Katie Couric's Notebook: Violent Video Games

By: Katie Couric
Topics: Katie Couric's Notebook

Video:
Notebook: Violent Video Game

Though recently banned in Britain, the extremely violent video game "Manhunt 2" is about to hit the shelves in the United States. But when played on Nintendo Wii, players must actually act out assaults. Is it simply too violent for kids?

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by gameroutrage November 1, 2007 6:22 AM EDT: Again though, your ''argument'' seems NO BETTER than the rest of the people who claim that KIDS will be hurt by this game. Not if their parents or other responsible adults are educated and actually KNOW what is IN the game though, but the chances of that happening are slim to nil, since most parents are complete idiots who can''t even be bothered to CHECK THE BACK OF THE BOX for the descriptors.

Plus, as I said in my original comment, WalMart and Gamestop have systems in place that prompts for ID to be shown whenever an M rated title is about to be purchased.

The only problem with those prompts being, is there some way to bypass that by entering in a date of birth or other verifier to just shuffle the customer along?

If so, then those systems are useless too.

PARENTS are the first line of defense in the war against ''kids'' not getting their hands on these games, not the gov''t and not censorship.

Let me have my games, no matter how demented/depraved and keep a better eye on what your kids are watching, listening to and playing.; Reply to this comment


by ericmichael1 October 31, 2007 7:05 PM EDT: You can play with anything you want. You are an adult. But we are not talking about adult access to these "games". We are talking about minors.

Why any parent would wish for their minor child to have access to and be influenced by these things is beyond me.

I am a few years older than you. I have seen this nation delve into such depravity in my lifetime that it rivals the fall of the Roman Empire.

When one thrill gets old, the entertainment industry takes the sexx & violence up another notch. To get another buck. From children. Who with half a conscience would agree with this?

It is time to reign them in. They can''t market cigarettes to minors. Why should they be allowed to market violence? It is just as deadly.

Eric; Reply to this comment


by gameroutrage October 31, 2007 4:04 PM EDT: LOL Eric, so you''re for censorship, huh? That''s another quality of the Nazis right there. So, lemme say Heil my Nazi bretheren, since you obviously don''t care about freedom of speech.

There are so many REAL violent acts being committed in this world on a daily basis, so what is the actual harm in digitized violence.

And, I''ve said it before and I''ll say it clearly this time. This game is NOT intended for kids, but some simpletons will blindly buy it for their brats to shut them up.

I am almost 33 years old, I''ve played violent games for many years now and I haven''t gone out and killed anyone. So, I guess maybe those ''studies'' about games causing this behavior is what I''ve believed it to be all along.

Bunk!!!; Reply to this comment


by ericmichael1 October 31, 2007 3:45 PM EDT: Why do you trust raters to decide what your children watch? Even the raters have become desensitized to the level of *** and violence.

Look at the movies that were rated R ten years ago. What would they rate them today? PG-13? PG?

The rise in violence in our country is not a product of nature. It''s a product of NURTURE, the environment we allow our youth to be surrounded by.

The NAZIs knew that the media and the entertainment industry were great tools to instill their values to German youth through propaganda.

What is the propaganda that these video games teach OUR youth?

Just because it is entertainment does NOT mean that it is harmless.

It is time to reign in the entertainment business.

Eric; Reply to this comment


by gameroutrage October 31, 2007 11:45 AM EDT: Violent and explicit games have been coming out in one form or another for years now, but only since the creation of the ESRB ratings board do parents have a way to determine what is IN a game prior to getting it for their kids.

However, in many cases, it is the parents who won''t even take 30 seconds out of their valuable lives to read the black and white descriptor box contents on the back of the packages of all games to find out if the games they''re picking up for their kids are age and content appropriate.

I applaud the efforts of retailers such as WalMart and Gamestop, who use a POS system that prompts them to ask for ID prior to selling a Mature rated game. It will surely keep the ''objectionable'' content that was not made for kids out of their hands in most cases.

