Violence and video games is a topic almost as old as time itself, and we’re all getting tired of hearing people discuss whether or not violent video games are a stimulant for violence & aggression. While the entire gaming community will probably answer that query with a resounding, unanimous “NO”, many analysts and therapists alike disagree. The comedic, critical duo of Penn & Teller recently tackled this topic in the latest episode of Showtime’s Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and the outcomes of the so-called “investigation” might surprise you.

The first part of the episode is embedded above, courtesy of Kotaku, and the second & third parts are embedded after the jump. Everyone’s favorite Floridian makes an appearance in the episode, but unfortunately, they made him out to some sort of game-hating misanthrope, rather than the forthright, but misguided man he seemed to be when I heard him speak at SGC last week. While I enjoyed the episode, and thought they made a lot of good points, I could’ve done without the crying kid at the end. Luckily, no one at his age probably watches or even gets Showtime, or the kid would be teased for life.
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Now all those Thompson supporters can be shut up about violent FPS games making players violent. Research has shown that driving and even table tennis games make players more agitated and aggressive. Read more…

Researchers at the University of Rochester have surveyed 2,670 frequent game players, as well and over 300 undergraduates, and found that violent content has no real effect on the appeal of a game. Using Half-Life 2 and a dev kit, the researchers made two scenarios for the participants: a “violent” one where the player had to kill things with a shotgun, and a “non-violent” on where psychic powers were used to do the same thing, although it was “more like a game of tag” than a deathmatch.

Guess what? The groups had no real difference; there’s very little to suggest that increasing violence increases enjoyment. The lead researched adds that this should be noted by game developers: making a game more violent won’t necessarily make it more fun.

Of course, violence is still fun- if, for example, Left 4 Dead’s zombies simply disappeared as opposed to tearing apart in a bloody mess, I’m sure there would be plenty of complaints. Likewise, the VATS messiness in Fallout 3 certainly adds something to the game. Still, the researchers have it on the nose- good game first, violence second.

Metronews via Kotaku.

Controversy is brewing over poll results featured in a What They Play article featured earlier this month.

The poll, published in a story titled “Parent’s More Concerned About Video Games than Alcohol or Pornography” generated significant attention from the video game media as well as mainstream news outlets.

Representatives from What They Play told Ripten.com that the polls had been taken from visitors and members of their own community. The veracity of the poll results and the article has been called into question by readers as well as Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica. Read more…

MediaWatch UK, self-appointed guardians of decency in entertainment, have suddenly registered Wii’s Mad World on their radar – and they’re not too chuffed about it.

“I hope the British Board of Film Classification will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification,” says John Beyer, MediaWatch UK president. “Without that it cannot be marketed in Britain. What the rest of the world does is up to them. We need to ensure that modern and civilized values take priority rather than killing and maiming people.”

“It seems a shame that the game’s manufacturer have decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii,” he added. “I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii.”

It’s not really a shame though, because Wii is in need of more decent third-party titles. Meanwhile, UK national the Daily Mail has got hold of this and is now in hysterics, claiming that parents are “horrified” yet they utterly failed to consult any parents on the matter. Great journalism, that. Read more…

While talking to British music magazine NME about knife violence in the UK, Oasis lead guitarist Noel Gallagher suggests that video games are helping corrupt our youth. Read more…

Can any game deliver the experience expected after seeing the above image? Viking is a game which sets out to do just that, but can it live up to the “brutal, limb-severing combat” as promised on the back of the case? Hit the jump, click “Read more” or sneak up behind me, press X and cut me in two in slow motion to find out.
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Bully: Scholarship Edition hits shelves in the US today (it’s out 7 March in the UK) on 360 and Wii, and (who would have thought?) someone’s pissed about it. Read more…

In the midst of the ongoing ruckus surrounding videogame violence, Metal Gear godfather Hideo Kojima has come out saying that it’s pretty much essential. Read more…