By Dreamer IX at Thursday, August 07, 2014 9:50:00 AM

Movies, music and books have always been popular mediums with which to create discussions around various topics. From gender discrimination to racism to depression, no subject has been left unturned. It’s deemed appropriate, even necessary, for these mediums to play a role in making us think about uncomfortable topics. Yet it seems the gaming industry is denied that same opportunity.

Games are for kids

The phrase “games are for kids” reeks of ignorance. It shows a simple, one dimensional view about games that is outdated and insulting. On the outset, sure, games can seem to be a shallow recreational activity that’s about having fun, but when you dig deeper, you can’t help but see that they are so much more.

Games, just like movies, books or music (which I will refer to as “traditional mediums” for the sake of this article), can be a vehicle to deliver something powerful. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B and saving the princess. It’s about the decisions that you make along the way. Did you save a helpless traveler? Did you kill everyone or show compassion and mercy to those you defeated? Games nowadays, at least the good ones, make you take all these thoughts into consideration. You’re taught to think about your actions because they have consequences.

Games tell stories about downtrodden, hopeless people that find it within themselves to rise up to the occasion. You’re taught to believe in yourself. You’re inspired. When games are able to do these things, they are laden with praise and used to show how far the gaming industry has come. Yet, this praise is quickly silenced when a game chooses to grow up and tackle darker topics.

When a game ventures away from the beaten path of important, but safe and savoury lessons to the relatively grown up but solemn issues in life, outrage ensues. When a game becomes too real and deals with issues that are too close to home, nerves are hit and defense mechanisms kick in. People ridicule games for being too childish, yet fear them when they attempt to grow up.

Outrage – The de facto reaction

The Call of Duty franchise did some growing up. In Modern Warfare 2, you were an undercover CIA agent infiltrating a Russian terrorist group. In what is now a well-known mission, the terrorist group enters a bustling airport and you are ordered to mow down every civilian with heavy duty machine gun. The public reception to this optional mission was severe.

Some stated it was harming the psyche of gamers. Others said it was too brutal and had no place in gaming. (Source) Those same reasons are very rarely used to describe equally shocking traditional mediums. Mohammad Alavi, the creative force responsible for the mission defended it, saying the following:

“For that level we were trying to do three things: sell why Russia would attack the US, make the player have an emotional connection to the bad guy Makarov, and do that in a memorable and engaging way. In a first person shooter where you never leave the eyes of the hero, it’s really hard to build up the villain and get the player invested in why he’s bad.

It isn't really relevant whether that makes you enjoy the entertainment experience even more because you're being or it engrosses you further into the story and makes you resent your actions. What's relevant is that the level managed to make the player feel anything at all." - Source

That’s not the only instance of public backlash for game deemed too dark. A scene in a Tomb Raider game had the beloved Lara Croft endure sexual abuse. Some of the criticism it faced had merit, such as the fact that female protagonists had to go through a humiliating experience before becoming badass, whereas male leads simply were badass. (Source) However others seemed angered that a game dared to dabble in such a serious topic. As if games were too silly for that.

More recently, an Android game called Bomb Gaza was released that allowed the player to role play as the Israeli military bombing Gaza. The level of public outrage was so severe that Google pulled the game only minutes after it went viral. (Source) The issue with the outrage is not that people criticised how tasteless the game was. It’s that the outrage was directed due to the mere fact that a game actually incorporated current issues and controversies into its gameplay.

It seems games are not allowed to be mature and tackle sensitive issues, and when they do, outrage is the go to reaction.

Are games the exception?

What is it about games that the public feels they aren’t allowed to tackle difficult or complex issues? Is it because the majority of people who play games are children? Whilst that may be true, is that not the reason age restrictions are put in place? On top of that, the fact that children go see movies hasn’t stopped some particularly controversial ones from being made.

Another question that can be asked is, is it really a bad thing that the majority of gamers are young? This can be seen as the perfect opportunity to tackle important issues at an age where children are growing up and still forming opinions. Unfortunately, in the world we live in, children are going to find out about sensitive issues such as rape at a relatively young age. What is wrong with them learning about it through a game and understanding just how destructive it is?

Is it that games are too immersive and thus too powerful? It is well documented how Fox News loves to spew its message that violent games create violent children. Studies often come out stating how detrimental games are as often as studies come out proving how beneficial they are. If gaming is such a powerful medium, that should make it even more of a viable vehicle to deliver important messages and teach children around difficult issues in a way that they can really understand.

We all know that terrorism is a bad thing and that a lot of lives are lost to it, yet being put in the shoes of a terrorist and carrying out those acts first hand puts that truth in a whole new perspective. Call of Duty allowed you to imagine, if only for a moment, what kind of person would massacre civilians and why. As Mohammad stated, it made the player feel.

With great power, comes great responsibility

At the end of the day, the fear of games may come from the fact that it’s difficult not to deny how powerful they are. It is that power that people fear. However, the mindset should shift from one of fear and denial to one of acceptance. When we accept that games are going to be a powerful medium, people can stop balking at game developers’ audacity to deal with sensitive issues, but rather discuss whether it was handled well and created the right lesson.

If we can have those kinds of discussions, games can finally be held to a higher standard. There is of course a place for shallow games that are simply about being fun and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when games do want to dig deeper into darker issues, it shouldn’t be done with the fear of public backlash. The question shouldn’t be, “Will people get offended?”, but rather “Did we tackle this issue correctly?”

That latter question, applied to Call of Duty would have created a completely different discussion. That same question would have allowed us to reach the conclusion that a game like Bomb Gaza was not what the world needed. The same conclusion, but for different reasons.

Let’s stop denying games the power they have to really make people think. Accept that whilst traditional mediums have their place in creating discussions, games are no different. There is no wrong in dealing with tough issues through games.

Having said that, there is also a responsibility that comes with that power. Parents need to be more aware of what their children are playing and game developers need to take into account how powerful their medium is and ensure they are tackling issues correctly and for the right reasons. If that is allowed to happen, gaming can make some really iconic and important contributions to societal growth and finally be taken seriously because, games are NOT just for kids.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree that people are too quick to shut down darker games? Is the outrage justified?

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