Violent Games in Hong Kong - Case Study Example

VIOLENT GAMES IN HONG KONG Student’s name Code & Course Professor’s name University City Date ЕFFЕСT ОF VIОLЕNT GАMЕS TО HОNG KОNG РLАYЕRS INTRОDUСЕD BY HОNG KОNG GАMЕ ЕХРО Introduction The precedent ten years have seen an increase in various trends pertaining to the game events industry (Chang, 2013). The trends are influenced by various factors among them globalization and customer based services which has increased the level of competitiveness among organizations. Globalization, a major phenomenon in itself and the increase in innovative technology have brought novel ideas in the approach of practices in game events. The current game industry is more competitive than ever before with great regard going towards the satisfaction of clients so as to be the best in the business. In the creation of video games, the players have become co creators with the game designers in their suggestions and comments about various games and what they want in a game. Looking at a decade ago the changes have been numerous, dynamic and rapid but at the same time exploratory. Virtual reality is presently the in thing and has doubled the business in the industry (Chang, 2013). Chang explains that technological inventions have engineered dynamic changes and contributed to the altering of the usual social cycle to fuse both factors and make gaming event work in the new interaction of diverse sciences. Various stakeholders have contributed to the success of the game event industry through recognition of one another’s importance and their collaboration to contribute towards this success. The presentation of ideas from collective minds has helped to increase the competitiveness of the industry, making it imperatively recognized in way it would not have been before. In the bid to achieve competitiveness, there have also been cunning business practices where ethics are not observed in the creation of games. Additionally, most games at present lack originality as they mimic previous and present famous games. The impact of game events stakeholders cannot be ignored, both constructive and destructive as they create, plan, manipulate and determine the course of game events in any given setting in the current age (Getz and Page, 2016). Getz and Page emphasize on the different stakeholders such as creators of games, distributors, event managers of the games and the consumers and their roles which contribute to building of the industry. A superior number of studies have focused on the effect of games on the players both on international levels and local levels. There is however adequate research yet to be done specifically on the effect of violent games subjected at the games expo to the particular players. In the light of these circumstances, this retro respect paper hence seeks to discuss the effect of violent games to Hong Kong players introduced by Hong Kong Games Expo. The subsequent section discusses the key concepts as used in the paper. Definition of key concepts Games: In the context of this paper, games are referred to as a type of play where there is artificial conflict involved and the outcome is decided upon by the skill of the players, their luck or their competence (Adams, 2014). Gaming industry: Based on this research, the gaming industry encompasses different medium such as computer gaming, console gaming and mobile gaming (Marchand and Henning-Thurau, 2013). Violent games: According to the law of California, a violent video game is defined as a game containing acts of disfigurement, mutilating, murder or sexually attacking the representation of a person (Onorato, 2013). This research is concurrently operational under this concept Social effect: These are impacts on the society, both individuals and groups in a subjective and objective context that are a result of playing violent games (Greitmeyer and Mugge, 2014). Physical effect: Based on this research, these are the impacts pertaining to the body of a human being that are a result of playing violent games (Greitmeyer and Mugge, 2014). Psychological effect: The paper operates under the concept that psychological effects are impacts on the mind of a human being that are a result of playing violent games (Greitmeyer and Mugge, 2014). The three effects are intensively studied by Greitmeyer and Mugge, using experiment as well to ascertain if violent games indeed have an effect on the players and their extent. Literature review This section converses on the literature pertaining to the effect of violent games to Hong Kong players introduced by Hong Kong Games Expo. It covers research and studies done previously by other authors and writers similar to the topic under study. Violent Games in Hong Kong Previously relegate to children, different types of games have now become a popular avenue played by both children and adults. The introduction of computer games has compounded on the habit with more creative, interesting and addictive games being introduced (Leung and Chang, 2013). The authors explain the growth of games from simple play to immoral avenues where children get corrupted and bullied online. The basic objective of games is to entertain, educate and create a social avenue where individuals can share and learn. This objective has however recently been challenged given the moral panic that has assailed a better number of the society on the account of the destructive effects that are being seen in the name of the providing entertainment in games. The benefits of games can still not be ignored as they are shaping the present global culture, depending on the perception of the players. The games have additionally