UAC

This is not a metacomic
Mar. 8, 2005 - 2:26 am

by: Deacon

There are different levels of subtlety. Here at UAC, we try to maintain the same level as a chemical burn or viral infection. I think we've achieved that with today's installment.

The worst thing about Something Positive is that it used to be good. If you've never heard of it and you click the link right now, do yourself a favour and read the oldest comics first. I wouldn't want you to think Mr Milholland has always been a whiny prepubescent girl. At one point, he could even be described as funny.

There's a certain level of irony in the fact that he only achieved success (scare quotes implied) after the comic jumped the shark. You can make your own sarcastic remark about the intelligence of the audience.

Say what you want about UAC, but at least it hasn't gotten worse. Seriously--if you've forgotten, go back and have a look. Even the newsposts used to suck.

Since then we've built this site up with blood, sweat and bile into one of the most indexed sites on MSN Search. Can riches be far off? Probably farther than I can see.

Okay, that's all I have to say about comics, because there are Vampire LARPers on my television. Or maybe they're just regular roleplayers who like dressing up in gay apparel, because they aren't really doing anything. If that's live action roleplaying, vampires must be very boring people.

Also, blood must be very fattening.

I know nobody asked me...
Mar. 8, 2005 - 10:58 am

by: Fuzz

What constitutes violence in video games?

Violence is violence, doesn't matter if it takes place in a video game, a book, on TV, in a movie, wherever. Webster's defines:
1 a : exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in effecting illegal entry into a house) b : an instance of violent treatment or procedure
2 : injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation 3 a : intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force b : vehement feeling or expression, also : an instance of such action or feeling c : a clashing or jarring quality
4 : undue alteration (as of wording or sense in editing a text)

So, as you can see, one could make a game where you edit manuscripts for 100pts a page, and it would, technically, constitute video game violence.

What percentage of all games made would you say are violent, based upon your previous definition of violence in video games?

Probably 90%, most puzzle games aren't violent, although some are. Intensely violent I'd have to say 60%, it's hard to quantify because I know there are a lot of strictly kid games starring talking taxicabs and stuff like that.

How many hate or violent crimes would you say are linked to or directly related to violence in video games?

Linked? What the hell is that supposed to mean. Directly I'd have to say zero, games don't give you directions for you to follow outside of the game world. There's no games out that I'm aware of that instruct you to go into mommy and daddy's room, use the jade elephant key in the statue of elvis to unlock the magnum, and use it to cleanse the elementary school.

Does age or sex play a factor in violent, aggressive behavior?

Sure, little kids are violent little assholes, because they lack the ability to put themselves in another's place. Once they realise that biting and pinching and hitting and stabbing hurts them too, they tend to tone it down a little bit. Once they reach puberty, the males and the females generally fight amongst themselves, and a few lonely outcasts remain fairly docile, though some of them come to hate the aforementioned males and females who are fighting amongst themselves.

Is there a correlation between playing violent video games and acting in a violent manner?

Not to the point where you could make such a broad generalisation as "video games cause violence", not even close. We're talking about six-degrees of seperation correlation here. Violence in video games could be outright banned and it wouldn't have any effect. There is a vast and interdependent network of reasons why these atrocities are transpiring, and video game violence is so far from the root that I'm willing to suggest that more kids are occupied by video games in such a way that curbs motivation to kill than are motivated to kill by video games.

Is gaming escapism?

Just about everything we do that's not productive is escapism, along with many things that are, the human brain is essentially designed for two things: movement and lying. Escapism is just lying to yourself.

Do you think the interactivity of game violence makes it different than violence on television, which is passive?

Sure, and now that video game technology is coming to the point where it can approach the realism and graphics of TV and the movies, this is sort a useful. The question is does the interactivity increase the perceived "damage" caused by the products? There are arguments for or against, personally when I'm playing a game like Resident Evil 4 I am more focused on accomplishing the goals that the game is providing me with than I am on any of the blood and gore. With TV all you get is the pictures and the sound, and you take it all in. Video games require more thought in general, which I think is a good thing.

Different mediums, as they've come along, have had their share of controversy. From pulp horror and graphic novels, to movies, music and television; is this part of a cycle?

A cycle? I doubt it, it's probably part of a linear or asymptotic progression. Maybe there will come a time where humans can vent their aggressions at hunt-the-android parks, where you pay a nominal fee to kill an android that looks, feels, and bleeds just a real live human. Different packages will be available, you can have the android modelled to look and sound like your wife, your boss, maybe even you! There will still be argument over whether the stress-ball relieves stress or trains you to kill babies.

Is the self-imposed rating system for video games enough? Is the ESRB working? What is the relevance of a rating system for video games if the powers that be will black-list certain games because of their graphic content?

The rating system is doing as much as it can, and as long as so-called adults can still get access to any flavour of game they like, and final approval is in the hands of parents, I don't have any major problem with the system. Warning labels on cigarettes are doing as much as they can. Eventually you have to just admit that people are idiots and let it be, as you sit back and let evolution take its course.

How does free speech factor in?

A lot of video game designers and people in the industry will tell you that ratings systems are effectively censorship, because they limit their prospective market. Tough shit, is all I can say to that. Welcome to suffering for your art. I mean if artistic integrity is so important to you then you probably aren't doing it for the money anyway, or at least you shouldn't be. But it's tough because the cost of making a decent game that can compete graphically these days is millions of dollars per year of development. Naturally to even have a hope to cover development costs a game needs to maximise its potential audience. Free speech is still there, you can put anything you like in your game, and that's the way it should be, you can even market it to kids if you want to, but ultimately you're going to have to get it past those kids' guardians. If you really want my opinion, I think that the kids who are sheltered from nudity, sex, and violence for most of their adolescence are in far worse shape than those who are exposed and learn that nudity, sex, and violence have been natural aspects of life since we started keeping history.

Are parents paying attention to what their kids play?

Again you can't really generalise something like this, there are a great many parents who aren't paying attention to anything their kids do, whether it's playing video games or picking up prostitutes in real life. This is the main reason that ratings systems are in place, to take the work of judgement off the parent's shoulders. What you'll find though is that parents are really shitty when it comes to saying no to their kids, and as a result the little bastard gets anything he wants. In any event it's the parent's responsibility to filter information their child is exposed to in private.

Do you think that video games are similar to sports? There are much-touted statistics that link aggression levels to video game playing, but isn't that precisely what happens in any kind of competition?

No, I do not think that video games are similar to sports. God.

Where does the accountability lie? Are parents responsible for their children's behavior? Society?

Accountability lies with the person committing the crime. It doesn't matter what made you do it, it doesn't matter if you're crazy, it doesn't matter if you were high, it doesn't matter if you thought you were Solid Snake. Society can be blamed, but so what? You can't make society pay, society will pay automatically. Video game developers, publishers, and retailers are all a part of society, they deserve their share of the blame, but that share is no more than is yours or mine.

I know this isn't much of rebuttal to Lord Douchebag, but what can ya do.

You are so full of shit...
Mar. 8, 2005 - 8:50 pm

by: Jibble

NFL Blitz is exactly like real football. The players are all very large, very angry, and capable of performing atrocious deeds at any single moment. If you don't believe me, just look at that guy who pretended to pull down his pants at that one football game when he scored a touchdown.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, like fake mooning in the end zone, sports games should be banned and fines should be levied against publishers who put them out.