Violent games & free speech principles
According to ESA’s report, “Grand Theft Auto V” (GTA 5) is on the top of the 20 best-selling video games, and many other games from the same violent nature comes after (ESA, 2014, p 11). GTA 5 is about a group of robbers that may use any resource available to earn more money (killing, stealing, …). The player will begin the game as the new thief wanting to fit in with this group and become wealthy as well. In fact, the game is built on violence and comprises a lot of sexism within its structure. Following the game storyline can be fun, but what players usually love about GTA 5 is that you can go off the normal rules and start discovering the interactive world on your own; letting go of the storyline, will enable players to steal, kill, violate anyone they spot in the street. In addition, GTA 5 “cheats” can be used to spice more the game. “These modifiers are activated by typing a code summoned by the tilde key and it can enable invincibility, make your punches explosive, help you steal cars and kill people easier, then activate fast running to support your escape” (Griffin, 2015). However, even though GTA 5 is popular in the world of action games and it is highly loved by some, it consists a controversial subject. Some argue that this game is unethical because of the violence, sexism and subversive action imbedded in it. Thus, some countries decided to ban the game for its violent content. According to Pri (2010), countries such as Saudi Arabia have banned Grand Theft Auto for its violent content and glorification of criminal lifestyles. Moreover, “in Thailand the game was banned because a teenager confessing to robbing and murdering a taxi driver while trying to recreate a scene from GTA 5” (Griffiths, 2015). Grand Theft Auto 5 is highly questionable and it is subjected to enormous ethical issues. However, isn’t this game protected by freedom of speech like other audiovisual materials or is it different from films and should have stricter limitations?
Various research has been conducted to confirm that violent games provoke real life violence and that it can affect players’ behavior specially if the player is still a child. For example, a study done by Anderson & Bushman (2001) found that young people who play more violent video games are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and antisocial tendencies. However, to our knowledge, there is no clear evidence to whether video games can negatively effect behavior. “For each study that says they do, another one pops up saying they don’t” (Mathews, 2015); for example, “the child psychiatrist Louis Kraus, insisted that video games are not linked to real life violence” (Associated Press, 2018). Taking everything into consideration, children are still collecting thoughts and learning from their surroundings and environment, and also children may not be fully qualified to distinct between the real life and the virtual game. Therefore, kids should not be exposed to the extremely violent content found in GTA 5 and other video games.
According to the US law, freedom of speech can be considered as a defense for the indecency in video games but the Supreme Court has to take actions if the game contains extreme obscene content (Packard, 2013, p. 304). However, violence does not seem to be the only issue concerning video games especially GTA 5. In addition to the countries that we mentioned before, others banned the game for different reasons. In fact, GTA 5 inspires users to kill women for entertainment. The game gives you the opportunity to gain “health points” by sexually harassing and raping women, then killing them after you fulfilled your sexual desires. “GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humorless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists we’re meant to laugh at” (Petit, 2013). GTA 5 discriminates against women not only in the way players treat them but also in the way the game is designed; it does not include any female character and women are present in the game only for sexual and sensual needs. “The Australian Target and Kmart removed GTA 5 from their stores because of customers’ feedback about explicit violence against women” (Stuart, 2014)
In addition, even though video games are based on fictional worlds, these games are accountable to political and social conditions; many countries have banned video games for those reasons. According to Pri (2010), Germany bans any game that has any sort of reference to the Nazis or contains swastikas in any way even if they are the foe; also, Australian law prohibits video games that promote any illegal activity which could be as simple as graffiti; additionally, Cuba stopped Call of Duty because of a mission in its eight-title franchise that dictated to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Violence and sexism takes part in almost every movie today and little we notice banning of TV productions and films. One might think what differs those movies from violent and sexist video games. Well, the effect will be abridged if we only watch violence in movies and not make the decision and participate in violent actions. “The difference with a game is that we make choices within the game itself — these choices are the game” (Reynolds, 2002, p. 9). The player sympathizes with the game character more than with a passive actor in the movie. Video games are interactive and they give each player a different personalized experience.
It is difficult to conclude as this topic remains controversial, with no strong research data base to make a reasonable judgment. The lack of studies is dangerous since kids are the most effected by these games, and when there is no clear evidence of the harm, there will always be free speech arguments to defend video games. Therefore, one approach to solve this problem involves conducting research to prove whether video games are harming players or whether its effect is actually minimal. As long as there are no studies that prove the harm caused by video games, banning them completely is not the right solution. “In California in 2011, they tried banning the sales of violent games to minors, but the US Supreme Court ruled that these sales were protected under the first amendment” (Mathews, 2015). One effective way games can be restricted is by applying age limits; For example, GTA 5 have already an age restriction. These limits vary from M for Mature and E for Everyone. “According to the Entertainment Ratings Software Board, in 2012, nine percent of video games earned an “M” rating” (Mathews, 2015). Age restriction is an essential indicator for the parents to know if the game is appropriate for their kids to buy. While we can not stop the video games ever-growing industries, we can educate parents about these age restrictions and the importance of obeying to it. School workshops for parents, media campaigns and other educational programs should be done for parents to stick to the age limits and to buy their children educational games instead of these violent pointless video games. Last but not least, sexism should be limited and removed from these video games, one way to limit this injustice is to remove the interactive option of raping, beating and killing prostitutes or women in the street. Another way of restraining sexism is to add a female character to this dominantly male-focused games. Some video games are already shifting to a more female friendly platform, for example Call of Duty Black Ops III introduced a female character for the first time.
References
Anderson, A. & Bushman, B. (2001). Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature. PubMed Psychological Science 12(5). DOI: 10.1111/1467–9280.00366
Associated Press. (2018, March 08). Psychiatrist: Video Game Focus a ‘Red Herring’. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ2Rjwj1ZMg
ESA. (2014, April). The 2014 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry was released by the entertainment Software association. (pp 3–11) Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ESA_EF_2014.pdf
Griffin, B. (2015). 20 alternative ways to have fun in GTA 5. PC Gamer. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/20-alternative-ways-to-have-fun-in-gta-5/
Griffiths, M. (2015). Video game bans: the debate about guns, GTA, and real-life violence. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and- tech/gaming/video-game-bans-the-debate-about-guns-gta-and-real-life-violence- 10057296.html
Stuart, K. (2014, December 03). Grand Theft Auto 5 banned by Australian chain due to violence against women. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/03/australian-store-bans- grand-theft-auto-5-violence-against-women
Mathews, R. (2015). Ethical Responsibility of Video Game Manufacturers. Hearst Newspaper.
Packard, A. (2013). Sex and Violence. Digital Media Law second edition (1–287). Wiley-balckwell: Oxford, UK.
Petit, C. (2013, September 16). Grand Theft Auto V Review. Retrieved from https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/1900-6414475/
PRI. (2010). Blacklisted: The world’s banned video games. Retrieved from https://www.pri.org/stories/2010-12-29/blacklisted-worlds-banned-video-games
Reynolds, R. (2002). Playing a “Good” Game: A Philosophical Approach to Understanding the Morality of Games. International Game Developers Association, (pp. 9).