been targeted by academic institutions for research and thus allowing the studies to examine their importance in our society (Wong and Lam, 2016). The Hong Kong Games Expo exhibits a variety of games and toys for its audience and customers with innovative and appealing games being introduced every single time the event is held. In the light of the competitive nature of the games industry, it is evident that the stakeholders are compelled to come up with the best games to launch to its audience. In as much as a talented research team is used in most companies to create the best games, a good number of companies do not shy away from creating games that are ethically questionable and likely destructive to the players (Wong and Lam, 2016). The result is such that more violent and aggressive games are being introduced to cope with the competitive market so as to remain in business. Video games in Hong Kong have become among the most important forms of digital entertainment. The popularity is estimated to precede that of the movie industry both in pecuniary and habitual terms. Looking at the history of video games, the industry has rapidly risen to a domain of its own in the financial world. As opposed to the ‘previous good guy beats bad guy’ themes in most of the games, the current themes are filled with excessively violent content, sexual themes and contexts around the use of harmful and prohibited drugs. The intended messages get jumbled up among the players and most unfortunately among young users who access too much mixed content to be able to distinguish the differences. The situation is worsened by the fact that parents pay little attention to the games as they expect them to be harmless. The role of making sure that games are safe in all contexts to children is delegated to an individual whose interests are calculated towards making profit; the businessperson (Leung and Chang, 2013). The psychosocial effect may thus be massive as no risks are calculated to the potential user of the created games. Based on recent studies, the increase in the violence in games has in turn led to an increase in aggressive nature of the players. The question still remains on whether the players are naturally violent or if it is an effect of the games that they play. The potential effects of violent games cannot however be downplayed. From theories such as the social learning theory, it is very probable for players to gain negative knowledge from these games. Bandura posits that gaining knowledge is a cognitive transition that takes place in a social setting and can occur purely through observation or undeviating instruction. The particular model of stimuli that a player is most likely to respond to is the symbolic model which according to Bandura involves learning from the media which include real and fictional characters (Hanna and Crittenden, 2013). Subsequently, the next section discusses the effects of violent games under social, physical and psychological parameters. Social Effects of Violent Games Violent games have an effect on both the individual and the society. The individual playing the violent game more often than not becomes isolated with the rest of family and friends. Due to the long periods of time spent on the game, the player will work less, read less and interact less. For school going children this means a decline in their academic performance. According to Hong (2015) adults who play violent games over long periods of time are a liability to their families and the society as large given the less than productive way that they handle their time. Games such as Call of Duty, World of War craft and Grand Theft Auto have explicit scenes of violence with murderous intents, irresponsible and assaultive sex and themes that are anti social. The added disadvantage stemming from addiction to these games is the peer influence where the players introduce their friends to the game and such creating a crowd of isolated people and those who are not accountable. Violent games tend to teach the players wrong values. The behavior portrayed in the game is aggressive, violent and vengeful and is furthermore rewarded. Solutions to the problems in the game such as negotiations and others that do not involve violence are not encouraged. The portrayal of women as the weaker gender happens most of the time in the game (Hong, 2015). On the contrary, other studies have shown that players who get exposed to violence through games may try to eradicate violent behavior in the real world on the pretext of feeling guilt over their behavior in the fictitious world. They thus grow sensitive on the morality ignored in the game (Skoric and Poor, 2015). This proves that violent games have the influence to affect the user negatively and positively. The influence however depends on the nature of the user. During the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the games had bloody content with Call of Duty showing an arm being ripped off and Mortal Combat having breaking of limbs of the opponents. According to the South China Morning Post, the E3 video game expo had a lineup of games that were graphically violent with scenes involving gory details of mutilation, sexual assault and murder (South China Morning Post, 2014). Aggressiveness has been seen in children who play violent games. They additionally get confrontational with their teachers. Studies have shown that when online, a child may pick up a bad language which he or she may use in front of parents or teachers, or other students thus contributing to moral decay (Wang et al, 2015). Wang explains that in the case of players who are in school, they may engage in more