Dev Dish: Violence in Media (contd)

Here’s the Gametap editorial in its entirety:

What does censorship mean to the people that make videogames?

By: Ru Weerasuriya | None
Aug 30, 2007

Editor’s Note: What do you do when you have one of the sharpest videogame developers in front of you at a media event, ready and willing to share his opinions openly about the state of the games industry? Well, you give him an article to write. That’s exactly what happened when I met Ru Weerasuriya, founder and vice president of creative development for Ready at Dawn. And the mind behind games both warm and fuzzy (Daxter) and violent and brutal (God of War: Chains of Olympus) has some strong opinions about censorship in the industry. And so we present to you the first in our series, Dev Dish, where developers from around the gaming industry share their thoughts on what’s going on. The gloves are off and enlightenment awaits. Let’s go. — Jason Allen

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It’s the end of a project; our latest game is close to going gold and it’s time to discuss what’s next. People are throwing around game design ideas and stories, and one of the latter catches the ears of the team. Although enthralling and potentially the basis of a great game, the story clearly entails moments of unjustifiable violence, immoral behavior, brutal scenes, the indiscriminate slaughter of people, sexual explicitness, a father deciding to kill his son. It’s not the type of game we would make, but let’s stay in the realm of hypothesis. All in all, one big dilemma would await us.

Recently, a game which most of you have heard about was banned for its content. Many hailed that decision as a step in the right direction. If you thought it was, you might also be one who would have thought the Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a great advance for society [see sidebar]. Well consider the following: The majority of authors banned by the Index for their work are revered today as some of the most brilliant minds of the past 450 years; however their work was considered at the time to be morally unsound, lascivious, or violent. Now, before someone quotes me as comparing today’s game makers to the artists of old, I am not…only time will tell. But the path that was taken then is not unlike the one being sought today. Freedom of expression is a right in this country, whether in literature, music, motion pictures, or interactive entertainment. And censorship has never been a solution and never will be.

Which brings me back to the story pitch before our hypothetical team. If the demands of the puritanical zealots out there were followed, such a story would surely be censored. How could it not be? According to their reasoning, it condones violence and lewd behavior. The dilemma here is that this story is inspired and unaltered from written materials, whether fictional or factual. Take the game I’m currently directing, for example: God of War is based on Greek mythology, a mythos often filled with violence and sordid tales. However, if one were to delve deeper, it’s clear that the violence depicted in the game is quite frequently tame compared to not just mythology but also the history of ancient Greece.

Often the argument brought forth is that certain depictions of violence are justifiable in the proper context, whether in literature or other forms of art. In keeping with the same logic, shouldn’t violence in games be justifiable were it to be presented with some acceptable reasoning? However, it’s usually not. Unsurprisingly, this double standard does not seem to faze anyone. Think of how many senseless acts have been blamed on writings, music and movies. With the advent of technology, the mainstream media might have changed, but so have our sensibilities. What has not changed are the isolationist teachings, morals, and views of the world that are nurtured by many.

Ultimately, what is really in question here is the vehicle through which violence is delivered. In a time when the interactive entertainment industry is in a financial boom, it seems awfully convenient to attack the medium that some feel threatens their comfort and way of life. Popularity always fosters the naysayer and if not for the exposure that it brings, many antigame advocates would not think to look twice at our industry.

As I was writing this piece, I read the following statement on a website attributing violence to games:

“Learning happens,” Harvard School of Public Health researcher Kimberly Thompson told the Boston Globe, speaking about the lessons children learn from violent video games. “I fear we are growing a society of alienated, aggressive, untrusting adults,” adds media researcher Joanne Cantor.

Yes, learning happens–who could disagree with that statement? Children learn from their direct surroundings, their parents, their friends and society at large. Many parents place their kids in front of a TV with a game in order to get some peace and quiet, but they won’t take the time to broaden their kids’ knowledge, teach them tolerance and the ways of the world. We are a civilization that has condoned violence in the name of religion, economy, and politics throughout our history. It has been part of mankind and is at the center of its evolution. As quick as we are to seek control or restrict access to videogames deemed sensitive, this same violence depicted through other means is now given less credence. Are we really to think that violence stems in large part from the games kids play? People’s hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me.

It doesn’t help when networks give a platform for people like Jack Thompson to ramble on about a subject he seems to have no understanding of. People look to a man who most likely has never played a game nor has any concept of the art of game development to warn them of its dangerous effects. This amounts to trusting a self-proclaimed expert to tell you what’s best for your health when he or she doesn’t know a thing about medicine. Then again, that seems to be an accepted practice nowadays. People have an easier time basing their judgments and opinions on those of people they see on TV, than making the effort to make up their own mind. The advantage of our time is that information is so readily available. Why not reach one’s own conclusions?

In no way am I condoning giving children access to violent games. The ESRB is here to rate the work we do. As an industry, we should support them and make sure that their work remains unbiased and reliable. Videogame retailers also have their part to play in stopping young children from getting access to T- or M-rated games, but parents have to start taking a large part of the responsibility. It is unrealistic to think that violent or even sexually explicit materials can be completely kept away from children. Education will always be the only tool to teach them right from wrong, providing them with the means to judge and evaluate what is presented to them. They can then be trusted to experience games for what they are: a form of entertainment.

Is there violence in games? Yes. But do games engender violence? No. Ignorance does. And from the look of things being said and written lately, ignorance is abundant. To the people who blame videogames as the cause of violence, pour your energy into a worthwhile cause. Fight ignorance–first and foremost within yourself.

And by the way, did I mention that one of the books that inspired most of the events in the first story pitch is the Bible?