Development in Violent Video Games and the Army - Essay Example

The positive effects violent video games have on weapons qualification in the military Introduction The recent development in video games has beenastounding. Companies have developed 3-D games with excellent graphics and details, such precision could not even be imagined two decades ago. The recent upsurge in the demand for video games has raised a lot of questions. Some people believe that most video games are of a very violent nature and such games have given birth to a lot of negativities in the society (Anderson, 2007). People fight over petty issues and bang their cars like they do in games. This has led to over aggression in the society leading to chaos and haphazardness. Many have suffered through psychological disorders as such violent games give them fake strength, and they assume themselves to be super heroes, which is not true in the real world. Where on one side, violent video games have led to an increase in anxiety, aggression and violence; it also has had some positive effects particularly in the use and design of weaponry in the military (DeMaria, 2007). That indeed is a great feat however, it is seldom acknowledged. This paper seeks to evaluate such positive effects of violent video games that are often ignored under the shadow of the negativities that such games are thought to give rise to. Positive effects of violent video games in the military 1. Increased ability to shoot Violent video games have served to increase the ability to shoot in all gamers. Apart from gaming life, soldiers who have been playing such violent games have an increased ability to shoot. This has helped the army globally in developing sharp skills for targeting and shooting thus leading to success in all encounters (Gee, 2007). Violent video games have introduced not just the skill to accurately shoot but also the design of a lot of weaponry. The weapons used in most video games are astonishingly up-to-date and very thoughtfully designed. Many weapon making companies have patented the weapons that we see in the videogames today. Counterstrike is one of the violent video games that is normally played on PCs. It is aimed at targeting and killing enemies. The player can choose to shoot right in the head or hide and shoot the enemy from the back. This has helped the military in developing ways to shoot the enemy (Bergeron, 2006). Soldiers are encouraged to play such games because these games are designed with a lot of artificial intelligence component. These make the soldiers more apt at their work and builds up their concentration span when they sit and game for hours. This also builds in a spirit to fight and win which is a very important quality for men in the military. 2. Increased cooperation and constructive teamwork Many violent video games are designed to encourage team work. The player can choose a virtual team for himself or can invite other friends to make a team and play a multi-player game. Such video games encourage cooperation and collective strategic planning. Teams need to work in coherence with one another which is very similar to real life encounters by the military (Michael, 2005). These violent video games, therefore, provide a practice platform to the soldiers and serve as essential tools to build the foundations of cooperation and team work in the warriors. Team work is essential in such games and it is equally or in fact, much more important in real life cases. The armed forces have been highly encouraged to play such games because these inculcate the feeling of togetherness and working as a team to achieve a goal. This aim is very similar to the aim of the military. Any traitors or inefficient soldiers will harm the whole army hence every soldier must know how to cooperate and consult the whole force before deciding on something and how to plan any strategies with a lot of thoughtfulness and time. Such games often take days to finish hence developing skills of strategic planning and team work. For example Reservoir Dogs is a game played on play station. It is excellent for developing the traits for team work and cooperation in the military since the players are supposed to form teams and make their team win against the opponents. They are made to face lots of challenges like real life military is forced into and the team wins in the end not just the player inculcating the feeling of team work. 3. Increased respect for damage caused by the weapons One of the most important positive effects of violent video games to the military has been the increase in the respect for damage caused by the weapons. The first nuclear attack destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki completely and today, the weaponry used is much more advanced and much more dangerous. If such nuclear attacks were launched today, it is possible to destruct the whole world in a single blow. Therefore, the weaponry that is used should be thoroughly studied and tested before it is used. The violent video games that are designed for adults make the process of testing weaponry much easier, cheaper and lots of fun. The military people can use these to understand the extent of destruction that weapons may cause (Erwin, 2005). In some instances, it has been seen that the military has refused to use a certain weapon because of its impact in games. For example the game 50 cents: Bullet Proof has one of the best graphics in Play Station games. It uses the most advanced weaponry for attack. The world saw one of the most novel and well designed weaponry when this game was marketed. However, players also get to know how dangerous it can be. Nearby localities may be effected, forests may be destroyed and natural habitat may be disturbed. The whole ecosystem is shook by calamities and disasters and so these games teach the military to device their plans very intelligently and carefully. A mere carelessness or blunder can take the lives of thousands of innocent people. Violent video games that are often criticized for raising aggression levels have also made the military more susceptible to rethinking motives and planning strategies that are not disastrous on a large scale. Conclusion Violent video games have been banned in some countries because of being overly criticized for raising aggression and violence. However, these video games have also contributed positively in military services. Such violent video games have helped inculcating attributes of cooperation, collectivity and teamwork in the soldiers who play these games. These violent video games have also been used to design new weaponry and know how destructive it can be. Therefore, the banning of such violent games is not fully justified. Aggression and anxiety are natural for everyone; their degrees may be a little different though. Some people are naturally more aggressive and violent than the others. Therefore, if violent games are promoting aggression, that means the player has some guilt or some bad memory in mind and the game is just a way to vent this frustration, anger or depression, whatever it may be. If used constructively in the military, these violent video games can promote many good attributes and lead the forces to success by teaching the soldiers’ tactics in a very subtle and interesting way unlike most other military modes that are highly challenging and risky (Baker, 2005). Video games are also easily available and cheap to use therefore encouraging all prospective soldiers and military men to use these violent video games when training themselves for a military career. References Anderson, C. & Gentile, D. & Buckley, K. (2007).Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. Oxford University Press. DeMaria, R. (2007).Reset: Changing the Way We Look at Video Games. Berrett-Koehler Publishers Gee, J. (2007).What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave Macmillan. Bergeron, B. (2006). Developing Serious Games. Charles River Media. Michael, D. & Chen, S. (2005). Serious Games: Games that educate, train and inform. Course Technology. Erwin, S. (2005).Video Games Gaining Clout As Military Training Tools: An article from: National Defense. National Defense Industrial Association. Baker, A. (2005).Adapting Video Games For Military Applicatons. National Defense Industrial Association. 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