fights with their peers than usual and additionally experience a decline in their school performance. The players can confuse the reality from the games with fantasy thus making them susceptible to committing real mistakes. Players who game online run the risk of being bullied or being exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age in the case of young players. Should they be unable to protect their privacy over the internet then they run the risk of being stalked or attacked given that they have exposed too much personal information. Cyber related crimes happen when an online friend requests to meet in which case a younger person may not be fully aware of the dangers involved in meeting strangers. The social effects seen in players of violent games such as aggressive behavior, tendencies to isolate themselves and the frequent exposure to fights usually reflect in the society (Wang et al, 2015). These characters may be harmful to the society should their behavior go on in their respective communities. Physical Effects of Violent Games Among the physical effects of violent games is the loud noise that is associated with most violent games which affects the hearing of the player. In many cases the noises from violent games have been seen to excite the players as this makes the tension for the game go higher (Deng et al, 2015). Gunshot sounds, screaming and bombing sounds rule the games and are naturally loud. Some of these sound factors that cause excitement may lead to psychotic cases in which case an individual gets pleasure form weird stimulations in the environment. Most players of violent games are sleep derived. Lack of sleep may lead to a myriad of problems among them sleep associated disorders and health problems resulting from the same. Risky sexual behavior can be practiced too from what is seen over the violent games. An instance is a game that treats the character of women as loose and helpless and men as strong and able to mistreat women. Such a game might have resultant effects on both of the gender leading to risky sexual behavior. Mortal Combat X, one of the games displayed at the E3 2014 in China shows crude details where the players manhandle the genitalia of their opponents (South China Morning Post, 2014).The consequences of such behavior are among many, the spread of sexual diseases, unwanted pregnancy and loss of esteem (Deng et al, 2015). These are the adverse physical effects that could be experienced as a result participating in online violent games especially The addictive nature of violent games causes the players to spend much time on the screen leading to health problems such as obesity. The patterns that accompany the playing include snacking in high amounts and this is fat that stays put in the body. With the absence of physical exercises to burn excess fat the resultant problem is obesity among other possible lifestyle diseases. The players additionally risk muscular and skeletal disorders due to staying in one position for lengths of time and the overuse of certain body parts most especially the fingers. The behavior portrayed in the game is aggressive, violent and vengeful and is furthermore rewarded. Aggressiveness has been seen in children who play violent games. They additionally get confrontational with their teachers. (Hasan et al, 2013). Hasan et al (2013) concludes through a long term experiment on the effect of violent games upon the users that the cumulative effect is aggressiveness. Another study by American psychologists headed by Dr. Appelbaum in 2013 has been conclusive that there is indeed a link between increased aggressiveness in players and the play of violent video games. The effect on young children is more adverse as they are still immature and growing. Should they engage in the internet for long periods of time then they stand affecting their physical health. The use of the internet and long periods of time spent on the screen has destructive impacts on the vision of the young ones and their muscular and skeletal systems. It additionally prevents the all round growth and development that usually takes place in young children by eating up the time that they should spend for social and physical development (Greenfield, 2014). According to Greenfield children need outside play for proper growth and development and this is underscored by the introduction of computer games where they simply ‘sit around’. Psychological Effects of Violent Games The structure and setting of violent games is such that the play is not passive. For the player to win, he is required to play the part of the aggressor. As opposed to television watching, the violent acts are being committed in a fictitious manner. Based on studies, the active participation of this manner affects thread of thought of a player and is likely to influence their behavior, whether short term or long term. One other disturbing reality in the violent games is that the acts of violence in these games are rewarded instead of being penalized. An instance is army and sniper based games where players go a level higher on the basis of the number of kills. Chan, (2014) explains that the repetition of such games is more likely than not to affect the player’s attitude towards violence making them believe that is somewhat acceptable as a consequence. Among the chief factors affecting players of violent games is addiction. Van Cleave through his biography has described his previous addiction to World of War craft, an online violent game that made him lose his normal functioning with the society (Van Cleave, 2010). He relates the addiction to the games to a dark path that he went through in