A Right Turn At Gritty Realism

"A Right Turn At Gritty Realism" -Matt Guy

After all the blogs (and I will mention our presentation in another blog), there was one in particular that stuck out for me. It was the presentation on violence in sport/media and computer games.

As a self confessed computer geek, I found the computer game section of the presentation the most interesting and informative. I have often gave my opinion on the arguement that violent games/films/music etc cause violence in children/teenagers.

The presentation highlighted Grand Theft Auto as a game that has recieved huge amounts of negative press and accusations on its influence of violence and hatred. I remember commenting on how the newest installment of the game has taken out the fun factor, and replaced it with 'gritty realism', possibly as a means of unglamourizing the violent and destructive acts. I also remember the group mentioning the idea of remorse systems in games. The idea of a game giving you choice, between what is essentially right or wrong, is an exciting and intriguing prospect.

One aspect of gaming I have trouble defending, but think is very important, is that the whole purpose of gaming is to give an experience without having to be in it yourself. With this in mind, the content of games are often just virtual representations of what happens in real life, so what makes them different from when the news or papers show violence?