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. – nsnow9 years ago
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 Smith9 years ago
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. – TineBeag9 years ago
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. – effingjay8 years ago