While hardly scientific and more of an observation, GamePolitics has an interesting look on how violent crime has dropped drastically with the release of heavily criticized titles. While only a few games are mentioned, think of Halo (2001) or Counter-Strike (2003) and place them on the chart. A number of outside factors considered (crimes not reported, crimes below the age range), the chart still brings something to think about.
Are games having a counter effect to the violence? Does hopping online and sniping friends have a desensitizing effect but actually lets players let off some steam? Or, is the entire thing misguided, untrue, and not an actual representation of what’s actually happening out there?
Wed, Jun 25, 2008
Consoles, FPS, PC, Xbox 360, ps3