What is considered accepted in-game violence/offence?

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@OP: The difference is that in most countries child pornography already is a crime in and of itself. So a videogame (or any media) directly depicting paedophilia would most likely be illegal.

So is murder, 'normal' pornography, assault, etc. yet games include all these activities without legal question....
 
And then someone asked me yesterday; Why is pedophelia not a subject in video games?

Because most of us have had the urge to punch someone in the face, or worse, but didn't due to being in the possession of a frontal lobe. Pedophilia is the result of a brain abnormality and shouldn't appeal to normal people in the slightest. Add to that the emotional outrage and impact these crimes have on communities and it isn't financially viable to develop for what small community might be interested.

@OP: The difference is that in most countries child pornography already is a crime in and of itself. So a videogame (or any media) directly depicting paedophilia would most likely be illegal.

Not sure if you thought this one trough...
 
Is it merely a question of cultural and socialogical context? (based on the answers above, I suppose it is)

It is never that black and white. yes, it is cultural, but pretty much all (*cough* Japan *cough*) cultures have extremely negative views on it for the simple reason that children are the most vulnerable members of a community, while at the same time needed for the future existence of your tribe. If there were many communities that were okay with such stuff, they simply ceased to exist because of it. The same goes on an individual level: people react instinctively to kids being harmed, especially when it is their child. Its far more difficult to get upset about some criminal shooting another criminal, for example. It isn't culture, some stuff is pretty much hard-wired into our brains.

If there is a thing that would be dangerous to small communities long time ago, there's an excellent change of cultures being negative towards it. Whether that is harming kids or eating pork. Cultural? Sure. But for a more biological reason than you may think.
 
Why are some crimes all right to "play", and others not?

I dont have an absolute answer only my own opinion.

Most games having violence and crime as part of their gameplay I m able to classify them in a way that enables me to perform them. Its basically reduced to "overcome opposition" and the "act" of killing isnt perceived as killing but more like "One down, 20.000 to go". When it comes to stealing tho the objective in RL terms would be to aquire possessions that are not yours and you possibly hurting another persons life by doing so I dont see it as such. I rather see an objective which I need to accomplish and the game challenging me with all kinds of obstacles I need to pass. Human opponents really are not needed for this nor are ultra-realistic graphics but I m not gonna lie....I prefer nice looks as well. It probably helps that I m not thinking too hard about what I do.

Same as kids jumping into an ant hill "for fun". They are just playing and dont realize they are destroying an entire eco-system killing innocent beings which happen to be weaker then they are. Explain it to them and most will not do it again.

Same with video games. When I perform violence in video games or commit crimes I know I m not hurting anybody neither do I cause them real loss and I see actual crimes as obstacles. Its the coping mechanism that enables me to enjoy The Division or a match of my favorite strategy game. I dont play these games because I revel in the imagination of the consequences (suffering and death).

I am simply unable to summon this coping mechanism when it comes to certain topics. Same as I have broken my own bones and know exactly what happens I simply cannot watch when a bone breaks. This applies to pedophelia or torture in general. There is NO scenarios in which I could justify these actions to myself even if its in a game. And if a company would offer me gameplay involving any of these activities as core mechanics (there are "sexual assault" games out there) I would mentally blacklist said company and made sure I d never buy any of the products if not openly badmouthing them. Biology works that way I guess. Killing can be justified in the real world if your own life is at stake. This can involve stepping on others heads and shoulders to safe yourself (panic, stampede) or outright killing somebody else if he directly threatens your own life. These acts are often automatic in nature and not a conscious decision. People going through such things (taking a life in self-defense or survive a stampede) are often traumatized. It doesnt mean that their capability to perform these acts brands them as violent persons.

I cannot say how I would see things if I would be born in china tho. Hentai is an art in itself and accepted by the Asian population and it includes stuff that is considered "perverted" in other countries. Anime girls might look like children but people watching these videos or comics "know" they are not meant to be children. AFAIK Asian culture prefers a small statue as well as small hands and feet. I m not sure how this evolved but other countries see obesity as sexually stimulating.

So if you want to know whats acceptable and whats not in a society you need to look at it all in a segmented way. We are all humans but our upbringing is vastly different resulting in cultural disparities which are often "shocking" to the neighbors.
 
It's just cultural, as has been pointed out.

In the west, pedos/chomos need protective custody in prison.


There was this on NES that said:
[video=youtube;wukqeVFUi5k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wukqeVFUi5k[/video]

;)
 
Because most of us have had the urge to punch someone in the face, or worse, but didn't due to being in the possession of a frontal lobe. Pedophilia is the result of a brain abnormality and shouldn't appeal to normal people in the slightest. Add to that the emotional outrage and impact these crimes have on communities and it isn't financially viable to develop for what small community might be interested...

So all the other horrendous crimes are not the result of a "brain abnormality" and are therefore fine to "play"? Even though they are penalised much more severely in real life? Sketchy...
 
It is never that black and white. yes, it is cultural, but pretty much all (*cough* Japan *cough*) cultures have extremely negative views on it for the simple reason that children are the most vulnerable members of a community, while at the same time needed for the future existence of your tribe. If there were many communities that were okay with such stuff, they simply ceased to exist because of it. The same goes on an individual level: people react instinctively to kids being harmed, especially when it is their child. Its far more difficult to get upset about some criminal shooting another criminal, for example. It isn't culture, some stuff is pretty much hard-wired into our brains.

If there is a thing that would be dangerous to small communities long time ago, there's an excellent change of cultures being negative towards it. Whether that is harming kids or eating pork. Cultural? Sure. But for a more biological reason than you may think.



Child brides are still a thing in many places, and Japan is one of the more tame examples of such things.


And pork is just fine!
It's mostly those pork averse countries I'm thinking of above in fact, lol...

