The Future of Violence
by Todd Volz
But is it really a problem? Ask any rabid gamer and you're likely to get a dumbfounded stare. What is a game without violence, anyway? Tetris. Or worse, Carmen San Diego. For the vast majority of gaming enthusiasts, violent content is expected and embraced; rarely -- if ever -- does it actually spawn real-life carnage. If gamers enjoy it and it generates massive profits, surely there's little harm in virtual violence.
Even Spector himself can't claim absolution. His groundbreaking RPG/FPS title System Shock (1994) -- one of my all-time favorites -- revolves around the decimation of hordes of mindless zombies. His subsequent efforts, which include the brilliant Thief (1998) and Deus Ex (2000) series, also center on the brutal dispatching of enemies -- some human, some not.
But if anyone is qualified to take issue with a game's design, it's Spector, whose titles have consistently raised the bar in both design and technology. His beef with Rockstar Games is less about violence in general than it is about the squandering of revolutionary technology on gratuitous brutality. Indeed, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series represents a huge step forward in interactivity in games, and Spector laments that the developer has used its considerable technological power for evil instead of good.
It's undeniable that Rockstar's GTA games contain perhaps the most realistic (real-world) violence seen in gaming to date. Bludgeoning a police officer to death with a baseball bat -- as you can in GTA -- is markedly different from blasting a demon to smithereens.
Even so, pointing fingers is completely useless. Developers want to make money (who can blame them?), gamers want to experience the latest in gaming technology, and parents understandably want to protect their kids from any perceived harm. Right now, at this point in history, there's no easy answer. Hand-wringing and blame are no help at all. The remedy lies in time -- and technological evolution.
Look at it this way: When's the last time you've seen a truly realistic facsimile of a human in a computer game? You haven't. Sure, things are improving, with motion capture and increasingly accurate lip-synching. But we're still a long way from realistic NPCs (non-player characters). This fact is particularly obvious in games that employ (non-violent) player-NPC interaction; at best, a typical conversation in an RPG (role-playing game) is composed of little more than NPC statements followed by multiple choice responses. Not exactly conducive to an immersive experience. Who can blame a guy for wanting to blow the NPC's head off, instead?
Even RTS (real-time strategy) games, which are more representational than realistic, serve up abstractions of barbarism in the guise of historical accuracy. The goal of the game is typically to raise an army and send it off to conquer a civilization (i.e., slaughter thousands of people).
Well, that's where we're at right now in the history of gaming. We've got all this amazing technology and we want to use it NOW. Simulation of complex human interaction -- which, arguably, is a natural evolution of gaming -- is impossible to achieve with the technological tools of today. However, we can certainly design some incredible, visceral interactivity -- carnage, wanton destruction and spectacular explosions -- in the meantime.
If you can't talk to 'em, might as well blow 'em up.
Streaming Video
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PlayWhat goes to GDC 2008 |
| See Game Details | Date: 04/02/2008 |
UPDATED: Narration - who needs it? Soothe yourself with our relaxing montage of highlights from the 2008 Game Developers Conference.
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Aquaria |
| See Game Details | Date: 03/20/2008 |
PlayWhat's Kahley Emerson takes a closer look at Aquaria, a compelling game from independent developer Bit Blot that took home the 2007 Seamus McNally Prize at IGF.
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The Simpsons Game |
| See Game Details | Date: 11/09/2007 |
PlayWhat interviews Alex Charlow, Associate Product Manager for The Simpsons Game, at the E for All Expo. EA's new Simpsons game may be the best yet.
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PlayWhat goes to E for All |
| See Game Details | Date: 10/31/2007 |
PlayWhat's Todd Volz and a camera crew go to the new E for All Expo held in Los Angeles. Is it an acceptable replacement for the mighty E3 of yore? See what you think.
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Dead Rising |
| See Game Details | Date: 07/02/2007 |
What could be more fun than bashing zombies with a sledgehammer? If you don't know the answer, you haven't played Dead Rising. Watch PlayWhat's video review.
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Warioware: Smooth Moves |
| See Game Details | Date: 06/18/2007 |
Warioware: Smooth Moves is a shining example of the abilities of the Wii-mote. See why in this review by Todd Volz.
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Saints Row |
| See Game Details | Date: 06/18/2007 |
Saints Row takes sandbox gameplay to the next level. Or does it? Is it just another Grand Theft Auto clone? Find out in this video review by PlayWhat's Todd Volz.
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The Godfather |
| See Game Details | Date: 06/18/2007 |
Does The Godfather do justice to Coppola's beloved film, or is it just another movie license squandered? Watch the video review by Todd Volz.
Designer Miyamoto makes video games pulse with life (USATODAY.com)
USATODAY.com - NEW YORK - Shigeru Miyamoto, the father of iconic Nintendo mascot Mario, among many others, doesn't just bring characters to life in his video games. He injects his life into his creations. That's why his latest project, Wii Fit, which arrives in stores Wednesday, is not really a game at all.
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SCEA Announces 2008 and Early 2009 Software Line Up for PlayStation 3, PSP and PlayStation Network
First party titles include market-leading franchises for the PS3 and PSP, along with innovative games for the PlayStation Network.
ION: WildTangent's St. John Declares Consoles Dead, Claims PC Renaissance
In this year's ION Game Conference closing keynote, WildTangent CEO talked about "The PC Gaming Comeback," predicting the death of video game consoles and the rise of online PC gaming, as well as the increasing importance of monetizing games with advertisements.
Microsoft on GTA DLC for PS3
Rockstar has signed to bring downloadable content for GTA 4 only to the Xbox 360 - but does that mean the PS3 will be left out in the cold?
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Review - Battlefield 214207/27/2007
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Nearly 150 years in the future another Ice Age will descend upon our planet, gradually destroying whatever is left of our natural resources and forcing the remnants of humankind to battle for supremacy and the right to live ... Full Article..
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If you've ever wanted to get your grubby paws into the film biz in some way, shape or form, Lionhead Studios' The Movies will satisfy that urge and then some. Full Article..
The Future of Violence04/27/2007
by Todd Volz
Video games featuring realistic violence have been de rigueur since the advent of the premier first-person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D. And no amount of kvetching or blaming will even begin to solve the problem. But is it really a problem? Full Article..
