Link

I found this to be true. When I returned from combat in Iraq, my anger-response was tuned to the battlefield; not to dealing with average Americans back home.

Since I returned not to work, but to continue my post-graduate studies, I had all the free time of a student. A friend with whom I had served in combat and I played hours of Battlefield 1942- the Desert Combatmod - which simulates combat in the Middle East. The hours of play each week allowed me to vent my frustrations in a healthy way - rather than by raining all over someone else's parade.

I credit the gaming with part of my rehabilitation to 'normal' civilian life.

Links to other sample studies/articles:
Link 1
Link 2

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Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.
- Goethe

Jump in with both feet!
- Me, indulging my inner eight-year-old

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"Are you a mad-hatter that just types what he wishes, or have you actually any physics training?"
Occam's Ghost to Grant Hutchison.

I'm headed overseas later this year myself. Where we don't know, yet. SRP is next week. I like a good shooter, myself. Current favorite is "Enemy Territory: Return to Castle Wolfenstein". It's free, too, and a great game. Double win.

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I have a lot of fun with the Halo series in co-op mode. My friend and I are good partners with the Warthog. He's a better shot, I'm a much better driver.

I love playing with the tank, too, but I keep getting far too tempted to announce "Firing main cannon" in a friendly 'RedVsBlue' sing-song voice before I unload on something.

He's not much good at stealth, though. He's kind of like a yappy dog trying to sneak through a cat show. Oh well, at least I had plenty of sniper rifle ammo left over for the next stage.

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New! It combines the power of science with the gentleness of your mother's best intentions!
A new miracle technique, we apply homeopathic methods to achieve scientific efficaciousness
for dilutions WAY beyond Avogadro's Limit. It's New! It's Fresh!
It's Placebo^[tm] Brand Power Drink! *[Use as directed. May increase kidney function.]

The article seems to re-inforce my thoughts on the subject. For some people it's a good anger release, and they seperate the gaming life from the normal life. (in the same way Wile E Coyote is violent)

I've always worried about those people who play the violent games because they like that kind of thing.

I like the last line about identifying those with everyday aggression...The ones stomping on their consoles after losing, perhaps?

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

Playing violent games can "chill me out"...playing non violent games can "chill me out".

Other times, playing games can inrage me (if it's not going my way). I play World of Warcraft almost exclusively now...I generally stay pretty neutral emotionally...it's not exactly the most high-paced adriniline-inducing game.

The effects of video games on people's emotional state is going to be different from person to person. But I never endorse the idea that violent games cause non-violent people to be violent. I'm not convinced in the least that there's been a single violent act commited by a person because of a video game, who would have not been prone to violent reactions if not for video games.

Violent people probably are drawn to violent games...that doesn't mean the game caused them to be violent.

Anyway to get back on topic, yes I think "violent"...or more accurately, exciting (whatever one finds that to be) games can certianly be a virtual punching-bag.

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

"A long time ago, yet somehow in the future"

I find playing drums accomplishes the same thing.

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I have a fever....and the only prescription is more cowbell!!

http://www.myspace.com/piousmonger

The key for me is to immerse myself in the game to separate the focus of my attention away from what set me off in a rotten mood in the first place. So whether its setting up a factory run while ice mining in EVE or slaloming a stolen ambulance down the boardwalk, killing hundreds, in GTA San Andreas, its a clear break in the stream of comsciousness that divorces me from the trigger situation.

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I'm not completely heartless, the doctor who removed it told me he'd never be able to get it all.

I've discovered that HL2 is great at getting you away from anything, and completely immersing you in the game.

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WANTED:

Schroedinger's Cat

Dead And Alive

But for some reason, I keep wanting cake...

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New! It combines the power of science with the gentleness of your mother's best intentions!
A new miracle technique, we apply homeopathic methods to achieve scientific efficaciousness
for dilutions WAY beyond Avogadro's Limit. It's New! It's Fresh!
It's Placebo^[tm] Brand Power Drink! *[Use as directed. May increase kidney function.]

I play the violent (combat) games because I do like that kind of thing. It's part of the reason I stayed in the Marines as long as I did.

Personally, I think its good for our society that we have big, dangerous guys who are willing to go into harm's way for everyone else. They let the soft, security-unconscious enjoy life and the antics of Paris Hilton (okay, we like photos and videos of Paris, too.)

The people you have to worry about are the crazies and chemically imbalanced. They killed plenty of people long before Pong first entered people's living rooms - and as Fazor said - they're not committing violence or mayhem due to any inducement from the game; they were already unfit for society to begin with.

