Violent computer games Essay Example for Free

Violent computer games Essay The huge influence media productions have on their audience is unquestionable. The use of quirky television advertisement to persuade the public to purchase a particular product ahead of other similar brands is a tried and tested method used by manufactures. The millions of pounds spent on a major celebrity endorsing their franchise is a risk that companies are willing to take. Newspapers campaigns aimed to manipulate their readers opinions on world issues, political campaigns and even the winner of a reality television show have been successful for many years and are another way of swaying the publics views. But could a video game really influence a human being into committing crime or even murder? . In 1993 Jamie Bulgar, a three year old boy from Liverpool was abducted from a shopping mall by two 10 year old boys. Jamie was taken over two miles away from the mall, being heavily tortured on the way. Jamie was eventually killed by the boys who then left his remains on a railway track so that a train would get rid of the evidence. However the murder was not put down to cold blood alone, it was largely discussed at the time by the media and in court what the real motivators of the boys actions were. The two boys, Thompson and Venables had access to a collection of violent films, one of which was Childs play 3 in which a possessed doll kills young children. Although no testimony was presented at the trial the films in question were subsequently banned and removed from video rental chains. There are several theories to explain the various effects the media has on its audience. Firstly, the hypodermic syringe model, the type of consumption that has the most impact. As the name implies this short term effect theory this short term effect theory is based on an idea that the violence witnessed on screen injects itself into the audience like a needle. There is a belief that as a consequence, this may lead to people imitating or rein acting a violent scene. There are several different cases to support this theory: In 1982 an American, John Hinkley JR, shot President Ronald Regan in an attempt to impress actress Jodie foster when he became obsessed by her after seeing her in the film Taxi Driver. In the film, Foster plays a young prostitute who is rescued by a man that plans to murder a presidential candidate. Hinkley harassed Foster and told her he would come to rescue her as she had been in the film. In 1978 Michael Ryan went on a killing rampage through a small town on Hungerford, shooting 13 people. Ryan was dressed on military uniform, although there was no conclusive evidence, it was suggested that Ryan had been inspired by Sylvester Stallones character in the film Rambo. The second theory is the inoculation model. This time the suggestion is that long term exposure to the media de-sensitises the audience to its content. This means the viewer could become immune to the messages and watches passive state. It is hard to shock this type of viewer as they have seen it all before. This is potentially as dangerous as the syringe theory, as it makes it hard for them to distinguish between fiction and reality and the right thing and the wrong thing as violence, gore and bad language have no effect on them. The final theory is the gratification theory. Here, the viewer is in control, we select and reject media in an active and thoughtful way. The media is consumed to satisfy certain needs, for example, TV soap operas can provide an artificial community for people that dont have the opportunity to experience one in real life. Documentaries, soaps and dramas can also help reinforce a viewers identity. Viewers experiencing difficulties in their lives may find it comforting or supportive if the topic concerning them is raised publicly. Video games can be played on several types of platforms: home consoles used with TV sets, computers, and computers with access to the Internet, coin-operated arcade machines, and handheld devices including games systems and mobile phones. In the past these electronically products were not available highlighting the fact that they have become developed and more poplar. There are a number of video games on the current market that have been campaigned against for causing an in fluctuation in crimes committed and in sighting violence. Grand Theft Auto and Carmageddon were accused of glamorising crime and subsequently blamed for causing in increase in road rage, car jacking and armed robbery. Tekken and Mortal Combat were heavily criticized for their trademark Finishing Moves which involved characters being decapitated, mutilated and tortured. In all these games, the players were rewarded for their sever brutality with bonus points.