For those of you who aren’t familiar, I’m very fond of webcomics in general as well as specifically gaming webcomics. Not only are they often a riot, but they also come packed with gaming news and philosophies on gaming. And the other day, I got a burst of philosophy that really got me thinking.

From site Crispy Gamer, the Backward Compatible comic made the suggestion that game violence may be less harmful as a progression than as an immersion. What that means is, that early gamers who grew up on Mario and Sonic may be LESS INFLUENCED by graphic violence in gaming than gamers who started with Resident Evil and Grand Theft Auto.

Now, this is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy–early gamers are mostly OLDER gamers, and older pretty much automatically means less impressionable–but the surface concept is just as compelling. Could it be that, if gamers begin with lower-grade hardware that is thoroughly unable to present graphic images with any sort of reality (Custer’s Revenge, kids–do those even look like people having all that crazy sex?), they’re less likely to be influenced by full-motion video of psychopaths gutting random passersby and taking their wallets?

I’m having a hard time believing it, myself–as a horror movie buff from the time I was about twelve forward, I’ve seen simulations of thousands of deaths, and because I had a solid upbringing filled with messages about the nature of reality and right v. wrong, I have no more an urge to go run amok with a chainsaw than anyone else. But there’s enough rationality to make you wonder, at least, if there’s not a reason to start the kids out on Excitebike and Contra before letting them have a crack at Doom 3 and Grand Theft Auto Whatever Number We’re On.

However, the Grand Theft Auto trivia on Kwanzoo is safe.

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Categories: Video games //