I love video games, as do many other passionate players in the gaming world. It is one of the only ways to experience being something or someone that will never exist in real life. But one thing I hate about the gaming industry is the fact that it is under attack due to having a bad reputation.
The biggest aspect of video games that is being attacked involves violent video games in particular. There are many accusations that violent video games cause children to become more unstable, and cause them to act out with violence in the real world. There are even some cases where video games were blamed for the violent actions of youth.
I am not a fan of violent video games. Yes, I have played my share, and some I even enjoyed. Some are a little over the top and eccentric when it comes to violence, even obsessive in some areas, but one thing most parents do not look at is that all video games are rated. Even before all this controversy was adopted, ratings existed on video games. The sad truth is that most people completely ignore them. Much like the ratings on a movie, there are certain ratings which prohibit a younger audience purchasing a game that includes excessive violence without the help of an adult.
Another sad truth is that some of those violent video games, Grand Theft Auto 3 was one of them, included and opened up new doors through the use of unique ideas. In Grand Theft Auto’s case it was the fact that it included an open world environment, which was living and breathing as the player progressed through the game. This open world environment idea has now been fully developed and integrated throughout the gaming culture and even exists in non-violent games. Without Grand Theft Auto’s release, these ideas may have never even come into existence. This proves the fact that even sometimes a bad thing can bring about something good.
