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Many Games are Based on War

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By Patty Inglish, MS

How Do With Interact with Video Games?

Chaos War game (public domain).
Chaos War game (public domain).

Top 100 Video Genre Games

The majority of the Top 100 Games picked IGN are feature violence and/or illegal activities. Games are considered a type of sport, especially Chess, according to Olympic and Inner City Games standards; so, the violence and war themes of the bulk of the following games advance the theory that sports and games are based on war - even further. Many video and online games are based on sport and games and sports competitions are based on war. Interestingly, the military has long called some of their drills "war games."

Games and sports are good. They are better than battlefield war. It is some of the extreme games and sports competitions, even via video, which fan flames of anger and result in physical violence by some players, alcohol and substance overconsumption, betting on games and sports, parental violence in littler league games, etc., all of which need to be modifed.

Examining these quotes about games, sports, and similarities with war may highlight the similarities more brightly. As with all activities, children to young too handle these games should be guided by responsible adults in their choices and permissions.

Cards are war, in disguise of a sport. ~Charles Lamb

It is impossible to win gracefully at chess. No man has yet said "Mate!" in a voice which failed to sound to his opponent bitter, boastful and malicious. ~A.A. Milne, Not That It Matters, 1919

If only Hitler and Mussolini could have a good game of bowls once a week at Geneva, I feel that Europe would not be as troubled as it is. ~R.G. Briscow

Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell

I think my favorite sport in the Olympics is the one in which you make your way through the snow, you stop, you shoot a gun, and then you continue on. In most of the world, it is known as the biathlon, except in New York City, where it is known as winter. ~Michael Ventre, L.A. Daily News

Prize fighters can sometimes read and write when they start - but they can't when they finish. ~Martin H. Fischer

The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. ~Author Unknown

The breakfast of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz

It is a noteworthy fact that kicking and beating have played so considerable a part in the habits which necessity has imposed on mankind in past ages that the only way of preventing civilized men from beating and kicking their wives is to organize games in which they can kick and beat balls. ~George Bernard Shaw [Unfortunately, that doesn't always work]

There's nothing wrong with the Little League World Series that locking out the adults couldn't cure. ~Mike Penner, Los Angeles Times [True! - There are parents' fist fights at some little league games.]

It's like going into a nuclear war with bows and arrows. ~Joe Kinnear, comparing finances and resources in high-dollar and low-dollar sports teams

In play there are two pleasures for your choosing - The one is winning, and the other losing.~Lord Byron

The ball is man's most disastrous invention, not excluding the wheel. ~Robert Morley, 1965

Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words, it is war minus the shooting... there are quite enough real causes of trouble already, and we need not add to them by encouraging young men to kick each other on the shins amid the roars of infuriated spectators. ~George Orwell [That's an extreme view, isn't it?]

Games are a compromise between intmacy and keeping intimacy away. Eic Berne [ from Games People Play <psychology>. I think that mind games may be the most damaging form of war yet, a tragic sort of war games.]

Top 100 Games named by IGN.com, Title and Platform

After looking at their description and some video clips, I see that only 23 [approximately 20 - 21%] out of the 100 top selling video genre games reported by IGN.com do not promote extreme levels of violence or illegal activities. They look much like war, such as international wars, drug wars, gang wars, Ninja clan wars, and others. That could be a dangerous trend, especially if children too young to play the games are permitted to do so.

Mystery Shopping companies help the government check legal compliance on the sales of video games according to their ratings by hiring adults to take their children into stores to attempt to purchase inappropriate materials. The rate of such sales is far too high. These shopping companies also aid in age compliance checks of purchases of alcohol and cigarettes. These sales are also too high. Inappropriate games for a young age level are just as out of compliance as alcohol and cigarettes, so some remedy is needed.

Unfortunately, only a few of the 23 lesser-violent games beiow look very interesting or exciting. Some still portray fast cars, conflict, and some dangers, but not to such an extreme. The musical games all look great! The Lost Odyssey for Xbox360 looks very intriguing and some gamers will also like the Lost games based on the TV series.

Personally, I still like Tekken Bowling, in which martial artists bowl against one another. It's very entertaining and unexpected.

Less violent games are in BOLD below. Violence in video games has shown to have some ill effects even on adults, so that information is useful to people that buy these games. As with all sales of all products, buyer beware, be informed.


Games

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
Price: $89.99
List Price: $99.99
Wii Wii
Price: $199.99
List Price: $199.99
New Super Mario Bros New Super Mario Bros
Price: $49.99
List Price: $49.99
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Price: $49.95
List Price: $59.99

Mature Games

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Price: $17.42
List Price: $19.99
God of War: Collection God of War: Collection
Price: $33.99
List Price: $39.99
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex
Price: $42.99
List Price: $49.99
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Price: $16.18
List Price: $19.99
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
Price: $15.90
List Price: $19.99
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year
Price: $34.00
List Price: $49.99
LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game: Star Wars Jedi Reading LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game: Star Wars Jedi Reading
Price: $9.99
List Price: $24.99
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year
Price: $37.80
List Price: $49.99

HIgh-Selling Games & Associated Platforms

1 Grand Theft Auto IV Xbox 360

2 Grand Theft Auto IV PlayStation 3

3 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii

4 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PlayStation 3

5 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Xbox 360 - Terrorists!

