I wrote recently about the
need for violent video games on the Nintendo Wii and, for clarity, the main point of my message is that the Wii is a great platform for a game that has physical interaction.
It could be where you can pull a street sign from the ground and shove it into your enemy's head, or it could be a cooking game where you have to assemble a
Gordon Ramsay-esque 10-course meal. The point is, the Wii has unique features that are well suited to violent games.
As to whether or not game developers will make violent games for the Wii and if they will be big sellers is not my area of expertise. It's the underlying possibilities of the technology that I find interesting.
Violent video games on the Wii address two specific points:
1. Nintendo wants to sell more Wiis and games. Hardcore gamers are not buying Wiis
a. I could make a couch-jockey/carpal tunnel joke, but the Wii doesn't have the graphics horsepower of other consoles or PCs. What it does have is the ability to use more than your thumbs to play a game.
2. The Wii brings a whole new level of human/game interaction that would be well suited to more adult/violent games
a. Wii baseball has a batting game. I'm not suggesting this is the same social context as hitting some in-game enemy in the head, but I am saying it's pretty fun to hit stuff.
b. We all need more exercise
I figure if you can do one thing (hit a baseball) then you can do more things (hit an in-game enemy in the head). How that gets manifested into the game is a whole different story.
The comments and arguments around my previous post (in which I assert violent video games are cool) remind me of the
Simpsons episode when
Marge campaigns against Itchy and Scratchy.
I don't know if video game violence has an effect on children, and I'm not sure if I care. I write about software disruption, not social issues.
Related Links:
Why the Wii is well-suited to video game violence
Author: Dave Rosenberg
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