The System is Already in Place

Wyatt and I were in Gamestop recently to trade-in some games. As we waited in line, TV’s blaring about some upcoming entertainment, I noticed the father and son being helped ahead of us. Looking on the counter, I saw that they were picking up two games, both rated M for mature. The kid didn’t look like he was much older than 10 or 11 years old.

Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Did the ratings system fail in this case? No. This kid’s parent either:

A. Didn’t care

B. Was not educated on the existing video game rating system (ESRB)

C. Really wanted to play the latest M-rated game with his kid

D. Insert some sort of non-judgmental / get out of jail free card here

We had a little boy move into our neighborhood a few months back. He lives with his dad (parents are divorced). The kid seems to have free reign over the media he consumes. He is 8.

Often at night, as I am driving down the street to our house, I’ll catch a glimpse of what is playing on their TV. Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, etc. are all normal sights. Maybe the kid gets to play these games with his dad? Maybe video games are the only thing they bond over? I’m not trying to judge my neighbors parenting skills nor the choices he makes for his son.

One day, shortly after they had moved in, my son and the neighbor boy got into an argument. Wyatt came in crying. The neighbor boy had threatened to come into our house, at night, and kill all of us. On top of that, he was also going to destroy all of Wyatt’s toys.

At what point does the media we consume start to affect us on some level?

I’m not saying that violent video games cause violence. But what I am saying is that the things we choose to consume affect us deep down. Doing something as slight as causing us to use words such as “death” or “kill” more frequently. Or even normalizing the use of weapons and violence as a way to solve all problems.

In the wake of recent school shootings, President Trump has decided to sit down with members of the video game industry. A Presidential effort to hash out the topic of violence in video games. What I’m hoping, is that President Trump is educated on the rating systems already in place. I’m hoping that he realizes that the problem starts in the home; the solution starts with parents engaging their children.

Guest Post: Why Should Christians Play Video Games?

A deep question, for sure, but one which I’m happy to discuss!

1. Video games give us a sense of wonder and engagement. Video games became our new cultural medium for the exchange of unwritten, yet still felt, ideas of our time. People still long for the epics of old from Homer’s Odyssey to the Lord of the Rings; video games give us an opportunity to engage and enter those realms in a way that hasn’t been possible with any previous generation.

2. Video games give us an insight into popular culture. Capitalism, at the very least, provides a quantifiable measure of “what people like”. Call of Duty is what people like. Why do they like it? That is a question that a Christian can find out themselves by playing it. If not playing it, than at least understanding the dominant narratives, themes, and leisure activities of our fellow citizens.

3. Video games provide a tiny microcosm of the real world and our own personalities. Structured play provides challenges; every person desires to work and contribute something in the world. Video games also show us the way we think about reality and what rewards we wish to gain from life (tangible and intangible). Sometimes, they show us more of ourselves then we’d care to admit! Yet this self-examination lets us appreciate the diversity of taste and personality.

4. Video games present an opportunity for human interaction and shared experiences. Contrary to the standard stereotype of “reclusive gamer” so often foisted upon us, gamers socialize just as often as everyone else – only they find a shared vernacular on the subject of video games. I will admit, in my Christian school upbringing, that I made many friends from our shared love of these video games, even when no one else understood our childhood obsessions. I can remember vividly converting our playground to the wild avarice of Pokemon collecting, or the utter brilliance of Star Fox 64. We were no longer strangers but compatriots in a shared hobby that, more than any other entertainment I’ve seen, engender fierce love and devotion. Many of those Christians remain my friends to this day, all because of video games.

5. That was only the past – now, the Internet has given all the opportunity to create connections with people around the world. Online gaming made social interaction, both for good and ill, a genuine part of the video game community. It is through the Internet that I have made new friends, Christians and gamers alike, who share that common experience – the video game theology community. We come from all different denominations and different background, yet still find gaming as a grounding point for discussion of everything.

And isn’t that what Christianity wishes to do? Christ gives us new life and salvation from sin. He allows us to reveal our personalities to each other without barriers and without borders, to speak openly of everything. What a vehicle it is that our human creations ultimately lead back to the Creator!

Written by Zachery Oliver

Zachery Oliver, MTS, is the lead writer for Theology Gaming, a blog focused on the integration of games and theological issues. He can be reached at viewtifulzfo at gmail dot com or on Theology Gaming’s Facebook Page.

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Random

Working the front office of an architectural firm, I don’t often get the opportunity to talk to many people. The fact is, besides the phone, not too many people walk in the front door. Coming from a customer service background, this minimal contact with the public has been a shock to the system.

Today I had one of the contractor’s assistants come by, a female, to pick up some drawings. In the course of conversation, she started telling me about how her and her husband play Call of Duty Black Ops. This made me smile. As a gamer since the early NES days, I am not the best player at shooters on a modern console. Shooters are complicated controller messes that require far too much finger agility. I’m just not game. She went on to tell me that sometimes she schools him with a higher kill ratio. Made me laugh.

Gamer’s are everywhere in today’s world. Never know if you’re talking to one.

JohnnyBGamer

Writing from the junction point of faith, fatherhood, and video games.

Call of Duty

The System is Already in Place

At what point does the media we consume start to affect us on some level?

Guest Post: Why Should Christians Play Video Games?

Written by Zachery Oliver

Random