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The 1990s was an incredibly transformative decade for video gaming. Huge technological strides led to previously unseen levels of immersion, and 3D graphics quickly become an industry standard. But with this newfound realism came some very real concerns regarding the effects of violent games on impressionable youth. Many parents and experts believe that allowing players to act out violent fantasies in a digital realm will inherenty desensitize them to such acts in the real world, a debate that rages on to this day. That’s part of what makes this MSNBC news clip circa 1997 so interesting.
The five-minute segment examines opposing views held by game makers and the experts who warn of their dangerous effects. The crew interviews Drew Markham of Xatrix Entertainment (later known as Gray Matter Studios) about its tongue-in-cheek but over-the-top violent game Redneck Rampage. It’s amusing to consider Redneck Rampage anything close to realistic, a point that the developers touch on when defending their creation during the clip. But an educational expert weighs in and suggests that cartoon-style violence may be more impressionable on a child’s growing mind. Watch and let us know what you where you fall on the debate.
