I totally agree with this guy. I remember living in Germany and hearing about the school shootings and some bullshit that video games were the cause of it and that the government wanted to ban all 'violent' games. But thanks to this video I'm relieved that not all people (particularly adults) think like the government. Great vid BTW

In germany if you've ever played any kind of shooter it's almost like you commited murder once.

Violent video games do not make you violent. Badly designed, or frustratingly hard games on the other hand, well...

Very nice. Good to hear a sound, fair, professional opinion going against those who would attack games due to violence. Thanks for this, Benzaie!

Sort of ironic that he talked about how games' violent scenes are taken out of context and then throughout the video we are shown violent scenes with no context to speak of other than our own gaming experience.

I agree with this guy generally, his point was even the thesis of my paper (which I got a B for because my professor disagreed and said I was 'disillusioned'). When you just see Altair killing a Templar, you lose the rich historical context that comes with the game, how it's also well-designed and in a sense interesting because it is somewhat based in fact. There are games where violence is certainly brought to light more than in others, but the people who buy those games are 'looking' for a violent experience, which means the desire to kill and mame a virtual player was already in them, not magically transported by the 'evils' of gaming.

I say on a side note it was awesome to understand everything he said because I speak French.

Is that even legal? To downgrade you because he simply "disagreed"? I smell lawsuit. Teachers need to be more open-minded, methinks.

This guy needs to talk my Nana down about her videogame phobia. Seriously, this guy is awsome, thanks Ben.

I was a very violent schoolgirl, but I calmed down & niced-up immencely after getting into video games & comic books & horror movies. I played Goldeneye & Dungeon Siege a LOT as a kid & never had the urge to own or use a real gun or sword in the real world.

With all the new restrictions in Australia against stuff like porn & violent videogames, I expect violent crime to drastically go up, because all the victemless outlets have been made illegal.

They made "violent" video-games illegal in Australia?

For my media law class I remember reading a US Supreme Court decision about whether violent arcade games (specifically "House of the Dead", in this case) should be displayed in public places.
The justice (I forget which off the top of my head) pointed out that the game's themes of violence and the supernatural were as old as human storytelling, and that indeed every form of entertainment is meant to be immersive and interactive and argues that video games can't be punished simply for having the technology that lets that interaction finally happen.

I remember back when music was getting the blame for lots of violent outbursts.. now it's video games. Lord knows what it'll be later on down the line. I think it's funny, personally.. but that's just me.

I don't think he is completely right. For the sane, or those who are sound enough of mind to understand that violence in real life is wrong, and aren't "affected" by video games he is right. For people who aren't stable in the head, play too much, or start to mix the lines of games, and real life... He is completely wrong. I don't think video games should be ban, or that they will make you a killer. You must admit that some people who play games, and choose the violent way out almost always can be more violent than others. Also when kids 7 to 10 get rated M games! I know kids 'know' about alot of this, but games you do slaughter tons of characters, and little kids shouldn't be playing things like that.
I don't know I am never full support, or against. I don't think games should be ban, but when 'idiots' play them I think it is possible for them to be more violent. Also when children or the mentally unfit play very violent games. Not like people who use it to vent anger, enjoy the game play, or enjoy the story.

He already brought up your point; people who react violently are people who already had it in them, it isn't caused by games.

While it is certainly true that if you're aren't sane of mind that videogames can affect you it is not limited to videogames only. If you let someone with those kind of issues watch something like the jason movies I think you would get the same reaction. As for kids paying games that aren't intended for them
of course they shouldn't play them! However this is both the responsibility of the parents ans the people who sold him the game.

Violence is in video games because violence is in life. Violence is the foremost natural, reflexive reaction to injustice and inequality. Violence is in every art form known to man, and many of them use violence in the same was as video games, to create a cathartic reaction. Art is meant to spotlight the points of life that we all deal with, and violence is one of them.

There is an overabundance of violence in the video game industry, however. That can hardly be argued. That can be attributed to the target audience of video games, 18 to 35 year old males, an age range where testosterone is abundant.

There does need to be a change in video games, away from violence, and towards maturity. I think it will come with time. Video game developers need to be sure it is not a temporary shift.

Wise words have been spoken. Thanks for the vid Benzaie

Whenever people try to tell me that video games create violence I just provide myself as an example. I have been gaming for about 14 years now and I have yet to perform any real violent act. Aside from the odd kung pow parent assault as a kid I haven't even gotten into any major scrapes. If video games were somehow capable of instilling violent urges into people you'd think I would have gone off and plugged my old boss or something.

The only time I could possibly see this argument holding up is in the case of young children. I know as a young boy I wasn't allowed to play games like mortal kombat or TMNT, not because they were evil but because they got me excited enough to punch my parents (NOTE: That behavior was already there the video games just brought it out faster). However, this is also part of the point. My parents observed a problem and made sure to fix it. I was
later allowed to play those games once my maturity level increased and I was able to control myself quite well.

If you are worried about your children's behavior after playing video games don't buy the games for them.
Just because you are too lazy to play a game first or to
do even the minimum amount of research before giving your twelve year old Grand Theft Auto IV for Christmas doesn't mean us mature gamers should be deprived of these sorts of games.

I guess I'm sort of ranting to the choir here but it honestly tics me off when parents try and tell me I shouldn't be able to play Madworld because their kid isn't old enough to separate fantasy from reality yet. It's the same argument they make anytime they think their kid is acting up. Whatever new interesting thing their kids are into must obviously be the culprit cause it couldn't possibly be their fault. Seriously, take some responsibility for your own bad parenting instead of trying to shift the blame onto any other source but yourselves.

I swear, the next thing you know someones going to go and off somebody with a toilet plunger and they'll be blaming it on Mario.

