| > ... correlation between games and violence (i.e. the consensus is that no such causation relationship exists). I feel that the connection between violence and violence in games is far more subtle than a direct connection. Video games are not real life but the thoughts and feelings we have when we play games are real. When we experience anger, sadness or joy in a game, all of these emotions are real for us. When we have experiences pathways are laid down in the brain through the process of myelination and these pathways get reinforced over time by having the same experiences. When we hit, shoot or kill something in a video game and get feedback, sound, visual or music, our brain starts to become conditioned to those experiences. Our brains are plastic and flexible in that they can learn that hitting, shooting and killing, being violent can feel "good". It is possible that this can happen even being completely unaware of it happening. If you make games, and there is violence in your game, I would seriously take a moment and consider. Is this violence in the game really necessary? There are many other options for different types of gameplay. |