Violence and Video Games

Ever since the dawn of video games, violence has coincided with them. First it was the ghosts in Pac-Man attempting to kill our yellow hero, and then came Mario stomping on the shroom-like goombas. Now, these acts of violence seem extremely petty to us because, in all truth, they are. However, modern-day games are becoming exceedingly more violent, and this is definitely having an effect on our youthful population.

Now, whenever one thinks of violent video games, the name Grand Theft Auto almost always jumps to mind, but there were games much earlier than it that caused outrage in the American public. Perhaps the first game to spark this fury was the arcade classic Mortal Kombat. The ability to finish your opponent in an extremely brutal manner along with massive amounts of blood effects resulted in the game almost getting banned. This was the first example of violent video games causing an outcry, but the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto raised even more serious concerns. Almost immediately after the games release, outcries were heard around the nation. Kids became less obedient, started acting more aggressively towards their peers and superiors, and displayed less interest in school.

Whenever Grand Theft Auto first came out, it sold like hotcakes off the shelves. Every kid across America wanted it for its sandbox, no restraint gameplay. For those of you who do not know what GTA (Grand Theft Auto) entails, basically you play as a gangster in a large city whose main goals are to kill civilians, steal cars, run from cops, and all kinds of other extremely violent and illegal activities.

This doesn't just stop at video games, however. Studies have shown that four year old children who just viewed aggressive images are three times more likely to act aggressively than children who just viewed peaceful images.

This is still a hotly debated topic among many critics. Whether these violent and aggressive games and television are actually affecting our youth is not for certain. However, one must wonder how they couldn't? With technology growing more powerful every single day, the violence in games is growing as well (just check out the new Mortal Kombat, the first wasn't nearly as gory as this one. Its already been banned in Australia). Children are playing these mature rated games that exhibit extreme violence, gore, and unethical actions. Who knows, in ten years games might become realistic enough that the mind of a child is unable to distinguish them from reality, if not in the present day?

Despite whether or not these games are affecting the American public, they will continue to be produced, children will continue to play them, and if the gaming community calls for it, they will become more violent and realistic. From ghosts killing little yellow circles, to digital gangsters beating up prostitutes with baseball bats, gaming has always included violence, and that trend is not likely to stop. So now that you've heard my spill, go throw in Grand Theft Auto 4, and steal a Ferrari or two.

Netflix Streaming FTW!!!!!!!!!

If you read my last post than you surely know of my undying loyalty to all things Netflix, it was pretty obvious if you couldn't see it. And for those of you asking, "How do I get all that streaming goodness onto my 60-inch LED flat screen, and is it difficult to set up?", I can tell you from firsthand experience that its stupidly easy to set up.

There are many devices that are capable of streaming Netflix over the internet, in fact many new televisions have that ability built into their features and don't require an external device at all. But, since there are so many different TV brands, coupled with the fact that I've had no real firsthand experience setting it up that way, I'll just have to stick with what i know. Computers were the original platform used for Netflix and are the easiest way of starting your Netflix experience. Once sign up for an account you're ready to go. Just click away to your hearts content. This is all fine and dandy but who really wants to watch movies slumped over a laptop or a keyboard? What solution has Netflix devised to save us from bad eyesight and aching backs?







That's right, there's live streaming on the current generation of gaming consoles. Those machines that kids and college students spend a majority of their time on are now useful to everyone, including the dog. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are now able to bring High-Def movies straight to your beastly TV. I know, I love it! The experiences on each are a little different however. To enable Netflix on the 360 you have to be a gold subscriber on Xbox Live, which means an additional $7-13 a month on top of your internet and Netflix subscription fees. An additional subscription fee isn't needed on the Playstation 3, but from my own experience the interface seems a bit wonky. I'd go for the Xbox 360 if money isn't an issue, but in all honesty it doesn't take away from the experience once you hit play. You can also use Netflix on your Wii if you want an inferior experience. Nintendo's Wii is only capable of streaming movies in Standard Definition and requires a CD for use. In short, it sucks and should only be used in extreme cases. You've been warned!
And there you have it. You now know that there are many different ways to watch movies on Netflix. Now go my loyal readers and do as I do, watch every terrible looking movie possible and feel good about doing so. A hint though, Frozen is truly terrible and should never be watched, EVER! Unless you feel like breaking your Xbox when it's done.