When asked I always tell people I play violent games because I get the same feeling of adrenaline that that most people get from watching an action film except its a bit more interesting because you actually have a hand in what's going on. And of course if I'm gonna shoot something I'd rather it be textured polygons.

But yeah I think young children should prolly stick to the kiddy stuff.

I definitely agree with this man's point of view. Of course violent video games don't make people violent. If they did, then we would have millions upon millions of psychotics rampaging through the streets the day after something like GTA IV comes out.

I also agree with his comment about how video games can allow players to vent, in a way. I took this figuratively and literally. There is a certain satisfaction in getting particular brutal hits in games, such as the hits in the final fight in Mad World. On the other hand, continuously losing a game, or having a poorly-programmed game make the player frustrated can still arguably be a good thing. When the player gets angry and starts yelling at the TV, or in more extreme cases, throwing the controller, it is still a form of venting (though I wouldn't recommend breaking the controller). Venting at that time prevents or reduces the opportunities for the person to vent in other situations.

Fun fact: back when I and my brother got our very first game, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis, my mother actually thought that Sonic jumping on robots and making them explode was violent. However, it was still an off-handed kind of thought, and she didn't overreact or anything like that. Years later, she purchased the Resident Evil remake for the Gamecube for me, because I was underage, and I paid her back. She and my father later purchased Resident Evil 0 for me for Chanukah. I don't think my mom ever saw what goes on in the games I play, other than when we had the Sega, as it was in the family room, but it's good to see that she's open minded. I mean, just look at the cover of REMake. It's a freaking zombie attack. Nothing good can come of that.

That still makes me angry. The game is called Grand Theft Auto. What do you THINK it involves? Furthermore, what do you think that giant "M" is on the box? Don't know? Then read the text right next to it. It's one thing to skip research, but to not read the fucking box?

Nice interview, kind of reminds me of this:

http://www.screwattack.com/myvidsdontsuck/Final/TheGameOverThinker

Not glorify violence? Well by that measure we've totally failed.

Tellement vrai. Les jeux video ne sont, en fait, que la chasse aux sorcières de notre époque. Le fait est que le monde est dirigé par des personnes qui généralement ne connaissent rien à propos de sujets qui les dépassent.
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So true. Video games are, in fact, nothing more than our era's witch hunt. The fact is that the world is ruled by people who generally know nothing about subjects that are beyond them.

Remember, even the bible is a form of media that has been taken and used as a reason to kill people.

Everything good can have an evil side to it.

Interesting to watch, yeah every once in a while we get the subject again, it's really annoying how people act. They always blame it on video games, as if violence didn't exist before. When some teenager does crap, it's immediately video games to blame, but I recall several cases where the guy wasn't playing any games, he enjoyed playing with REAL GUNS, but noone really blames the fact a MENTALLY UNSTABLE minor was able to get his hand on a gun for those things, it's video games... And noone bothers to think that ... you know, there must have been a reason for someone to go AMOCK, like mental problems or something, but our lazy school psycholigist, parents, teachers aren't guilty, it's video games...

I disagree with everyone,violent video games do make you violent...in BIZARRO WORLD!

I agree with most people here. The problem with video game is that it is more easy to submerse in its universe.

For example, in the past times, people with problematic minds could be inspired by a book to choose a way to harm another person. After that, it was the television (I don't know for sure, but I think radio also). And now, the video games.

But to me, the most important thing is about the rating. Everytime I see a parent buying a game that is not suitable for the child's age, I want to hurt him. If there is a rating, use it! Don't complain that your children are violent because they have 14 years old and had been playing M and R games since 10!

It is the same as when people where complaining about the violence in a movie in my country, because children were trying to imitate them. But the movie rating is 16 years!

And to LikaLaruku, you are the first one that I heard saying the games, comics and horror movies calmed you. Nice to heard that!

I find it funny how everyone on here think kids are retards. Do you honestly think kids don't know the difference between reality and fantasy? Do you honestly believe that kids who play grand theft auto turn to the serial killers that our media portraits them to be? At young age we can differ from reality and fantasy. I have been playing violent video games since 12, today i am 24 and have my life together. Has everyone forgot that back then doom, duke nukem, and other badly pixel games were violent? But hell no one talks about those and only views them as classics. Not to mention the guy in the video is right, we all show ways of violence one way or another because it is in our human nature to do so. Plus i would rather my kid to play violent video games then holding their violent nature, and then having one day snap and hurt someone badly. Also that M factor doesn't work, and will never. Just like 16 year old boys watch porn....todays standard is the new 14 maybe since porn is free and everywhere on the net now.

Umm... he translated what the guy said? If you had just read the text below the video you would know.

The exit is that way.
Please use it.

Why violence in videogames anyway? Because it sells. I remember wanting Mortal Kombat really bad for my SNES. But back then that amount of gore and violence was actually innovative. But now, why do they keep making these unnecessarily violent games? Probably because new generations of adolescents keep surging over and over with the will to try violence in a virtual experience.

At this point, to me violence in a game is just the lack of creativity from the game design point of view.

in russia,
videogame bans YOU!

This is exactly what I spoke about in a speech for my Finnish class the other day. It's really hard to understand the mind of those who think violent video games create violence. It's more of that violent people like violence hence they play games with violence. And watch violent films. And read violent books. This doesn't mean that people who do those things are violent, of course.

Of course, in the hands of little kids, violent games may become a problem.

Thanks for the translation.

I can agree with the "Cartharsis" theory. After all, there's nothing better after a hard day than booting up a horror game, slapping on the Godmode and whaling on zombies to vent your aggressions.

However, you also have to keep the kids from thinking that this kind of thing is the norm IRL. That falls to parenting, which I'm not going into here.

But anyway, Merci Benzaie!