Are games becoming too violent? Industry figures chime in
Video games tend to be violent (we do put chainsaws on our guns after all), but this year's E3 showed off even more graphic violence than before. Some have expressed discomfort with ramped up violence, not to mention the raucous reaction to some of it. Some game industry professionals have spoken up about the issue, taking some radically different stances.
Warren Spector, currently at work on the family-friendly game Epic Mickey 2, said that we are idolizing violence in games. "The ultraviolence has to stop," he warned.
"We have to stop loving it. I just don't believe in the effects argument at all, but I do believe that we are fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality. I just think it's in bad taste," he told GamesIndustry.biz.
Spector went on to say that when he's put violence in his games, he tried to contextualize it to impact the player. "You know, Deus Ex had its moments of violence, but they were designed - whether they succeeded or not I can't say - but they were designed to make you uncomfortable, and I don't see that happening now. I think we're just appealing to an adolescent mindset and calling it mature. It's time to stop."
On the other side of the issue is PlayStation software product development head Scott Rohde. "You just see that as technology continues to grow, not just in our industry, but in the film industry as well, or even on television, I think you're gonna see a more realistic depiction of what's going on," Rohde told GameSpot. "And it's a way for people to escape. I don't think it turns people violent." He says the violence is being used to "tell a story and to build tension," and calls that "extremely important."
Phil Harrison, formerly of Sony Computer Entertainment but now Microsoft's IEB corporate vice-president, took a measured opinion between the two. "I was surprised, I must admit, at some of the games," Harrison told Edge. "I think it's an inevitable progression of visual reality and visceral immersion that games can get quite ultra-realistic."
At the same time, Harrison feels the number of violent games this year is "coincidental," and credits the ratings system for protecting consumers. He also noted that "so long as it's part of a balanced portfolio, it's okay." Microsoft's holiday lineup includes Gears of War: Judgment and Dance Central 3.
Čuvena video igra "Civilizacija 2" je objavljena još 1996. godine, ali verovatno niko nije očekivao da će neko jednu kampanju igrati čitavih 10 godina i dogurati do 3991. godine.
Korisnik Reddita, Lycerious, je pokrenuo kampanju 2002. godine, i sada se njegov virtuelni svet nalazi u 3991. godini i predstavlja "pakao na zemlji", planetu uništenu globalnim zagrevanjem i nuklearnim ratovima, piše "Forbs" (Forbes).
Stanovništvo njegovog simuliranog sveta je bilo najbrojnije oko 2000. godine, ali su se stvari potom otrgle kontroli.
Sada postoje samo tri supersile, Kelti koje vodi Lycerious, Vikinzi i Amerikanci koje kontroliše kompjuter.
Te tri nacije su neprestano u ratu već 1.700 godina, uveliko poseduju i koriste nuklearno naoružanje pa su se polovi topili 20 puta, stvarajući močvare od zemalja koje nisu kontaminirane nuklearnim otpadom.
Glad i ratovi su uništili 90 odsto sveta, i svaki put kad se postigne mir, veštačka inteligencija ga prekine (uglavnom korišćenjem nuklearki).
Lycerious je ipak optimista. "Probaću da u narednih par godina okončam rat, i iskoristim inženjere da očiste močvare i kontaminirana područja, kako bi se vratili poljoprivredi.
Želim da ponovo izgradim svet. Ali ne znam kako", kaže Lycerious.
On ne uspeva da pobedi u ratu, a kompjuter odbija mir, pa su se korisnici Reditta uključili da mu pomognu, svakodnevno šaljući sugestije.
Kreator "Civilizacije" Sid Majer rekao je da programeri nikad nisu ni pomišljali da bi neko mogao da ode tako daleko u budućnost sa igricom.
"Nema šansi da smo mogli da testiramo ovako daleko, tako da je ovo iznenađenje za nas. Zapanjujuće je da je neko posvetio 10 godina igranju jedne te iste igre", kaže Majer za "Forbs".
Ima jedno prorocanstvo koje kaze da ce nas Srba ostati taman toliko da cemo svi moci da stanemo pod jednu krusku.A u tom slucaju svi ostali ce stati pod jedan maslacak i to bez da se guraju.
Istina je, Square je potvrdio ono što je poricao duži niz godina - FF7 dolazi za PC u novom, prepakovanom izdanju. Od novina treba istaći poboljšanu grafiku, sistem achievement-a, mogućnost maksimalizacije statova lika (za one koji žele da uživaju u priči, a odbijeni su preteranom težinom), sistem savea preko Cloud platformi, i potpunu optimizaciju za Windows XP/7 (odnosno bagove koji su se pojavljivali ako se igrala originalna igra iz 1997).
Istina je, Square je potvrdio ono što je poricao duži niz godina - FF7 dolazi za PC u novom, prepakovanom izdanju. Od novina treba istaći poboljšanu grafiku, sistem achievement-a, mogućnost maksimalizacije statova lika (za one koji žele da uživaju u priči, a odbijeni su preteranom težinom), sistem savea preko Cloud platformi, i potpunu optimizaciju za Windows XP/7 (odnosno bagove koji su se pojavljivali ako se igrala originalna igra iz 1997).