We have all played FPS at some point in our lives. FPS have been one of the modern gaming achievements of the era. Most of these types of games revolve on historical events and allow the player to experience, in a way, what countless of soldiers experienced during those troubled times.
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Call of Duty: World at War
In most instances one would consider these historical simulations a sort of educational type of game. However, not all is well in paradise and this post intends to put some light on the subject. But before I begin to discuss that I need to give some credit where it is due.
Shooter games have been out for a while but the Call of Duty series gave players a new perspective into learning history. These games started out as simulations of events that had transpired during World War II and told stories from GIs who lived through these events. Unfortunately, most players only care about killing enemies and multiplayer ranking and not about the story that inspired the games creation.
So where is the educational purpose in war video games? According to the research in the article Brutal Games: Call of Duty and the Cultural Narrative of World War II, games like Medal of Honor and World at War offer a re-calibrated view of what was known in the history of the World War. The opportunity for players to see that war through the point of views of other key individuals during that war and “feel” what they felt during those moments. Even Veterans who lived through that experience agree that men love war games because it is a brutal and deadly game. One would argue that if a Veteran truly says those things then one would have to be concerned over their health.
Now that the educational purpose of such FPS is revealed, let us focus on the other part of the problem. The problem that lies in most FPS is that played who play such types of game excessively end up suffering from gaming addiction. Then, because they are immersed in such games they are prone to becoming violent towards other players or anyone around them. This is a reality that most people deal with as I myself experienced it during my freshman year in college.
We know for a fact that playing an FPS awards players with ranking statuses and other achievements. It is also considered an e-sport which those who dedicate time hope to become famous and join the ranks of those who have played in tournaments. But the fact still remains that playing too much FPS can have a negative effect on ones own mind. And we have met these type of players in some way or another.
In the research paper titled Longer you play, the more hostile you feel: examination of first person shooter video games and aggression during video game play, FPS games were found to have a high rate of increasing aggression in players due to losing or other score factors. The more violent the FPS is the more a player will be likely to become hostile. One may argue that this is true, more specifically, for those who play multiplayer mode.
Online multiplayer in FPS is filled with all types of characters. Some are just kids who somehow are allowed to play such violent games for “fun”. There are other players who tend to be more aggressive and take the game way too seriously. The thing is, all of these players show different levels of aggression and if we should be able to perceive when someone needs a “time out” from that sort of environment.
In conclusion, FPS games are both entertaining and promote some sort of educational view into the insights of war. However, there should be more studies done in order to definitively say that FPS can lead to social problems or if its a case of negligence from the player or the parent. So my advice for those who are gamers like me is, play your games and enjoy them without overdoing it.