In the course of their increasing sociocultural importance, the academic interest in computer games has been growing considerably in the last years. This profound anthology comprehensibly introduces latest approaches in the central fields of game studies and provides an extensive survey of the contemporary game culture. Internationally renowned media and literature scholars, social scientists, game designers, and artists explore the cultural potential of computer games and present new concepts of researching sociocultural, industrial, and aesthetic aspects of digital entertainment. Read more...

The extremely high level of simulated violence in certain recent video games has made some people uneasy. There is a concern that something is wrong with these violent games, but, since the violence is virtual rather than real, it is difficult to specify the nature of the wrongness. Since there is no proven causal connection between video-game violence and real violence, philosophical analysis can be particularly helpful in locating potential sources of wrongness in ultra-violent video games. To this end, this paper analyzes video game violence through the lens of utilitarian, Kantian, and post-modern perspectives. Through these analyses, several explanations of the wrongness in violent video games emerge. Read more...

The effects of violent media on behavior have been studied for decades. Less studied are the effects of prosocial media on behavior (Hogan, in press), especially in terms of video games. Following the design of Bushman and Anderson (2001) participants were assigned to one of three video game conditions: violent, prosocial, neutral. After playing for ten minutes, participants completed three stories (Car Accident, Persuading a Friend, The Room [about a messy roommate]) writing what would happen next (what would the protagonist do, say, think, feel). Responses were scored for violent (harmful, aggressive), prosocial (helpful, empathic, supportive), and neutral remarks. Across conditions there were no significant differences for aggressive responses. Importantly, the number of prosocial remarks in the prosocial condition was significantly greater than in the aggression or neutral conditions. Those in the prosocial condition produced more prosocial endings to stories. Playing video games creates social biases that influence feelings, attitudes, and behavior. Which biases are created are influenced by what kind of game is played. Playing positive games may increase the likelihood of thinking, feeling, and behaving morally and suppress the violent priming of videogame media generally. Media may be used in multiple positive ways to build moral character. Read more...

This study assessed the speed of recognition of facial emotional expressions (happy and angry) as a function of violent video game play. Color photos of calm facial expressions morphed to either an angry or a happy facial expression. Participants were asked to make a speeded identification of the emotion (happiness or anger) during the morph. Typically, happy faces are identified faster than angry faces (the happy-face advantage). Results indicated that playing a violent video game led to a reduction in the happy face advantage. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the current models of aggressive behavior. Read more...

Debate regarding the psychological and behavioural effects of playing violent video games has recently led to claims that violent video games increase aggression effects in adolescents, and that this issue has now been settled. However, other researchers have found either no detrimental effects from game playing or even positive (cathartic) effects. In this research we demonstrate that these different conclusions are not mutually exclusive and can be explained by the method of assessment and analytic techniques utilised. We had adolescents play a violent video game (Quake II) and took measurements of anger both before, during and after game play. The results demonstrated that some people increase, some decrease and the majority show no change in anger ratings. Unlike past research, we also demonstrate that these changes are mediated by the player's feelings immediately prior to game play and a labile temperament - one predisposed to aggression - and that these variables predict people's reactions with an average 73% concordance rate. Read more...

As growing numbers of youth in the United States play video games, potential effects of game playing are being considered. We focused on gender-related aspects of gaming in a study of 206 college students. Men were significantly more likely than women to play video games two or more hours a week and to indicate that video game playing interfered with sleeping and with class preparation. A greater proportion of women than men complained about the amount of time their significant other played video games. Participants rated female video game characters as significantly more helpless and sexually provocative than male characters and as less likely to be strong and aggressive. Gender differences in participation and character portrayals potentially impact the lives of youth in a variety of ways. Read more...

The content of games is an understudied area in social scientific research about video games. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the portrayal of gender and race in games. Previous research on game content has revealed that stereotypical masculine characters dominate video games and that those characters are generally White. Nowadays, quite a few video games have women in leading parts; Tomb Raider's Lara Croft is the prototypical example. In our study we investigated the so-called 'Lara phenomenon,' that is, the appearance of a competent female character in a dominant position. We also studied the portrayal of men and the race of both male and female characters. We did a content analysis on the introductory films of 12 contemporary video games. Our results show that female characters appeared as often in leading parts as male characters did. They were portrayed with a sexualized emphasis on female features. Most game characters belonged to the dominant White race, the heroes exclusively so. Read more...

Violence and aggression in computer games has been a concern of social commentators and an interest of media researchers for more than 10 years. Violent content has been at the top of the agenda even though aggression and hostility have been identified as a part of competitive gaming situations. The role of the opponent in this process has been largely overlooked. We examined the difference in frustration and aggression in game play after users encountered the computer as opponent and a proximate person as opponent using the same CD-ROM version of Monopoly. We found that users experienced higher levels of aggressive feelings after playing the computer than after playing a stranger face-to-face. It appears that aggression related to computer gaming may be reduced through the humanization of computer opponents. Read more...

This study found significant relationships between first- and second-order cultivation measures and TV viewing, but found a relationship with video game play for only two variables in a sample of 322 Flemish 3rd and 6th year secondary school children. This suggests that the absence of a relationship with video game play is not the result of the absence of cultivation effects in Flanders. On the other hand it shows that the relationship between TV viewing and cultivation measures is not an artifact of systematic over reporting. The study concludes that cultivation measures typical of the "television world" are not related to playing video games. To study video game cultivation measures must be sought which reflect the mainstream of (particular genres of) video games. The role of selectivity needs to be studied more closely. As gainers play an active role in the violence of the games the possibility that self-protecting strategies are employed in processing video game contents must be taken into consideration. Existing process theories explaining what happens in television cultivation may be challenged by research into the cultivation effects of video games. Read more...

Objectives: To quantify the depiction of violence, blood, sexual themes, profanity, substances, and gambling in video games rated M (for "mature") and to measure agreement between the content observed and the rating information provided to consumers on the game box by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Design: We created a database of M-rated video game titles, selected a random sample, recorded at least 1 hour of game play, quantitatively assessed the content, performed statistical analyses to describe the content, and compared our observations with the Entertainment Software Rating Board content descriptors and results of our prior studies. Setting: Harvard University, Boston, Mass. Participants: Authors and 1 hired game player. Main Exposure: M-rated video games. Main Outcome Measures: Percentages of game play depicting violence, blood, sexual themes, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs; use of profanity in dialogue, song lyrics, or gestures. Results: Although the Entertainment Software Rating Board content descriptors for violence and blood provide a good indication of such content in the game, we identified 45 observations of content that could warrant a content descriptor in 29 games (81%) that lacked these content descriptors. M-rated video games are significantly more likely to contain blood, profanity, and substances; depict more severe injuries to human and non-human characters; and have a higher rate of human deaths than video games rated T (for "teen"). Conclusion: Parents and physicians should recognize that popular M-rated video games contain a wide range of unlabeled content and may expose children and adolescents to messages that may negatively influence their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Read more...