So all the other horrendous crimes are not the result of a "brain abnormality" and are therefore fine to "play"? Even though they are penalised much more severely in real life? Sketchy...



Has the idea that the acts are reasonably dissimilar crossed your mind at all?
Most prison populations seem to think so.
 
Just last night I ate another person in Conan Exiles. In fact, during PVP I found it satisfying to eat other players I killed as a sort of teabag move. That's flat out bizzarre behavior that would not even enter into my head outside of the video game where it is possible.

I think I definitely have been acculturated to accepting violence through video games and other media. The minor titilation from doing the activity not deemed appropriate in our societies is probably a real biochemical reward pathway.

I do see absolutely awful games posted on steam that I would never play or consider playing (some Asian ones in particular). I imagine with enough exposure to their content and desensitizing over many years, and given accepting cultural context, I could probably play them. That is a frightening thought. I want to block them even more now.

A repulsive but thought provoking OP.
 
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So all the other horrendous crimes are not the result of a "brain abnormality" and are therefore fine to "play"? Even though they are penalised much more severely in real life? Sketchy...

You grant video game crimes too much realism I think. By that I mean you treat game NPCs as real persons and people playing these games do not. When you break down many strategy games it comes down to "atrocities of war" really repulsive stuff and you would be correct technically. But neither do you SEE these things no do (most) people play these games for this.

I actually have an idea where you are trying to go with all this but I ll sit in my chair observing (or maybe you are just trying to stir people up hehe) :)
 
Has the idea that the acts are reasonably dissimilar crossed your mind at all?
Most prison populations seem to think so.

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you suggesting that sexual assault in general is ok, and pedophelia is not? In real life or in-game, take your pick. Or that if it's in a game it's acceptable, but not if it's pedophelia?... Again, sketchy logic...
 
I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you suggesting that sexual assault in general is ok, and pedophelia is not? In real life or in-game, take your pick. Or that if it's in a game it's acceptable, but not if it's pedophelia?... Again, sketchy logic...

No, don't be silly.
I am suggesting one is worse.
Both are bad.
 

verminstar

Banned
When it comes to pedos and child molesters...well theres a reason most of them are kept in solitary in prison...fer their own protection. Even criminals have standards...they ate the same time as everyone else, but they did so in a locked and guarded room when in such close proximity to general population. Their worst nightmare becomes a reality when general pop gets hands on them and the screws aint about...or so Ive heard.

Its a difficlt question to answer mostly because I grew up on one the most notorioulsy violent estates in Belfast during the worst of the ¨Troubles¨...to me, violence is pretty much just a part of life and many from here tend to have what some call gallows humour which can be highly offensive in the wrong company.

This bein the internet, one does have to exercise some restraint with the old wax lyrical however...boring stuff but needs must in this politically correct age I suppose. Ye dont ever wanna come to one of our house parties if yer in any way easily offended or shocked...people who are aint invited back a second time.

I got np issues with violence in games, no issues with torture bla bla bla seen it all before both in games and in real life. Only thing I would have issues with is games with pedos and child molestation...even before I was a father meself, such things are simply not tolerated where Im from, where being dealt with by the law of the land really is the least of their worries when identified.

Just about everything else though...ye Im pretty ok with most of it because its just a game. But then again, what I dont mind in the slightest, others would consider highly offensive. Then again, it really just depends on who ye ask and what their background is or where they come from. Most the time, people from here make jokes about what we did when we were young and daft...basically we dont take ourselves that seriously and laugh at ourselves as much as the rest of the world laughs at us fer being backwards.

Still...difficult question that was hard to word an answer to without actually being offensive in the attempt...thought provoking ^
 
You grant video game crimes too much realism I think. By that I mean you treat game NPCs as real persons and people playing these games do not. When you break down many strategy games it comes down to "atrocities of war" really repulsive stuff and you would be correct technically. But neither do you SEE these things no do (most) people play these games for this.

I actually have an idea where you are trying to go with all this but I ll sit in my chair observing (or maybe you are just trying to stir people up hehe) :)

Nope. I've said it earlier in this thread, and I think it has been adressed to some degree by some contributors:

The fact that most criminal attrocities are allowed in a game environment, but pedophelia is not, is merely down to cultural stigma which will probably fade in the foreseeable future.

But hypocrisy will always prevail of course.
 
Nope. I've said it earlier in this thread, and I think it has been adressed to some degree by some contributors:

The fact that most criminal attrocities are allowed in a game environment, but pedophelia is not, is merely down to cultural stigma which will probably fade in the foreseeable future.

But hypocrisy will always prevail of course.



You are coming off as an apologist, and that is sketchy.
Are you a NAMBLA member or something?

I disagree with your prediction on this matter as well.
I think the countries that engage in such practices are in the dark ages, and I suggest you have it backwards.
 
You are coming off as an apologist, and that is sketchy.
Are you a NAMBLA member or something?

I disagree with your prediction on this matter as well.
I think the countries that engage in such practices are in the dark ages, and I suggest you have it backwards.

I'm sorry, but you're not making sense to me. But by all means, feel free to disagree.

If anything, you're the one advocating all kinds of attrocities, as long as it's in a game environment. Just not pedophelia, for whatever reason. Usually called double standards.

Feel free to retort, but I'm not here to bicker, so I'll refrain from endulging you further.
 
I just remembered, there IS a game where pedophilia/child molestation is possible...and the only thing preventing it from happening (in the open) is player taboo (this video also points out that in the US it is NOT illegal for pedophilia to be shown/played in a video game)
:
Thanks for finding this.

Life is indeed stranger than fiction. Virtual pedophelia. Age acting. Excuses and denial in my opinion.

But by all means; it's just a game, right.

Just a game. Right?

Just a game?

Right...
 
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