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Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.
- Goethe

Jump in with both feet!
- Me, indulging my inner eight-year-old

*** *** ***

"Are you a mad-hatter that just types what he wishes, or have you actually any physics training?"
Occam's Ghost to Grant Hutchison.

The cake is a lie!

I had a really bad day the other day. Lots of people at work that I think should be under close watch in a big room with little windows. When I came home, I logged on to my Brute (all melee damage and a bigger damage bonus the longer you fight) in City of Villains and went to town for a few missions. after a while I started to nod off.

My opinion has always been that a "normal" person who plays a violent game might get just as much enjoyment from a non-violent one. A violent nut-case type will not find any joy in something like The Sims, so ALL games they play will be violent.

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A Nerd can figure out how long it will take the original Enterprise traveling at warp 6.5 to travel from Regulus to Antares.
A Geek with think he can use that to pick up a girl in a bar.
A Dork knows he can't pick up the girl with it, but will hang around for hours anyway, just in case she asks.
She might. You never know.

The violence or the combat?... two different things in my mind.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

we have the newest Halo at my house. I play only to spend time with my brother. Otherwise I've never turned it on.

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I've met ngc3314


"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

My personal favorite to get aggression out of the system is Postal 2, it is the epitome of inappropriate. . . well, everything.

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An emperor without enemies, a king without a kingdom, supported in life by the willing tribute of a free people.

There was a study out, or I think Penn and Teller's Bull**** show, that stated releasing anger makes one more likely to commit acts of anger.

And violent video games don't really chill me out. Whenever I get fragged, I want to go and frag them back. I've even punched my keyboard out of fustration. Good thing I found it in the trash...

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Fields of Space

LOGIC, n.
The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.

In the Year 2525.

"One small step for (a) man. One giant leap for mankind".

If an astronaut doesn't need good grammar, niether does you.

Host of Seraphim

A part of me likes both.

However, I've always been in control of that part. The thing is; I'm good at violence and combat. People tend to enjoy things they're good at.

Boxing, jiu-jitsu and hand-to-hand combat training have always been some of my favorite pastimes. Punching and being punched in the ring is excellent training. I'm also an expert shot and a good commander. My Marines typically out-performed their peers and other units we went up against.

I enjoyed surfing, skiing and mountainbiking partially for the fact that sometimes you wipe out. Football too.

Among the many emotions I felt in combat, satisfaction and enjoyment had their place along with the fear and anger. As did humor. A very black humor...

Ask any tanker and most will admit that open combat from an M1-A1 has its joys. It's one of the things we try to help our returning veterans accept and deal with when they return to civilian life. 'How could I enjoy something that everyone thinks is so awful?' It troubles some people...

Just not me.

__________________
Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.
- Goethe

Jump in with both feet!
- Me, indulging my inner eight-year-old

*** *** ***

"Are you a mad-hatter that just types what he wishes, or have you actually any physics training?"
Occam's Ghost to Grant Hutchison.

Interesting perspective on the issue. As a long time player of violent video games I'm not sure that I'd say that it would chill the average person, but your assertions don't really suggest that do they?

What certainly can be said though, violent video games never killed anyone, people have.

There are studies out there that relates catharsis to violence. Penn & Teller's show did cover some of it, and it is mostly right on. But what the studies showed was that being violent towards something else to express your anger - whether it be screaming into a pillow, beating a pillow with a bat, or breaking things - is only going to increase anger later on.

What I see here is that people who are frustrated and angry are distracting themselves through the game - whether it be Half-Life 2, The Sims, Postal II, or the latest Tiger Woods golf game - that is, they do something they like to distract themselves and let the anger settle down and go away in a non-destructive manner.

I do this frequently. If I've had a really rough day, I'll distract myself with Mario Kart or HL2, and soon enough I am no longer interested in being angry, and the feelings have gone away in place of the happy feelings I get when I cause havok on the virtual track.

The problem lies in that when you vent in a destructive manner, you focus on that rage and anger. It goes away after a while, but it keeps bubbling up. Little things will spark it again, and it becomes a cycle.

See, college psychology can be fun!

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"4th Law of Modern Thermodynamics: Where Mihoshi is, Chaos Reigns." ~W. Hakubi
"Gun control is hitting your target; Recycling is reloading your brass." ~ Lex of Dirty Work.

I played RayMan once.
Has to be the gayest game I've ever played. I was dripping pink by the time I tossed the controller to the floor.

Yet trying to get the (cursed) character to do what you are trying to get him to do...(curse) (curse) (CENSORED)

May as well take up a nice peaceful round of Golf.