Violence has always been a touchy subject for any expressive medium, always being kept under close watch by rating boards and other such moderators, games especially so. But despite this viewpoint, games have also begun to enter a more accepted status in modern society. The controversy is not completely absolved, but it is not the only entity that surrounds games today. Along with this progression, games have also been evolving along with other technologies as they advance and increase sometimes making use of these technologies in order to assist their development and to discuss its controversies.
The one technology that has a strong relationship with games is the new literacy of social media both positive and negative. Social media like Facebook and Twitter have gained a vast following as they have grown over the years, becoming two of the most viewed sites in the entire online world. With this reputation, many people will flock to these places in order to meet new people, share ideas, and many other things. YouTube is another recent example of efficient file sharing; a great bulk of my own resources for this blog have come from there. With Twitter and Facebook now being used by businesses and more professional users, game developers have the opportunity to promote and discuss their projects with their audience. Through this connection, developers can form a more personal relationship with their consumers which both elevates potential sales as well as establish a form of fan base or group surrounding the project by the developers releasing online trailers or peeks at certain elements, just as an example.
While staying true to its original purpose, these social media can also be a grounds for voice and opinion, games being socially reviewed and critiqued, shared amongst a group of people.With the accessibility and popularity of citizen journalism, where the user and producer are no longer separate entities, anyone can post what they wish. Conflicts or controversial topics that a game contains can be broadcasted and spread rapidly, sometimes unintentionally while other times it seeks to be subject to viral marketing, using the game's infamy to advertise itself.
Considering the scope of social media, I find it an effective grounds to discuss and analyze the topic of violence in video games among other issues people have with the medium. By having a plethora of varying perspectives pooling into one subject, people have the opportunity to view both sides of the argument, the anonymity of the web keeping people free from fear of rejection or social exile based on their viewpoint. This also provides the chance for people to see and understand why others believe in the side that they do, and compromises can form, or at the very least there can be a mutual respect of beliefs. With all of this talk of preference and opinion, developers as well as those aspiring to be developers should embrace this external social aspect of their industry. They should take these perspectives into account when designing their game to please, as well as educate people on a message they seek to portray. Even if they are designing for the sake of entertainment, they will understand the limits they should place and keep in mind any resistance to their topic should it be more loaded than most. I find it imperative that developers stay on this communicative level with consumers, because this relationship shows that they are listening to people's views and show a form of respect for their players and critics, that they are entitled to their freedoms as are the developers themselves.
In this present day, are video games using this violence for a message more than for a thrill? Well that's just it, games are such a diverse medium and have numerous entries under several categories containing vastly contrasting content. Violence will still exist in games until the medium dies out. Just as film and literature both still implement some form of it, whether for being informative or thrilling, just as games do. Media such as these seek to target multiple audiences, attempting to appeal to as much of a populace as possible, and this is why we have our underground independent art house and our Hollywood mainstream bestsellers. It is up to the discretion and intent of the game creators to decide whether they want to include violence in their game, what its purpose is, and the degree to which they choose to showcase it. And just as violence will continue on, so too will the controversies, but as mediums have shown us, over the years attitudes take on a more progressive outlook on a work or piece, and boundaries broaden slightly as these behaviours shift. All works are interpretative, people choose to see what they will themselves to see, so just like developers, the player also has their own discretion to account for when deciding about a game's legitimacy.
So all in all, the game isn't quite over yet. Society and its experience with both violence and controversy as a whole, as well as some of games ideas show us that there are still a few continues left to use.
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