Violent Gaming throws a punch

at Modern Society

The evolution of gaming over the last twenty years has proven to have a major effect on modern society, as studies have shown.

Many incidents over the years have been inspired by games with violent content, mostly by games such as Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. Also, the graphic violence within these games can be part of their addictive nature.

One incident that occurred in April 2000, involved a 16-year-old Spanish teenager who murdered his mother, father and sister with a Katana (a traditional Japanese sword). Upon being questioned, he claimed to have been on an “Avenging Mission” given to him by the main character of Final Fantasy VIII. There was also another incident, which occurred in June 2003, where two American brothers, aged 14 and 16, used a rifle to fire at passing vehicles on a motorway in Tennessee, killing a 45-year-old man and injuring a 19-year-old woman. They claimed to have been inspired by Grand Theft Auto III.

There have been many other incidents like these that have proven to be a very major issue for modern teenagers. Many cases like these are mainly involved with the addictive playing of a game, and taking influence and inspiration from events and violent actions shown during play. Many cases are also inspired by games

such as Call of Duty, which involves a lot of war-related events, settings and fighting techniques. A ‘versus’ game, such as Mortal Kombat, is more commonly known for its high levels of bloody violence and ranges widely in its fighting styles used in-game, from Ninjutsu (an assassination fighting range) to Boxing, to Aikido (a range using staffs as weapons from Japanese origin)

Tips for parents have been given by online doctors, advising people to select appropriate games for their child to play. Parents should check the ratings of games their child plays.