By Nicholas Lives
Movies and Music Reviews
undeadmoose@yahoo.com

It’s no secret that videogames and violence have been longtime partners since Pacman chomped down on his first frightened dead person (ghost). That being said, why is it that violence so often translates to fun in videogames?

Taking a quick look at the most popular videogames of today, one sees a strange correlation between a game’s success and a game’s violent content. To put things into perspective, here is a short list of some of 2011’s best-selling games:

1 -  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

2 -  Just Dance 3

3 -  Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

4 -  Battlefield 3

5 -  Portal 2

Let’s breakdown this list of games now shall we? In first place we have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a game about being an “American hero” who makes the world a better place by shooting its inhabitants. Nothing violent or trivializing about that, is there?

 Next we have Just Dance 3, a game in which you flail your arms and legs around wildly in an attempt to get the darn Wii sensor to read your movements. This may not sound very violent, but when you take into consideration that most people play these games in their basements or living rooms, surrounded by lamps and possibly other people, an accidental punch to the face isn’t that far off.

In third place, we have Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, in which you pilot another “hero” who shouts at people so violently that it causes them to fall on their tushies. Oh yeah, and you slay a bunch of dragons; which, according to the game’s story, are an endangered species. It looks like there isn’t much sympathy for wildlife in these games, eh?

Speaking of sympathy, the next game on the list is a game I have no sympathy for whatsoever if only due to its incredibly obnoxious “theme song.” That’s right, Battlefield 3. Supposedly this game about shooting foreigners is in direct competition with the previous game about shooting foreigners, Call of Duty. Although the choice of which one to buy seems a bit trivial. “Which country would you rather side with in a videogame? America or America?”

Finally at number five, we have the delightful Portal 2, a game about theoretical physics. While I’m proud to say that this game is probably the least violent amongst all the other games, I will admit that the plotline; in which an omniscient (and not to mention rude) computer ridicules you for your weight while trying repeatedly to murder you, is not the most family friendly of concepts. Luckily, the game does end rather (SPOILER WARNING) bittersweet, which is more than I can say for most of the other games on this list.

So where was I going with all this? Oh yes that’s right, that violent games sell well because they contain some amount of violence one way or another. Is this to say that no game can succeed without including violence? Of course not! My theory is that the only reason violent games sell well is because: A) they are designed well. B) Blood effects and violent actions in general lend powerful visual stimuli as a way of rewarding the player for every successful kill they land.

Considering this idea of visual stimuli, I whole-heartedly believe that, if accompanied by the right kind of visual effects, a game about hugging people could be just as fun as a game about shooting people. I also encourage you, the consumers, to try and expand your game collection beyond simple shooters and sports games. The industry won’t make games that we don’t buy, so encourage them by not buying games about shooting foreigners.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m getting off this soap-box before it starts falling over.