Study on Video Games and Violence

This article on the effects of video game violence on the psyche of players is, I admit, very convincing. With plenty of references to scientific studies done and the names of many doctors and PhD's attached to these studies, it is hard to deny that violence in video games do indeed seem to increase the aggression level in their players. The article is by no means a hard read; it is very casual and seems to give the sense that a gamer has written this article, rather than a scientist who has never played a video game in his life.

However, this article does suffer from a few flaws. As mentioned above, it almost seems like a gamer has written the article, which can actually hurt its credibility, due to possible bias. The article also makes some erroneous assumptions; they credit the Columbine shootings to violent video games, which cannot be proven (despite what many people tend to think). As always, take this article with a grain of salt, and consider yourself either more aware of the opposite argument, or more justified in your own.

IGN: The Source for (Only Slightly Biased) Reviews

IGN is perhaps one of the largest and well-known sites for video game news, reviews, cheats, guides, etc. They also pay some mind to television and movies, though video games are their first and foremost concern.

This site is an excellent source of reviews (not so much news; whenever news is posted, it tends to be superficial and related to pop culture more than anything), and I recommend it for those who are looking for that kind of thing. I should warn, however, that IGN is slightly biased in their reviews; they fall into the "big, macho man gaming" trap, tending to favour sports games and action games with plenty of explosions and nearly-naked women over role-playing and alternative games. Regardless, still a solid recommendation.

What Can Video Games Do For You?

Video games, despite all their criticism, are able to offer advantages and benefits to those who play them (in moderation, of course!). This article outlines, briefly, some of the advantages that playing video games can provide. This article was found on short notice, so forgive the shortness of it.

Jack Thompson - The Epitome of Video Game Activism

Jack Thompson, the recently disbarred Florida attorney well-known for his campaigns against video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt is quite possibly the most prolific anti-video game activist. While he does seem a little extreme, in the interest of fairness, this link will provide a glimpse into his side of the argument.