Violence: Where is It and Why is It Accepted?

The main purpose of the videogame is to entertain its audience, be it a young boy or an old man. Due to this fact, violence in videogames is seen as a part of the entertainment provided in videogames. Violence is videogames is entertaining because it provides an extra challenge for the player. An example of this occurs when a player is prompted to commit an act of violence such as killing someone or something in order to advance in the game. When this happens, the player is expected to commit the act without hesitation and do it in the best way possible. After the deed is done, the player feels a satisfaction of solving a problem and also is entertained by the “kill sequences” which show the enemy dying in the most brutal way possible. This is evident in the sequences that are shown in the God of War franchise, where the game rewards the player’s successes with very violent scenes of the enemy dying. The scenes act as the entertaining violence and make the player feel mighty because they just succeeded in something that is extremely challenging. This satisfaction leads to another reason why violence in videogames is accepted, complete control of the character in the game is another entertaining factor that vindicates violence. Games, such as Second Life, allow the player to control every aspect of the in-game character, from how they walk to what they eat. This allows a player to feel as though they were God and they are free to do whatever they desire. This also includes committing acts of violence. The main reason violence is accepted in these genre of games is because the player feel as if they are doing something that is prohibited by society. Supposedly, some players feel more alive when committing acts of violence that is prohibited in general society. They are free of persecution by society and it is a good medium to use as a stress reliever.

Violence in videogames also has social applications. Contrary to many rumors, videogames actually teach a person how to interact with others and cooperate with them in order to complete a task. For example, many online videogames allow the player to play with their friends and interact with each other. Even though most games in this genre involve “death matches”, where the last man left alive is the winner, these matches allow the player to form alliances with other players in order to be victorious. This teaches the player how to form co-operations where both parties involved use each other’s strengths to be mutually successful. This goes back to the educational value of the videogame where players learn about real life applications of what they learn in videogames.