Of course, you will also have the oblivious parents who are all too willing to buy any game their kids want to just shut them up who will buy the game and complain about its content AFTER its in their homes.

The ratings system doesn''t work without across the board enforcement, but that would be a task for the government in this case, since as I said prior, many parents seem to not give a *** less what their kids watch, play or listen to, until they find out it is objectionable to them.; Reply to this comment


by army_sister October 31, 2007 5:21 AM EDT: Oh and another thing to all you parents and people out there against this game or others is that even though they might or might not be off the shelves, people can still get them and buy them off the internet from gaming sites, and play them and still sell them to your kids or other people, but at a high price. It wouldnt be illegal to play that game either IF it happened. Just another leak. SO it may or may not stay off the shelves but I myself and others know how to buy them off the net, gaming sites and other games as well.; Reply to this comment


by army_sister October 31, 2007 5:16 AM EDT: Another point to all you people about "hating" on games, if you ever think about it, since the "wii" platform came out, & more than likely there are cinematic roles in this game, or aka cut-scenes like in movies, these games and other games alike whether it be different genres or not are going to be our next big thing in the future for cinematic matieral, some of it already is. You may laugh and critisize but i have taken classes for this gaming program at my school for people who want to become gamers. & not all people are depressed or sad or upset to play games, no, not even like that, it is an emotional and psycological level that when that person that is depressed from the life in the "real world" they tend to look to another way out to lessen that depression and take it out on something else like for say games? Duh. Why do you think so many people play games? To escape the real world, their probs, and much more, at least they are taking it out in the games than in the real world. Think about it that way. I am a college student and I love games, all kinds, even I will play games and lose myself in the gaming world to get rid of my worries on the outside world. Especially "twitch" games aka "action" games. Hell you might as well put a news interview on "America''s Army" for PC console. B/c the enemies kill the soldiers, and soldiers kill the terrorists. LMAO you people are so gullable. I can''t wait to see that happen next!; Reply to this comment


by army_sister October 31, 2007 5:07 AM EDT: I saw the evening news about "Manhunt 2" on the wii platform and maybe on other platforms. & about the game itself, I watched what the psychologist had to say and the other interviews. I just want to say that I am taking a Game and Simulation Programming course in games, I am a gamer; but just wanted to say there is a difference in playing the game as in the "game world" and the "real world." But thats why the games have ESRB ratings on all these games for the parents to look out for their children. Other than that, what the psychologist said about the "anti-hero", it''s not the anit-hero, its the "antagonist". & Moreover, you don''t pick things up from games, but you can. But you get into the game world and want to play NOT ACT IT OUT!!! On the wii platform, it is a game system, the new genre of gaming, that game "Manhunt 2" will more than likely be on other game systems. So pipe down people. I am someone who is wanting to go into the gaming business, you lose yourself in the game from the real world and lay your frustrations out in this game, no harm, only fun. THATS WHY ITS 17+ MATURE ESRB RATINGS!; Reply to this comment


by Wookiee-1138 October 31, 2007 2:41 AM EDT: Grossman is a bigger quack than Dr. Phil. Lean to spell, hippie.; Reply to this comment


by petersemkiw October 31, 2007 2:31 AM EDT: Dear Katie,

If Great Britain could ban this Manhunt 2 video "game", why can''t we in the USA? This extremely violent video "game" has the potential of worsening any violent or aggressive tendencies in some of our most vulnerable young people,especially those who may already be angry or depressed or isolated from the mainstream of society.

In our nation already afflicted with numerous societal problems of violence, and especially in light of the recent violent homicidal incidents of shootings in a number of our educational institutions,we should be very careful about allowing a video "game" like this to be sold in our country.

This video "game" is a potential health hazard to the young people of America, and I think Great Britain made a thoughtful and wise choice in banning it from their country.
And we should follow Great Britain''s example, and ban all extremely violent video "games" like this from being sold in the United States.

Let''s make it the law.

Peter; Reply to this comment

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