirred up more controversy about violence and indecency in videogames. Although this game involves controversial game play mechanics that involves everything from killing people to stealing cars, it shouldn't take the blame for why children do illegal things. Just recently, hackers unlocked hidden programming code in the game that unlocked a mini-game involving explicit sex acts. This only helped to fuel the fire as politicians used this "hot coffee" mod to initiate another attack on videogames.

Over the years, videogames have changed and continue to cater to what gamers want. Gamers want to be able to live vicariously through videogames because the things they can do in them you can't legally do in real life. Politicians argue that videogames that have violence in them influence the way some children may view real life. The problem with this statement is that videogames are just games. They aren't real. If you can't comprehend the difference between reality and a videogame, then you have serious problems. I myself have been a casual gamer since I was 6 years old and have played "M" rated games on numerous occasions, but I don't ever recall wanting to kill someone or do something illegal after playing them.

The problem isn't that there is violence in videogames; the real problem lies with the responsibility of the parent to know what games their children are playing. There is a reason why some games receive the ratings they do. The ESRB specifically mentions that when a game is rated "M," it's meant for ages 17 and up. People under that age shouldn't be allowed to play those games. Parents should be more aware of what games are suitable for their children and shouldn't look to blame someone if their child does something illegal. Some states, such as California, have taken the extra step and even made this into law, restricting altogether the sale of violent games to minors. This new development should reduce pressure put on videogame companies and allow them to make videogames.

There is no doubt in my mind that videogames can be violent. But are videogames actually responsible for people committing crimes? No. You can't blame a videogame for everything that goes wrong with society. Politicians and parents don't want to see the real reason why children do the things they do. It can be that the school system doesn't offer enticing after-school activities or parents are doing an inadequate job in raising their kids with high standards of morality. People need to understand that a videogame is just a game and that it's just for entertainment. It's not meant to be reflected on how you actually view reality.