Wanna see the trailers for Manhunt 2? Then just take this short cut to the Videos Section.
Again we are faced with another Video Game creating controversy throughout the media. What game is that? Well, that would be Rockstar Games (I know, them again!) Manhunt 2. What so bad about this game? Well, the basic setup is "you play out as a murder!" Now I competely understand why this game is not suitable for any children but I do argue why it should not be banned. And here is why!
Let me start off by using a example before I go into the video game situation. I'm a huge fan of cartoons. Just cartoons in general. But after awhile, cartoons on nickelodeon became to childish for me and I began to ignore the network. Now a friend of mine decided to show me the way to a cartoon I had ignored. It was on Nick and I told myself that all cartoons on there where targeted more for kids (exception being occasional Sponge Bob) and I was getting past that. But my friend changed my mind when he introduced me to "INVADER ZIM"!
Now he showed me the first episode and what really made me grin [spoiler alert] was when Zim was crazed out of his mind destroying a city with a huge motorized robot. He continued to laugh crazily and the co-pilots reminded Zim that they where still on there home planet. Now why do I bring this up? Well let's imagine we could zoom in on the people being crushed to death below as Zim is destorying buildings with this massive machine. There bodys are mutilated and crushed. Blood and guts everywhere as everyone is running and screaming for there lifes. Oh, now this is gruesome. But of course this was not shown so it's OK for kids. But is it violent? I think so. I then told my friend that the drawings from the animation seemed familiar like I've seen it before. To my surprise I have seen it before. My friend told me the same person who created Zim also created "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac"! What is this you might ask? This is a "graphic novel" that I love alot but is very very violent. Johnny is a serial killer that brings people back to his house for torture and massacre, all the while a bunny head is telling him not to do it and two doughboys (yes they look just like the pillsbury doughboy) keep telling him to kill. And this is the same creator of Invader Zim. But it was there for children to see and it was just as evil in some ways. But it was excepted.
Now since Mortal Kombat, video game violence has always been a topic of government discussion. When MK came out to the home systems and went through the pain of editing, we finally got video game ratings [ESRB] and just like movies there are games for kids and games for adults. But when a kid gets a copy of one these "M" rated games, who do the parents blame? The video game companies, of course. If a kid gets his hands on a horror movie or a porn do the parents go to the movie industry and bash them down for there work? Well not now. Movies, TV, Comic Books, Music and now Video Games have went under the microscope for adult content. Video Games are no longer for kids and are not just targeted for kids. And parents need to pay attention to what there kids are playing just like they do for there Movies, Music or TV. And now video game systems have Parental Control so there is no excuses. But of course we still get the whole thing about how it's the Video Games fault.
So here we have Mortal Kombat and things seem to be fine until Grand Theft Auto series. Now let me get this straight? GTA is "M" rated and is only for adults correct? OK, GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas all have the following: Murder, Gangs, Drugs, Wreckless Driving, Just alot of things to make them really bad, correct? And all these things are illegal correct? OK, here comes my next question? Is sex, no wait, is consentual sex illegal? NO! Then why is the illegal stuff allowed but if, oh I don't know, if a game has a secret code called the "Hot Coffee" code and this secret scene contains a sexual game. So this is bad? First off, again this game is for "ADULT ONLY!" Do I have to repeat this? Do you all see the "M" rating? M for MATURE. Mature as in Adult. OK so why did this Hot Coffee code make such an uproar that Rockstar games had to take the code out of the game but it's OK for the Murder and the Gangs and so on? Does this make sense. I can understand the parents saying "My kids might get there hands on this and get the secret code and see this sex scene!" Wait if your kids do get a copy of this game then they have already seen what 4 illegal things named above but "Oh no! It has sex! Now I'm really mad!" Sex is a natural part of life and is excepted, unlike the other parts of the game and this was erased from the game. I don't see the games being the problem. Society has there head mixed up with what is right and wrong. But playing this game does not make a murder. Let me explain.
Let me name a few movies and you tell me if they have sparked any violence out of anybody: Psycho? How about Texas Chainsaw Massacre? What those two are both loosely based off a real murder? OK, then how about Natural Born Killers? Nope! Because media does not influence human behavior in those ways. And if so, what is a killer's usual response? "I didn't have a good childhood." or "My parents didn't raise me right." If a parent is a good parent then a child becomes a good parent themselves. You don't let entertainment shape your childs mind. You do and when you blame the Video Game world or the TV, your showing us how good of a parent you are. So when you don't want to deal with your kids you plop them in front of a TV or a Video Game and it's the TV/Video Games fault what it teaches your child? You're putting your child there. This comes down to parenting and not entertainment choices. A parent knows what's appropriate for there kids and if they don't then they need to learn to "quote" "Be a good parent"!
At a young age my mom let me watch horror movies. If there was any nudity, she would cover my eyes from it but if I got scared of a horror movie, she would explain how it was fake and how it was a man in a mask acting. She explained in detail how a movie was made and setup to scare people. But she kept on reminding me that "it's not real". So I became a horror fan and a movie fan in general. I began to watch alot of movies. Horror was my favorite and something in the movies made me want to know more. I became obsessed with watching and figuring out the setup and you know what I started to enjoy? "SPECIAL FEATURES". OooOoooOooh! People, it's all on how you where raised and I can't wait to get my hands on a Wii and a copy of Manhunt 2. Wait, is that Manhunt 2? Was there a first Manhunt game? Well of course but the sequal got all the attention. But there the same type of game. I played the first Manhunt and loved it. So why is it the sequal is making such a uproar? Because it's on the Wii and the systems emulates the movements to much. But let me explain somthing to you all. I don't see these video games being so bad, for adults I mean. Why? Because if someone is making me mad and I only had 2 options what would you rather me take? Option 1: Get into a fight with the person? Option 2: Go home and take out my anger on the video game instead. What I'm trying to explain is that I love these games but if you ever met me or know me, I don't have a speck of violence in me. I don't like fighting and probably can't fight. But if I'm upset or mad for some reason, I grew up using video games to take out that frustration or anger. It can be useful some and bad for others but it all starts off with the parents. How would you as a parent expose your kids to the video game world? Would you show it as a helpful tool or a bad instrument. Do you explain to your kids what reality is and what fantasy is? You have to let kids know what is real and not and video games are not real. No matter how much they act out real ideas, they are not real and when someone looks at them as a tool for bad behavior then they don't need it and should not be exposed to it. But it shouldn't be banned. If Manhunt 2 was to be banned then we need to ban Alcohol, Cigarettes, Pornos, Music, Movies, TV, Books and anything that has the word murder or killing in it because this is a free country and when we go and blame something else for raising our kids then they where never "OUR" kids in the first place. We let the Video Games raise our kids, then there no longer our children. Thank about it and you'll understand where I'm coming from.
To finish, if you want to blame anything, blame the parents who are not paying attention to what there kids are doing or finding ways to protect your kids. It became your responsibility when you became a parent and not the video games so who has the brain here? The video game or the parent? You decide. Till Next Time, Puttyman Out!