his life. The level at which some players reach is such that it affects their functioning in the midst of their family, friends and the society at large. These players additionally suffer from attention deficits where their minds are preoccupied with thoughts of the game and unlocking the next level whether they are in class or with their peers. Given that some games require constructive thinking, the mind of an addicted player will be stuck with finding the solution thus paying little attention to everything else (Greitmeyer and Mugge, 2014). Excessive disclosure to violent video games thus results to the creation of antagonistic beliefs and attitudes, while also desensitizing gamers to violent behaviors. An additional effect that has been linked with the addiction to violent video games is the lack of self control that they experience. The themes in the games where players can get away with crimes and immoral acts influence the thinking of the players. Several studies have revealed that those who engage in violent games are more prone to cheating, greed and generally being aggressive. Though there is insufficient evidence to link players who commit criminal acts to playing of violent video games, the question still remains of a remote possibility for such occurrences. The repetition of the games sets up a memorable pattern which increases skill and makes the responses automatic. The repetitive sequence which encourages the reception of continuous rewards makes the player to go through similar emotions which then affect their attitudes towards violence. The aspect of familiarity and the type of games have the effect of making violence seem acceptable and giving human life little value (Fergusson and Olson, 2013). These ideas are bound to get ingrained in the mind of the player and thus lead to them having a violent nature. The basic human capacity to respond more to rewards is further witnessed in the rewards that the violent games give to the players for the violent acts committed. In the light of this, Ferguson and Olson explain that players, especially the young ones fail to relate to the negative consequences of negative acts. They therefore believe that violent actions are not penalized but rather rewarded. Conclusion In conclusion therefore, the growing trends in different industries cannot be ignored as well as the effects that they have on the respective stakeholders and their audiences. The fact that the rate of violence in games has increased cannot be ignored as the effects are being observed though not well proven among the users. The effects, as seen from the literature above stem from social, physical to psychological. The social effects of playing violent games include aggressiveness from the players, antisocial behaviors and peer influence over other individuals thus leading them to practice the same games and resulting to more violence. The physical effects are adverse and they include problems with eyesight and hearing, disorders with the muscular and skeletal systems and lifestyle diseases such as obesity among other diseases. Additionally, the users were prone to accessing immature sexual content and practices thus exposing them to unhealthy practices of sex. The psychological effects include addiction which affects the functioning of the player among family members and the society and desensitizing gamers to violent behaviors. In as much as there are games that actually provide good and moral teaching and encourage respective behavior, the lure towards violent games cannot be ignored as they have more ratings and get more business. The effects are overwhelming and will increase if there is no action taken. In the light of this, the following recommendations have been made. Recommendations From the above conclusions, this research thus recommends that the stakeholders of the industry such as eh managers of events be more aware of the content on the games exposed over the market, doing adequate research to ensure that their effects to the society are positive and do not corrupt. Educating the society about media effects in general and about the potential good and harm of video game effects is important. In this manner, the specific persons such as students, children and even adults can learn to make informed choices. The creators of games need to take into account the actual needs of the gaming audience as opposed to leading them towards violent games in the name of giving more rewards. They need to know that they have a responsibility to protect the users of the contents that they generate. The games could be designed with time limits in the sense that in order to go to other levels they must wait for a certain period before playing game again. Encouraging children to play physical and outdoor games and also non violent ones can be done in the expos as a form of corporate social responsibility which is a trend that has fully taken root in most business related industries. It is also recommended that further research be done on the topic and other related topics to decrease the academic gap on the research and thus help future users by providing the much needed information. More research can additionally lead to the creation of an individual field dedicated to solving matters related to the negative influences of games. Reference List Adams, E., 2014. Fundamentals of game design. Pearson Education. Chan, H. and 陳可苓, 2014. The associations between video gaming, sleep, and neuropsychological functioning in Hong Kong children. HKU Theses Online (HKUTO). 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Asian Journal of Gambling Issues and Public Health, 6(1), p.6. Read More