Product Design in Cyberspace
Robert J. Martinez
Trident University
Abstract
In the virtual world, the gaming world anything goes or does it? Today there is a mixed bag of views on what is right and wrong or should I say when is enough…enough? Can a video game be deemed too violent in today’s society? Let’s look at some views and draw our own conclusion.
Do Video game designers have a responsibility to be socially responsible and NOT design games that are overly violent, or should video game designers just let the market decide?
Take the Deontological view whereas the game developers are just producing a product that the masses of gamers want, it is all done in a virtual world no one gets hurt so what is the harm? I think game developers should continue to make the games whether they are violent or not because it is my choice whether I want to play those games, my freedom, my say and I do not want any Government or advocate group shutting down or making decisions for me on what to play. I love the games are coming out today and must admit I play a blind eye to all the uproar on violence in video games as it never seemed to have affected my friends or me as we all have become productive citizens in society and those who did not make it, it was not video games but they fell victim to bad choices and being a product of the enviorment in the projects of the Bronx not video games so I think hard earned tax payer dollars should go to education and the war on drugs not this subject. Ok, I sorry if I drifted I write what I feel and yet we are here to discuss a game developer’s social resposibilities.
I remember growing up and hearing about all these heavy metal bands which had lyrics on their records that said when played backwards would show support for the devil…30 somewhat years later I hear things on the radio way worse then I did growing up and I don’t see the uproar about those guys anymore and is their any scientific studies to say that the...