A Replayable Debate on Game Violence

It looks like we've arrived at an impasse. There is no getting around the fact that violent video games -- some high-art and some just high -- will continue to rack up impressive sales figures.

The resulting profits often will come from children and teenagers, some of whom lack the maturity to distinguish video violence from the real thing as well as the understanding that there may be a connection between the two. Meanwhile, opponents of video games containing raw material will get a chance to tie the industry to the whipping post at regular intervals for public amusement.

It sounds like a situation that everyone can live with.

It's Not That Funny, Is It?

The BBC last week ran a story on a video game set in a school that is attracting some unwelcome attention:"A computer game called Bully in which players apparently hurt other pupils ... has been condemned by anti-bullying campaigners. A screenshot from the game depicts one student kicking a classmate while another looks on. Liz Carnell, director of Bullying Online, said she was concerned younger viewers would access the game. ... Ms. Carnell said it was impossible to underestimate the effects of bullying, and that people suffered the effects well into adulthood. 'We are contacted by up to four children a day who are suicidal, and many many more who have suffered injuries and trauma.'"

The game was developed by none other than Rockstar, the same outfit that came up with "San Andreas." Rockstar told the BBC that the game is still a "work in progress." Either way, a spokesman for the company said, the game should be judged the same as "any other work of fiction."

"We take the problem of violence in school very seriously and support groups trying to address it," he said. "But we have different views on art and entertainment."

The Boston Globe featured a column in Wednesday's edition by John Halligan, the father of a child who was subjected to bullying on the Internet:

"My wife and I thought we knew the risks of Internet use and thought we had done all that we could to protect our 13-year-old son, Ryan Halligan. But we were unaware that the difficulties of Ryan's middle school life had extended into the summer, then into the evenings when school started up again. Two years ago, Ryan sat in the comfort of our Vermont home being humiliated online by peers from his school. Ryan discovered websites that promoted suicide as a solution for the pain he was feeling and met up with a peer online who encouraged his suicidal ideation. Ryan took his own life on Oct. 7, 2003."

Now vice president for the Vermont chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Halligan praised his state's passage of an anti-bullying law that encompasses online activity. He also lauded Massachusetts for its Safe Schools Initiative, set to go live on Aug. 30.

Speaking practically, he urged parents to get involved in their children's Internet use, and especially to learn the language of instant messaging (fluid as it is): "Did you know 'POS' means 'parent over shoulder'? Ask your child: Which programs do you use for instant messaging and chatting? What is your screen name? What is in your profile? Who is on your buddy list? Have you shared your password with a friend? Have you ever posted your picture online? Have you ever been cyber-bullied or cyber-bullied others?"

2600 Reasons to Play

Nothing says "hip gamer" like "Centipede." This and other vintage games might not be stuffed with hidden cups of hot coffee and spinal-cord-severing mayhem, but they get more miles to the gallon than some of the sleeker games of recent years. USA Today reported:

"As developers tout 'next-gen' technologies, many enthusiasts are returning to the joy of a humbler joystick and decades-old games. Manufacturers have taken notice of the growing appetite for the simplicity, personality and instant gratification of such vintage fare as The Legend of Zelda. Many of these Donkey Kong devotees will head to the eighth annual Classic Gaming Expo this weekend in San Francisco for a nostalgic kick and a reminder of friends made thanks to positive experiences while partying with Princess Peach. 'If a game is fun, it's fun,' says Troy Gorda, 34, a corporate travel agent in Springfield, Ill. 'Some of the earliest games didn't have the graphics but certainly inspired your imagination.'"

And as we all know, a gamer's long night is a corporation's delight. The paper said that Atari is capitalizing on the trend with its Flashback Classic Game Console which comes stacked with 20 games from the '80s, including "Centipede," "Pong" and "Asteroids."

Here's more from the article: "Other companies such as Midway are introducing the old to the new with eight racing games in a package called Midway Arcade Treasures 3, due for PS2, Xbox and GameCube at the end of September. The original Arcade Treasures, which arrived in September 2003, has sold more than 1 million units, and Arcade Treasures 2, out last October, is on track to do the same, says Tom McClure, director of marketing for Midway. ... Nintendo will introduce 'backward' compatibility on its new Revolution system next year. The technology will play the oldest games on the newest machine, connecting to the Internet for downloadable access to many of the staples of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super NES and the Nintendo 64."

Maybe in the spirit of the proceedings we can convince the Knack and Cheap Trick to lend some music to spice up these titles.

Send links and comments to robertDOTmacmillanATwashingtonpost.com.