Violence and Video Games

Greetings all, again it is I. Linkskywalker. Returned to you after a period of well over a year. Once again I will put
fingers to keyboard to bring you my opinion, perhaps it will not stop here. I would like, however, to make a note
before I go on; most of my previous editorials ("Can a holder of a sacred relic die 1&2" in particular) are no longer
proper representations of the opinions I express. Please stop emailing me about them. (Yes, I still get 2-3 emails a
month on editorials I wrote 2 or more years ago. I am sorry for losing my patience and flaming many of you who question me on outdated opinions. You are now informed.)

Anyway, this wouldn't be an editorial if I didn't touch on a controversial topic. Since this is a Zelda site, it had
best be about gaming eh? Well it is. I would like to make known my opinions on video game violence. Awhile back, I
read an excellent article written by Gina of newff.com, she made many points in that article that set my mind ticking
and I would like to continue on the same thread as Gina. First, we all know the bloody statistics; Children who play
video games are more violent. A fact that hasn't been mentioned however, is that Geoffrey Goldstein, a psychiatrist
who specializes in violent behavior, says that most studies on video game violence are flawed. Saying that the people
in charge of the studies are conduct them by taking a class of children dividing the gamers from the non gamers, and
looking at school performance and violent tendencies etc. Dr. Goldstein states; "by dividing the class into medians in
terms of how long they play video games, you end up with comparing mainly boys with girls because most heavy gamers are male. What you find is that they heavy gamers have more masculine characteristics. That is, they are more
aggressive than girls are. Their school performance is lower. They read fewer books. So you are actually ending up
with a study about sex differences that masks as a study of video games."*

If this alone isn't enough to convince you, then I'll continue. Studies in the UK show that children who have been addicted to video games for more than 5 years are MORE intelligent than their non-gaming counterparts. And these
children are NOT playing those stupid "educational" games like "Donkey Kong math" they're playing real games - Zelda,
Contra, Ninja Gaiden - True games.** Also, it's been found that the elderly are LESS prone to falling if they play
games like Tetris for even a short time every day. If these facts don't PROVE the benefits of video games, then you're
hopeless.

Now comes the inevitable counter-argument - The killings. Not long ago school shootings abounded, most notable the
horrible columbine incident. And recently they've resurfaced, the GTA shootings are just beginning I swear to you,
I've been predicting the GTA series as our downfall for years now. I've also always said there are people who like
video games, and people who live them. I am a liver, and so were the killers. Not all livers are killers, I know many,
many livers that are the most sickening peace lovers when you talk to them, but play a game of quake and prepare to be a bloody smear on the wall. I haven't studied the columbine killers much, although many people seem to think I am
alike to them, but they were freaking gang members. Yes, they were part of the "Black Trench Coat Mafia" they hated
everyone around them, doom was their refuge. They may have been doom addicts, but they would have shot up their school anyway. Video games are just a handy thing to blame. Sure video games are relatively new, and that means we will be prosecuted for our love of this novelty that is no longer a novelty. Video games are no longer a passing fad as they were in the 70-80, there wont be another crash. This is by far the subject that I am the most passionate for, although true hardcore gamers would find me more a computer geek than a gamer now-a-days, I still love games, they are almost the "alma mater" of my life. I've learned much from them, and will die defending my right to go to the nearest store and pick up a copy of "postal", because it is my RIGHT. I will not be put down, neither will the industry. If
Video games are made a second amendment issue as was considered in the congressional hearings in 1993, I will be the first to set up a black market for them.

As a closing statement, I would like to remind you that players of video games are incredibly good shots.

*Taken From Gina's Article
**Paraphrased from Gina's Article

Link Skywalker