Devious. Dangerous. Distracting. All of these negative thoughts are associated with the violence of simulated games. Guy Martin, a journalist for the New Yorker, wrote the article Shoot-Out, written in 2009. He brings readers’ attention to the debate over simulated violence games. All through America, these awful games are being promoted. For example, a school in New York by the name of St. Ann’s plays “Killer, the last-man-standing game of water-pistol ambush, [and] has become a key end-of-the-year ritual” (Martin, 2009). This role-playing game is executed in an incredibly ferocious manner and lasts a whopping two and a half weeks. The goal is to massacre the opposing squads assigned by the ruling judge, who watches the game and settles disputes, …show more content…
All the players roam freely with gun-shaped objects in their possession. “...he paced Pierrepont Street, three water guns shoved inside the pocket of a hoodie” (Martin, 2009). Cops are humans; they make mistakes. A police officer can easily assume that a gun-shaped object is the actual weapon itself, and in the name of public safety, can bring harm to the wielder. To add on, many kills are made at night, when threatening groups are more likely to be present. When the small group of seniors staked out at another player’s house in a mere minivan, they exposed themselves to the New York gangs (Martin, 2009). These gangs could wipe them out. Also, they risk being notified to the police for suspicious activity. Danger is a constant hazard when taking part in this …show more content…
They may state that this is actually a good activity since it distracts people by playing violent games instead of commiting real-world crimes. When playing simulated violence games, feelings like rushes of energy and adrenaline bursts supply a criminal’s thirst for them. The National Public Radio Incorporation has an article devoted to this concept. “Iowa State University professor Douglas Gentile, who studies the effects of violent video games on children, says violent games tap into a primal instinct...a lot of people think violent games are more exciting than say, Tetris. ‘These gamers do have an adrenaline rush.’” (Yenigun, 2013). They believe that violent games can be an alternative to real-life criminal situations, and in the long run, these games can be useful. In reality, if someone was thinking about executing a crime, then a violent game could give them ideas. They would think that the small rush of energy they get while playing a game could be multiplied in real life. If they do end up a committing crime, it may affect them their whole life as they could face jail time, immense fines, job loss, and it can affect their mental health, physical health, and social status as well. Clearly, violent games do not suggest positive practices in one’s