Gunning for Gamers

"Violence -- don't play that game."

To date, however, many video game enthusiasts have ignored such an order.

The gaming industry recently has come into its own, fostering one of the most lucrative and powerful entertainment mediums in the world. As its success has risen, so has the scrutiny under which the content of certain games has fallen.

Violent material has been in the industry for some time. The notion of destroying an opponent was present whenever Mario crushed a Koopa turtle and whenever the Galaxian spaceship fired upon an alien enemy. An increase in the realism of video-game violence has accompanied constantly improving graphics.

"The theme has always been there in some games," said David Walsh, founder and president of the National Institute on Media and the Family. The institute's mission statement defines the organization as "nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian."

Video-game violence reached a new level with the introduction of Midway's "Mortal Kombat" in the early 1990s. The title was a particularly dark fighting game in which blood flew as often as punches and kicks.

"Mortal Kombat" grew into a series for which a major selling point was its wide array of "fatalities" -- the winner of each battle had the option of finishing off the opponent in excessively brutal fashion. Fatalities have ranged from immolations to impalements to the ripping of skeletons out of bodies.

When the first "Mortal Kombat" became hugely popular and jumped from arcades to home console systems, many non-gamers -- including parents -- took first notice of it and were shocked. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game was heavily revised -- sweat replaced blood, and most of the fatalities were removed.

The establishment of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has helped to inform consumers of which titles are intended for older gamers. For example, "Grand Theft Auto 3" and its successor, "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," are adult games in every sense of the word. Each game has gang warfare raging through the streets, prostitutes patrolling the sidewalks at night and a formidable police force waiting for criminal-minded scum to slip up.

In these games, the player is free to blow up vehicles, to run over people and to cut down other characters -- including cops -- with bullets, bombs or blades. Perhaps the only cows left sacred are children and animals.

The ESRB has given both games an M rating, displayed on the packaging of each title. When reached for comment, a representative for Rockstar Games, maker of the "Grand Theft Auto" titles, released the company's statement -- "Rockstar Games is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment geared towards mature audiences and makes every effort to market its games responsibly, targeting advertising and marketing only to adult consumers over the age of 17."

"It's a consumer-driven industry -- so if people don't buy something, companies are not going to continue to make that thing," said Wes Nihei, editor-in-chief of GamePro magazine.

Such a situation didn't befall Rockstar. The game flew off retailers' shelves -- almost 2 million units were sold between its October 2001 release date and the end of the year. Twelve months later, "Vice City" pre-sold more than 4 million copies before the game even hit stores. At about $50 a pop, the title's initial success was comparable to that of the film "Spider-Man," which holds the opening-weekend box office record.

Playing video games is an expensive hobby, and Walsh said that there is a huge knowledge gap between children and parents.

"Parents need to be aware of what their children do," Nihei said. "You just can't shell out money that way for something that you may not consider to be appropriate."

Nihei said that the audience for video games has broadened -- they're not just for kids anymore. In fact, a 2000 survey by Peter D. Hart Research Associates found that 28 is the average age of people who play computer and video games. As a whole generation of gamers has grown up with the medium, more and more games are maturing along with them. But it is highly debatable whether more video-game violence has translated into more real-world violence.

According to a report by the Interactive Digital Software Association titled "Video Games & Youth Violence: Examining the Facts," no substantial evidence has been found to support a connection between aggressive behavior and video games. The report also found that nine of the 10 best-selling games during the first half of 2001 were rated as appropriate for people of all ages.

"I think that we will continue to see that type of content in some games, but not all games," Nihei said. "And the games that we're talking about are just the tip of the iceberg in the whole world of video games."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.