6 Gears of War 2 Xbox 360

7 Mario Kart Wii

8 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Xbox 360

9 Fable 2 Xbox 360

10 Army of Two Xbox 360

11 Bully: Scholarship Edition Xbox 360 - Games with bullies now?

12 Battlefield: Bad Company Xbox 360

13 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PlayStation 3

14 Wii Fit - Fitness, that's more like it.

15 Rock Band: Special Edition Xbox 360 - Music!

16 Soulcalibur IV Xbox 360

17 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII PlayStation Portable

18 Soulcalibur IV PlayStation 3

19 God of War: Chains of Olympus PlayStation Portable

20 Frontlines: Fuel of War Xbox 360

21 Lost Odyssey Xbox 360 - Different. A man must live 1,000 years.

22 Devil May Cry 4 Xbox 360

23 Metal Gear Online PlayStation 3

24 Condemned 2: Bloodshot Xbox 360

25 Devil May Cry 4 PlayStation 3

26 Final Fantasy XIII PlayStation 3

27 Ninja Gaiden II Xbox 360 - You killed my brother!

28 Super Paper Mario Wii

29 Army of Two PlayStation 3

30 Killzone 2 PlayStation 3

31 God of War III PlayStation 3

32 Major League Baseball 2K8 Xbox 360

33 Left 4 Dead Xbox 360

34 Battlefield: Bad Company PlayStation 3

35 No More Heroes Wii

36 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 PlayStation 3

37 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PlayStation 3

38 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Xbox 360 - I like Star Wars, but it's still war.

39 PlayStation Home PlayStation 3

40 MLB '08: The Show PlayStation 3

41 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue PlayStation 3

42 Rock Band: Special Edition PlayStation 3

43 Too Human Xbox 360

44 Resistance 2 PlayStation 3

45 Gran Turismo 5 PlayStation 3

46 Mass Effect Xbox 360

47 Patapon PlayStation Portable

48 Dark Sector PlayStation 3

49 Burnout Paradise Xbox 360

50 Street Fighter IV Xbox 360

51 Obscure: The Aftermath Wii

52 The Bourne Conspiracy Xbox 360

53 Resident Evil 5 PlayStation 3

54 Street Fighter IV PlayStation 3

55 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 PlayStation 2

56 Silent Hill 5 PlayStation 3

57 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Xbox 360

58 Turok Xbox 360

59 Bully: Scholarship Edition Wii

60 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition PlayStation 3

61 Burnout Paradise PlayStation 3

62 Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Wii

63 Lost: Via Domus Xbox 360

64 Dark Sector Xbox 360

65 Pokemon Diamond Version Nintendo DS

66 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Xbox 360

67 APB Xbox 360

68 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed PlayStation 3

69 Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360

70 Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure Wii

71 Tom Clancy's EndWar Xbox 360

72 Iron Man Xbox 360

73 The Bourne Conspiracy PlayStation 3

74 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Wii

75 Spore PC

76 Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition Wii

77 LittleBigPlanet PlayStation 3

78 Condemned 2: Bloodshot PlayStation 3

79 Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction PlayStation 3

80 Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Nintendo DS

81 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty PlayStation 3

82 Sins of a Solar Empire PC

83 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PC

84 Viking: Battle for Asgard Xbox 360

85 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock PlayStation 3

86 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Nintendo DS

87 Rock Band Wii

88 Lost: Via Domus PlayStation 3

89 Professor Layton and the Curious Village Nintendo DS

90 Haze PlayStation 3

91 StarCraft II PC

92 Grand Theft Auto IV -- Special Edition Xbox 360

93 Halo Wars Xbox 360

94 Guitar Hero IV Xbox 360

95 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Wii

96 Tomb Raider Underworld PlayStation 3

97 Resistance: Fall of Man PlayStation 3

98 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Xbox 360

99 Okami Wii

100 Fallout 3 Xbox 360

Comments

RSS for comments on this Hub

toakulas profile image

toakulas  says:
2 years ago

well thats whats fun as long as it dosent have blood

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for the comment. Some people can handle the blood as well. lol

adventure profile image

adventure  says:
2 years ago

I'm glad you have brought this topic to the table. These violent video games are the next step in keeping our children in the fantasy bubble that was created by MTV. For the record, when MTV first came out and played videos, I think it was great. Not so in the past 15 years or so. These video games DO cultivate an angry, hostile, warlike frame of mind. What happened to the days when kids would go outside and ride bikes or skateboard or play wiffle ball or croquet? Now they sit inside with the shades pulled down and their "hoodies" (I can't stand those things) pulled up, angrily working their thumbs against their "enemy".

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

It truly is worsening, is it not? I've seen two local teens on psych wards and in jail for the results of their beliefs that the video games' worlds were real life. Youth do hide in those hoodies. Bad show. Thanks for the comments.

helenathegreat profile image

helenathegreat  says:
2 years ago

Great hub! Why, out of curiosity, is Mario Kart not emboldened on the list? I've never played it for the Wii, but the Nintendo 64 version is not violent... oh... unless you count throwing shells at other characters to make them fall off cliffs? Hmm. Either way, this is an important topic! Thanks for covering it so well.

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

Actually, Mario Kart is not tto bad, so I might add that one as well.  An occasional racing crack up is hard to avoid anyway. But falling over cliffs is not good, or throwing shells.

FalcoVet101  says:
2 years ago

Mario Kart for the Wii doesn't come out till April

P.S.:Great Hub

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for the comment.

FalcoVet101  says:
2 years ago

U R WELCOME! Thank u 4 this awesome HUB!!! Smash bros is #3... YAY!!!

FalcoVet101  says:
2 years ago

Forgot 2 tell u I'm 14,but i still like the subject

FalcoVet101  says:
2 years ago

I'm so sorry for posting 3 times in a row,but I have to defend 1 of my favorite game series. Mario kart is not very violent. It is just like the original Mario Bros. game,except with nintendo characters from many series racing each other. Compared 2 Grand Theft Auto, it is probably 1 of the least violent,and best,game series out there!

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

You can post as often as you like, FalcoVett101.

Thanks for giving us your evlauation of Mario Kart. I hope ou continue to enjoy it and hope that others enjoy it as well!

Patty

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