2. Computing games showing violence seem to be increasingly prevalent. Should such games be censored? Refer to one or more countries as examples.

In recent years, computing games increasingly influence modern society especially teenagers and children. There are increasingly more game makers trying to design the best games that could gain rapid popularity and are favourable among gamers. Currently, computing games that show violence seem to be increasingly prevalent. For the purpose of this essay, ‘computing games’ can be defined as electronic entertainment that is designed for the society. This essay will argue that computing games showing violence should be censored. The reasons for the argument followed by these points; firstly, sensitivity to culture, secondly, the promoting brutality in behaviour and thoughts and lastly, Inculcation of prejudices on certain groups of people. The country in reference are China, Japan, South Korea, and United States of America (USA). Firstly, computing games showing violence should be censored for concerns on sensitivity of certain cultures. This is because some games are based on real-life characters. For example, Battlefield 4 which adopt the storyline of dethronement of Chinese Government has been censored in China and been regarded as “culture invasion” (Jiayi, 2013). Another example, Fallout 3 which is a game relating to nuclear issues has been tweaked to be released in Japan. In addition, there is a nuke launcher named as Fat Man which mimics the nuclear device that was using by USA to detonate over Nagasaki and Hiroshima in World War Two on 9 August 1945 (Thorsen, 2008). Mentioning about nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, it is a very sensitive issue especially for Japan as the resulting from that incident, Japan has experiencing the detrimental damages and suffer economic loss. After American dropped two bombs on 6th and 9th August 1945, about 120,000 lives in Hiroshima includes men, women and children and nearly 75,000 lives has sacrificed in Nagasaki excluded from numerous thousands later who died because of poisoning and burns as a result from nuclear radiation released from this fundamental incident (The Economist, 1995). Casualties resulting from this bombing event represents a dark history for the Japanese community and any game which mimics the event for the purpose of worldwide entertainment can be regarded as inhumane and improper. From the opinions of family members which suffer loss, the introduction of such games is directly against the expected respect for the dead. Although the censoring of games because of sensitive issues just occur to the several countries, but it is about the sense of benevolence when violence games release without censoring. Moreover, promoting brutality in behaviour and thoughts is another crucial reasons for censoring computing games. Obsession in playing computer games will lead to increase in the statically rate of violence as it may trigger aggression. Aggressive behaviour have various aspects that includes many kind of attitudes that some of it unfit with meaning of “violence”, which is an act with intention to injure or harm others. For example, majority generally assume that emphatic salesmen as offensive but in the eyes of researches it is not because there is no intention to harm (Huesmann, 2007). For an instance, an embargo on the production and selling of graphic games such as Grand Theft Auto III in South Korea is because of claiming that vibrant of gaming seasons at cyber café has led to violence which includes deaths, have encouraged much of soul-searching (The Economist, 2011). There are violent and sexual content in this game causing many criticism has received. While in USA, Grand Theft Auto III has been cited for inspiration by the criminals in most of cases. For example, there is one case that firing on a car causing Aaron Hamel who is a victim has been killed by two gunmen, aged around 14 and 16 in Tennessee, USA. The investigators was told that they has begun shooting just like in Grand Theft Auto III (Allen, 2013). Therefore, computing games can lead to violence behaviour. Even though, the violence behaviour is depend on the individual but anything that can motivate the gamers to violence should be censored for the security of the country.
Lastly, the reason for computing games showing violence should be censored is inculcation of prejudices on certain groups of society or nation. Most gamers who are growing with playing the game will believe on the truth that was viewed on the sight especially children. From Henry M. Wellman (1991) perspective, by using learning and developing of a theory of mind, a person especially children will have a belief and behaviour formed from daily life that has structured every day in the common life as an outcome of furtive of mental states such as hope and desires. In this context of essay, computing games can be one of devices that can lead to formation of desire and hope in mind as further study in violence has been viewed that prejudice has been developed because of attributing from media especially from computing games. As children growth and matured, establishing about the standard norm of social behaviour should be appropriate according to society or nations has been constructed. According to Dienstbier (as cited in Hyland, 2006), ‘the belief theory of prejudice suggests that prejudice results from a negative assumptions and an act of discrimination on a particular person’. To illustrate, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been released in 2009 which has some characters related to USA army. There is a level in this game titled ‘No Russian’. In this game, gamers will play on USA side. Then, Russian as antagonist (Allen, 2013). In my opinion, this will create bias in gamer’s mind which Russian is terrorist. Despite of creating prejudice, some players may have seen the other benefits such as plotting the strategy wisely.
In a nutshell, computing games should be censored because it involves sensitivity to culture for some countries that may results in disunity of the society. In addition, computing games also promote brutality in behaviour and thoughts that can increase the rate of crime in a country and lastly, inculcation of prejudices on certain groups of society or nation that will lead to lack of confidence in most of citizens when the government intends to establish diplomatic relationship with that particular countries. Ergo, it could be argued that computing games should be censored.