OldTobyTook

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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    The Problem with First-Person Shooter Games

    Why do we love it? What, if any, are the consequences of living in virtual or "fantasy" world in which we indulge fantasies of violence and murder?

    • First-person shooters aren't the only culprits, if you will, of indulging violent fantasies. I would argue, even, that the first-person shooter is actually less harmful than others, for the fact that most first-person shooters are military based, and the targets are (usually) enemy soldiers that engage in combat with you. For those reasons I wouldn't call it murder. Compare that to Grand Theft Auto, a traditionally third-person sandbox experience, where you can murder anyone on the street. There are certainly consequences that can and should be addressed in first-person shooters, but I can't say I agree with the ones you specified. – nsnow 9 years ago
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    • This is a really interesting topic- lots of debate has been held on this issue. Many studies have suggested that these kind of games influence moral values, but there are just as many that refute this opinion entirely with valid reasoning. The gamer's perspective of these games is one thing, but the public's general opinions may be completely different. Perhaps maybe the writer could look into how the general public views these games as well. – James Smith 9 years ago
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    • I would make sure not to swing too heavily in one direction with this one. The topic is so hotly contested that a bias would be detrimental to any argument being made. – TineBeag 9 years ago
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    • First of all, not all first-person games are murder simulators. play some Portal 2. exercise those brain muscles over some pretty creative puzzles and laugh out loud dialogue. Second of all, it's not just FPS games that are violent. Gears of War? Hitman? Third, there are other genres of video games. Puzzle games, Platformers, RPGs, sports/ racing games. Fourth, sometimes people play a game because- dare I say it- it's fun, regardless of content. – effingjay 9 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    I enjoyed this post. I have yet to read any of Murakami’s work, but now I am interested and motivated. I wonder why novels that end without “closure” are popular? I would have guessed the opposite. This is worth exploring in more depth, I think.

    Colorful Haruki Murakami and His Ever-growing Popularity: Why do People Like His Works?

    There is a tremendous amount of information in this article, and a pretty good “works cited” list as well. The author moves in and out of the discussion, advancing the thesis while playing off of other experts. My main problem with the article is not the content so much as the framing device–the notion/thesis that Middle Earth is “real.” It’s not a very effective hook, and whether one believes in “real” or not, the information in the body of the article is still interesting, except when it’s a little off the mark. For example, the politics of Middle Earth are quite recognizable–it is a world that believes in the “divine right of kings,” and celebrates the traditions–Medieval as they are–as something much better than English democracy. Who wouldn’t want to serve under the god-like king, Aragorn? There is a clear racial and gender hierarchy in LOTR as well that would be very familiar to conservative readers. Further, the work plays out as a Crusade Tale: the White versus the swarthy dark-skinned evil southerners/Orcs who inhabit the land of Mordo–i.e., Mordor. Far from unrecognizable, LOTR is very recognizable as symbol and metaphor for Tolkien’s longing for an age where the world worked much more simply than it does today. But the question remains: is there a mythological past that somewhere lost in the mists of time where evil is evil and good is good?

    Tolkien's Art and Politics: Is Middle-earth Real?

    The Awakening is one of my favorite late nineteenth-century novels by women. Kate Chopin’s book is, I think, more subtle and complicated than this review suggests; many of the observations made in this article are not entirely supported by the characters and action in the novel. And what of Edna’s end and how Chopin concludes the novel? I think the summary here is a bit too pat.

    The Awakening: Where does the dream lie in Marriage, or Lust, or Freedom?