04/03/03: Games and their effect on our behavior
 

So I finally bought GTA 3 for the PC, just to see what all the hype is about. I guess everyone else was playing this game a year ago. The price finally dipped down to about $30, and I figured what the hey.

I have to say, it's really a lot of fun. Running red lights, stealing people's cars when they stop at stop lights, driving on the sidewalk, running over people (WAHH!! *THUMP THUMP* -- heh heh), I get really into it.

A few days ago, though, I had been playing the game right before I went to work. On the way to work, I saw a guy walking on the side of the road, and I felt a strong urge to swerve and hit him. Just for fun! It took a good 2-3 seconds before my morality and reason kicked in and I realized that I had just contemplated committing murder! Holy crap! I was really freaked out. What would I have said to the cops? "Gee, officer, I just <i>accidentally</i> swerved off the side of the road! Even though there were no other cars within site, it was just an accident. Honest!" Yeah right.

And just last week, I went to a gas station, and noticed someone had left their car idling with noone in it while they went inside. "Who would do this??", I thought. "Hey, wouldn't it be fun if I just jumped in it and drove off? Yes!" Once again, a few seconds later my good sense kicked in and I realized that not only would I be caught, but the car owner would probably be pretty pissed off.

I'm really shocked at this. I've always said all that stuff about games making people commit crimes was <i>complete nonsense</i>. I've always believed that it has no basis in reality whatsoever. And here I am nearly running people over just for fun!

Of course, I didn't do it. And I like to think I never will. My trusty morality and good sense only left me for a few seconds. I don't <i>think</i> that's a long enough time for me to do something stupid. <i>*crosses fingers*</i>

I don't get that effect at all ...

I've been playing GTA3 and GTA:VC a lot longer than you have, Juju ... even had a sportier car to play with when I started GTA3 ... never had the urge to smush anybody.

Consider this ... I've been playing first person shooters since they hit the market.

I've played a lot of them, including some of the really cool military simulations.

I've shot a LOT of people in the head in games.

Up close and (see the brains hit my goggles) personal, as well as from a long way away. Body count in the thousands. Perhaps even tens of thousands.

Actual body count? Goose egg. (at least as far as I'm willing to admit to)

Perhaps some people are different than others?

I mean, are you really saying that everyone is equally as likely to shoot someone as you?

i experienced it with gran turismo 3. when i would spend a while playing it and then have to go somewhere, i found myself consistently doing well over the speed limit, as well as driving much more aggressively.

cant say ive ever had the urge to cap someone after a marathon session of unreal tournament, but i think games like gta 3 and gran turismo, with their 'real world' looks can certainly play tricks on the mind.

~james

Re: 04/03/03: Games and their effect on our behavior
 

Don't forget *impulse control*.

I'm now seriously into Ghost Recon multiplayer, and I'm pretty sure that the next time a car backfires near me, I'm gonna go flat on the ground, crawl for the nearest brush cover and call my buddies to check my six.

UT, I'm not saying there's any chance that could happen (I'll assume you're being sarcastic). Obviously, there isn't mass chaos in the streets, and people are fine. I still don't think people will shoot people because of a game's influence.

Perhaps Perth is right in saying that first person shooters are inherently different than games like GTA 3.

But to say that there's no effect at all is obviously untrue. That's all I'm saying. I had the urge, but I didn't act on it. And I'm being led to believe that many, many people have the same reaction to this type of game. I'm not saying it's bad, because I haven't done anything bad. But I'm just surprised, that's all.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Actually it would make sense that a car game would have more of this effect than a shooter. In a shooter you're sitting ther, bitching because you have no periphials, oh and see the screen get red when you were hit? As opposed to a car game where you sit in what is likely a similiar poistion to that when you are driving, looking through glass (on a comp it would be within a few feet infront of you) and playing with the radio stations. Well, on GTA games anyway... It seems to me that there are some serious diferences between the two as far as how we perceve it. A good driving game can be damn similar to actual driving, you still can't look side to side but that's not really something you'd want to do as much driving as walking.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By the by, nobody is suggesting actual death's are occuring due to games, he was asking about the urge. Heh, and c'mon, I don't play many shooters and I don't even have a gun and I've felt an urge to headshot a few people... You people haven't? Felt the urge? Just a little even if you'd never consider acting on it? Not even a little?

of course i have, but i wouldnt say UT was responsible. but gran turismo, with its realistic physics, real life cars, rear view mirror and the constant goading of the car in first place does a lot to turn me into mr. wheeler.

~james

Crap after a good 2 or 3 hour Splinter Cell run I find myself trying to peer around corners and sneaking through the shadows. I also instantly check out the rooms I walk into for cameras, land mines, and motion sensors while hiding in those shadows.

~
Impulse 255
God
~

Hmmmmm ... maybe I've not noticed that effect because I always drive that way.

i cant believe i didnt drive this way before gt3. its a shitload of fun.

~james

Does your car oversteer or understeer?