“Go Ahead, Steal My Car”

It’s not often that an academic journal publishes a column about video games, but The Chronicle Review has just done so in the form of an op-ed piece by Bill Blake, the title of which is the subject of this post (I couldn’t think of anything more clever.).

In short, Blake points out the absurdity of the claims that video game violence leads to real life violence, using the latest game hit Grand Theft Auto IV as his springboard.

Blake challenges the game’s vocal critics to actually play it themselves for a week or so.

After you’re done, ask yourself a few straightforward questions: Do you want to go outside and steal a car? Do you feel the need to obtain a missile launcher? Do you feel like having sex with a stripper?

Well, that’s a silly question.  But I haven’t even played GTA IV.  Regardless, Blake’s argument is insightful and thought-provoking and his column is definitely worth a read.

I’m sure a couple of friends of mine would agree.  I’m speaking of the friends who spent an evening at my house playing one of the Grand Theft Auto games on my PS2.  It just so happened that as they left my house that night they were driving in the same direction.  As the story was told to me, a few miles down the road they stopped at a light, and one jumped out of his car, ran up to the other’s car and yanked the door open in true GTA car-jacking fashion, thereby scaring the crap out of him.

Stoplight pranks aside, I’ve argued repeatedly with game-haters about the effects, or lack thereof, of video games on behavior.  Every time there is a mass shooting the Jack Thompsons of the world are the first in line clamoring for airtime, shouting “See?!?!  The guy played Doom on his computer and it trained and conditioned him to be a killer!!”

Using that logic I should be conditioned to be an NFL quarterback by now given all the hours I’ve put into Madden NFL games through the years.

Now, go long.