Social and Moral Issues of Gaming

1. Social and Moral Issues of Gaming • WARNING: These slides contain explicit images of adult material (violence, nudity, sexual situations, etc.) • Anyone not wishing to view this material may be excused from this presentation

2. Early Controversies • 1976 Death Race (Pedestrian) • Inspired by Death Race 2000 • Featured on 60 Minutes • 1981 Castle Wolfenstein • FPS: kill Nazis • 1983 Custer’s Revenge • Other Mystique titles: • Beat ‘Em and Eat ‘Em, • Bachelor Party

3. History: ESRB Formed • 1992 Night Trap • College girls killed by vampires • No nudity or rape • 1992 Mortal Kombat • Impending congressional hearings • IDSA (Now ESA) formed ESRB: • EC,E,T,M,AO • 7222 “E” , 2638 “T”, 864 “M”, 18 “AO” • 2001 FTC: 80% retail let minors buy “M” • 5 Minute Assignment: • Break into groups of 4 • Go to ESRB.org and look at game ratings • Is ESRB Effective?

4. Doom • 1994 id Software • 1999 Columbine Shootings • Rocky Mountain News: • "His [Eric Harris] nickname, Reb, was inspired by a character in one of his favorite computer games, Doom, where the goal is to score high body counts." • "one of the game's slogans: 'Doom -- where the sanest place is behind a trigger.'" • sawed-off shotgun on his lap that he called "Arlene"--a Doom reference. • Lawsuit filed against id and 24 companies seeking $25B • Filed and dismissed in 2001

5. Grand Theft Auto:More than just violence • Violence: • Highjacking, drugs, porn, killing • 2001 GTAIII delayed to change NY scenes after 9/11 • Other Controversies: • "Kill the Haitians : NY mayor, Miami ordinance • 2003, $246M lawsuit for one family's loss of a member who was killed and for the other's whose was injured when two teenaged boys fired upon their cars with rifles--an act the boys claimed they learned from GTAIII • March 2005: 60 Minutes featured Devin Moore who killed 3 police officers after stealing car

6. Some Other Controversial Games: Violence • Kingpin: Life of Crime • Soldier of Fortune • Manhunt • Carmageddon • Phantasmagoria

7. 9/11 Related • Microsoft Flight Simulator • introduction included a player commenting on the possibility of crashing into the Empire State Building and how "cool" that would be • Removed images of Twin Towers before release • Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror • track and eliminate fugitives • #1: Osama Bin Laden

8. Sex, Nudity, & Gender Stereotyping • Females • often captured girlfriends or princesses that need to be rescued. • often portrayed as being sexy and seductive, irrelevant characters • Few American games feature nudity • Controversial Games: • Custer’s Revenge • Leisure Suit Larry • Tomb Raider • BMX XXX • Dead or Alive • GTA • Playboy: • “TheMansion” • Bloodrayne in Playboy Magazine • iBod, PSP

9. Japan: bishojo • centered around interactions with attractive anime-style girls • girls are nearly always "perfect", feminine • Highschool or fantasy setting • 14-17 y.o.,cute, Anime • Circumvent Japanese child pornography laws • H-games : pornographic content • ren’ai: dating sims • Some companies got start in H-games • Koei: Dynasty Warrior • Enix: Dragon Quest • Sample Bishojo games

10. Other Controversies • Propaganda • America’s Army • Islamic Fun • 9/12 • John Kerry’s Silver Star • Ethnic Cleansing • Historically Sensitive • JFK Reloaded • War Games (Vietnam) • Religious, Pagan, Magic, Cult

11. Stereotypes • Characters • 64% of characters are male, • 19% are nonhuman, and only • 17% are female. • Ethnicity • 86% of heroes were white males • 83% of African American males in games are athletes • (79%) African American males engaged in physical and verbal aggression compared to only 57% of white competitors • 86% African American females were victims of violence in the games that were surveyed. • 2x white females. • Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American characters are virtually absent. • Sexuality: homosexuals

12. Gambling • US not officially determined whether or not online gambling is legal • Federal Wire Act: law prohibiting the operation of certain types of betting businesses • The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Wire Act applies only to sports betting and not other types of online gambling. • The Supreme Court has not officially ruled on the meaning of the Federal Wire Act as it pertains to online gambling. • DOJ pressured Yahoo! & Google to remove ads • Credit Card companies don’t allow payments • What about Yu-Gi-Oh? • What about Sony’s Station Exchange?

13. Other Social/Moral Issues • Child development • Social interaction • Obesity • Brain Development (Kawashima study) • ADHD (cause/treatment) • Addiction • Agression • 210 college students played either a violent (Wolfenstein 3D) or non-violent video game (Myst). • Later, students who played the violent video were found to be more aggressive via duration they "punished" opponent by blasting them with loud noise. • Public gaming • Disturbances • Content

14. 5 Minute Question: • What should be the responsibility of the Game Developer/Publisher?

15. ESA Study • 802 random adults: 23.4 hours per week on other activities, compared to 6.8 hours per week playing games. Avid gamers — those who play games 11 or more hours per week — spend 34.5 hours per week on the activities • 79% exercising or playing sports at an average of 20 hours a month •  45% volunteer at an average 5.4 hours per month. • 61% engage in some type of religious activity for several hours each month.  • 93% read books or daily newspapers • 62% often attend cultural events, such as concerts, museums, or the theater.  • 50% spend time painting, writing, or playing an instrument. • 94% follow news and current events, and 78 percent report that they vote in most of the elections for which they are eligible.

16. Assignment:Essay • Pick a game that has controversy in one of the areas that we discussed. Describe the game (theme, gameplay, visuals, etc..) Discuss the social/moral effects the game might have (both sides of argument using your views and research.) • 3-5 pages double-space (images do not count toward page count. • Topics must first be approved. Submitted by Saturday noon. Notification Saturday evening.