The ethics of Videogames- Use Manhunt as an example

The Ethics of Manhunt
Manhunt is a violent game. Many countries, such as Canada and the UK, have identified it as "restricted to adults only". In Germany, it even banned the game. This is a very controversy game.


What makes this game so controversial? This game is all about killing. Killing the mankind by using everyday items as weapons, like hammers, crowbars, black jack, chainsaw, etc., is the main feature of Manhunt. Player has to collect these items everywhere. Higher scores will be given who use the most cruel way to kill the victims. Special items or features will be awarded you get 5 stars in some areas. So executions is the main way to  help you get a high score overall.

However, unlock bonus features and codes are, in the fact that,  can be awarded if player get 5 stars in 5 of 20 areas. The game system forces players use the most cruel ways to kill victims till last if they do not know the truth. This system makes players become more aggressive while playing the game.

Throughout the game, player can see victims are being kicked or killed mercilessly. This brings them a loss of sense of mercy and become more aggressive.

The game is set to use everyday items as weapons. As the result, this brings play a sense of reality. They becomes hard to find differences between fake and real world., and may try to use plastic bags or pens to kill others in the worst situation.

With the release of Wii version, this game becomes more dangerous. From GamePolitcs.com, it mentioned that " Wii's motion control system would effectively constitute a rehearsal of the body movements used in real-world beating, slashing and stabbing." It also stated that "The content of Manhunt 2 and the unique physical interaction with the Wii control combine to take this simulation a level closer to reality." With daily practices of using the remote, this makes players get a pratice of these violent acts. The effect of experience becomes bigger.

The study on Violent Games
‘227 college students who completed a measure of trait aggressiveness and reported their actual aggressive behaviors (delinquency) in the recent past. They also reported their video game playing habits. "We found that students who reported playing more violent video games in junior and high school engaged in more aggressive behavior”’is reported from www.apa.org, based on the study from the American Psychological Association. This proves that the videogames can bring people, as least youngsters an aggressive feeling and increase negative behavior. In long term, violent videogames can make them use the emotion and feelings from videogames into the real world.

Participants who have certain level of psychoticism and children are believed that they are highly affected by videogames. They will devlop agrressive behavoir and do violent acts when they face serious conflicts by copying of what they have seen in violent game scenes.

Yet, some people see violent games as a way of expression. They face pressure in daily life , from offices, schools, family o commununity. Playing violent game is the way to release their stress and negative feelings, for imaging the monsters in the game are their bosses, and calm down and release stress after playing the games.

All in all, videogames is the most powerful educational tool. People have to carefully select the games for themselves, fortheir friends, and for their children. Governments should also seriously state each game's rate, to ensure children and teenagers do not have a touch on violent games or other moral- questionable videogames.


Relevant Websites:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2000/04/video-games.aspx
http://gamepolitics.com/2008/11/17/new-study-wii-motion-controls-do-not-increase-negative-effects-manhunt-2
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/02/28/violent-games-dont-cause-youth-violence-says-usc-sociologist
http://www.digra.org/dl/db/09287.13336.pdf
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/02/28/violent-games-dont-cause-youth-violence-says-usc-sociologist
http://gamepolitics.com/2008/11/17/new-study-wii-motion-controls-do-not-increase-negative-effects-manhunt-2
http://projectmanhunt.com/archives.php?archive=1273861816&subaction=list-archive&
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3798090&page=2

The Ethics of videogames

a)According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing video games for individuals and societies?

b) According the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree?

c) Should governments have the right to ban certain games? Why or why not?

Playing video games, it can benefit both players themselves as well as the society. From the video, a boy called Robert, who suffered from the cancer, played Re-Mission. This game is designed to cure all the patients and win the game. This can help children who suffer serious illness have a positive view towards their illness and recieve the medical treatment. There also game to teach adults how to prevent pregnancy by using condoms. The videogames can also raise youngsters concern among the military awareness by offering military games in the teenaging group in the US.Playing videogames can also make the players become famous. In the video, it shows the players' name are shouted loudly in the video game competition.



However, not all video games are benefit for individuals and societies. The shooting games bring horror to the societies. In the game of "American Army", the situation brings a sense of realism that youngsterd may be disturbed by the videogames in his/ her real life. This videogames also brings out the problem of racism. In the game, the Arabs are the killing targets. There may have conflicts between countries and devlop hateness to Americans. The game also makes people become aggressive. Postal uses violent waysto end someone's life, like burning the cats or human, use guns to shoot people to death. There are also more than 20 shooting crimes occured by young shooters who have played shooting games before. They work out the dark side of the game in reality. A boy was caught because of shooting in school. He was believed that the 100% accuracy of shooting is due to the shooting games which he spent most of the time play, getting a practice of shooting position.



I really agree that video games sometimes bring game users aggressive and anti-social actions. There are a huge variety of choices for the violent video games. They give people the concept of "killing is acceptable and legal". When the gamers receive these negative messages, they would do the similar things which the film mentioned.



However, i don't agree that the government should ban the certain games, because this will affect the creativity of the video games companies. However, i will suggest the government set up regulations for the companies. For example, the companiesshould set the age limit to the games, for example, only 18 or above can play the violent games. Beforehand, the games should be played and checked by the committee, then decide which people can play these games, like what the films do.



Reference:

"Gamer Revolution", Youtube. (Accessed in July, 2007)

•http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=t8qYhH2H_TM
•http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MYeIG4E7c
•http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=OekCLo6HyKU
•http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4mlZSDlQE
•http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=5s6Y_jJVBn4

Technological bodies

Which Artist's work do you find the most interesting?
I am interested in the Inter- DisCommunication Machine, designed by HACHIYA Kazuhiko, a media artist. From the description posted by HACHIYA Kazuhiko in Youtube, he described it as "Equipments which exchange views between two persons. You can only see through the other person's eyes when you wear these machines, which forcibly put you in the other's place. These were made to obscure the border between identities of two persons."

I want to try this to get the feeling of seeing from others' eyes. It also brings people think about others' feelings and situation while hearing this. The artist also ask us to think of personal identities. Well, i think this machine can be useful for closer relationship between people using in the long term. This is because people would like to care about of people see, and take reaction to it. Perhaps, i have thought of using it for the one who are blind and other one who is not blind, letting the healthy people feel the darkness or the loss of sight's situation. If the technolgy possible, let the blind one has the oppotunity to see the world through other's lens.

Reference:
"Inter Dis-Communication Machine (1993)", Youtue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOzVzcmK0VU (accessed August 28, 2009)