Obama calls for game violence research

Waste of money Obama--it's already been disproven that games cause real world violence. Let's spend our tax dollars on things we need, like say better education or care for people with mental instabilities?

On topic of virtual violence translating to real-world violence (as opposed to my political comment below). The issue really is not that complicated.

Social impairment, antisocial behavior, mental conditions, whatever you want to call it. I think practically anyone can agree that these traits or some variation thereof have been displayed in a majority of the perpetrators of recent violent, gun-related crime.
Now look at video games. An escape from the world that these people feel has abandoned and shunned them? I'm sure the above-mentioned people LEAP at them!

This begs a question. Are video games the catalyst as so many claim? Or merely another... *drum roll*.... Symptom of a different problem!? :O *gasp*

Also, you have to look at the impressionability of the person playing a game. How many people in their right mind are going to play Gears of War and think, "That's awesome! I'm going to go chainsaw someone!"... That's the kind of thing that someone already NOT in their right mind would think. And I don't mean a little off. I mean should probably be getting plenty of professional health.

Which leads into my main opinion: Video games are an extremely easy scapegoat that politicians can use to get gullible people to jump on their bandwagons.

What politicians SHOULD be doing is supporting research into the abundance of mental issues/disabilities (for whatever reason, placebo or no) that seem to be so prevalent in our modern American society. But a politician using that for their rhetoric isn't nearly as provocative as violent video games(!), so of course, politicians will stick to what gets them attention and votes.....

What I really don't understand is this: All the people who conduct these "investigations" are supposed to be intelligent, yet even the most brain-dead people can figure out that IF games caused violence, then Japan would be the most violent country in the world, cause that's where the first (and still most brutal) violent games originated from.

This is a song I wrote making fun of people blaming violence on video games...enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Nv9nYpGws

He also calls on you to surrender your guns while his criminal cohorts hang on to theirs.

ok, violent video games are not to blame for the violent acts we've seen in this beautiful country of mine. dumb/unaware parents and store clerks are to blame for kids getting violent video games and here's my example:

I know I'm going to catch hell for saying this, but I welcome it, just to shut the critics up once and for all.

But even after all is said and done, the haters, I mean critics, will never believe in the evidence that is presented to them. We've had the 9/11 "truthers", the Obama birthers, the creationists, the climate change deniers, etc.

So Mr. President, have your researchers look in to this, but believe me when I say that these critics are probably the same people who think you born in Kenya. You know how that felt.

Most people are good law abiding citizens, but for THE CHILDREN....

That is the way you start to take stuff away. Can't Obama leave anyone alone?? How do violent video games affect a crazy crazy man? This guy was crazy. Not a good reason to make policy. Shame on Democrat Obama!

What Obama should do is make owning guns illegal in America. That would solve far more outreaching problems.

i knew it from the Beginning that obama is full of shit

i don't know if romney should have won, but obama is a terrible president

Anyone find it ironic that while Obama has spent record amounts on the military, used drone strikes in a number of countries, presided over two wars, and continues to torture people in Guanatemo Bay, he at the same time wants to investigate video game violence?

So he's restricting magazine sizes to 10 rounds. Because as everyone knows, if a maniac has to reload after he kills his 10th victim, well then everything's swell now isn't it?

As for videogame violence, get a grip. What's more likely to stop gun crime, banning violent games or, i dunno er. BANNING FUCKING GUNS??

And now I instantly regret voting for him

So you try to get rid of violent war games? Try taking away Chess as a first.

I'm begining to find it harder and harder to like obama, but really do you think Mit would be any less of a clueless money grabbing shit. (Flashes back to the days when he though the lib dems had princibles.)

Stop p*ssing more money away Mr. Obama. Since I'm willing to bet most of you here haven't a clue about the debt Barack Obama has weighed this country down with. He's added $8 trillion of debt to the US.

Since I already know through experience no one has a clue about what $1 trillion is really means. I'll break it down for you, to pay back $1 trillion @ $1 million/day, it would take roughly 3000 years. So he's added 24,000 years of debt @ $1 million/day.

How's this for you, in 4 years he spent nearly as much as all the previous US presidents put together. Clearly people didn't understand any of this... since he was re-elected.

Mr President. You need some research? Well, I play alot of rated-M games, and I don't feel violent at all. I've been playing rated M games since I was 15. Does this help you?

I can't understand it. It's been said that you cannot link violent people with violent video games. There's more to it than that! You have to look at a person's background to begin with. I just think this research he's conducting is a waste of good money that can be used for something that can help PREVENT future attacks like the one in Connecticut.

Barrack, Barrack, ( shakes my head ) If people are not able to sell their violent game then you will be losing valuable tax money from the gaming industry. Thus you wont be able to send people to Mars and have your dog get pedicured every 2 weeks and such...

Let it go....softly

"Obama's plan includes closing background check loopholes"

"and increasing access to mental health services."

These are both good ideas everyone can agree on as they don't take away anyone's rights.

"The same entertainment is enjoyed across all cultures and nations, but tragic levels of gun violence remain unique to our country. Scientific research and international and domestic crime data all point toward the same conclusion: entertainment does not cause violent behavior in the real world."

This is also very true, there is something unique to the US, the cause have to be found and dealt with.

Maybe we should actually try punishing the criminals that commit crimes rather than blaiming everything on guns, music, TV, video games, and our boo hoo hoo childhoods?

Change!?

This smells like pork.

All I have to say to Obama on this subject is this : Number one the Constitution doesn't give the federal government the right to use our tax dollars for this and number two shove it where the sun don't shine!

"Rockefeller plans to re-introduce the bill to Congress this month." Is everyone in the Rockefeller family as stupid and stubborn as you?

What is there to study? We are spending 10 million dollars of my and everyone else's tax money on researching something that everyone already knows the answer to?? Games have violence in them, movies have violence in them, so are we going to ban movies and video games? Hell no, were going to try and ruin the gaming industry because all of the older ones in this country would raise hell over movies.

If there's a history on America with their love of guns compare to Australia, I like to read it soon. I'm relaxing so if there's a link, let me know. Thanks.

i was just thinking about game violence the other day.. and how my favorite thing to do in Bf is run around and knife people for their dog tags. my friends and i will even get on opposite teams meet up somewhere and have knife battles. its hilarious The first time i showed up to the fight was in a tank and I blew my friend into the sky lol

Just another way this empty suit is wasting taxpayer dollars. This type of study has already been done.

Here's something that the government has been too ignorant to consider...and even gamers for not mentioning it. Japan is the video game capital of the world. It is for the most part where it began, and where it still evolves. It is where titles like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve, and Castlevania (which was originally far more brutal and scary) were born. There were even many titles in the '90s that didn't make it into the U.S. 'cause they were considered too mature. The game that has been rated the scariest of all time was Silent Hill. Anyway, my point is this: How many school shootings have there been in Japan? Because if it is the video games causing it, it would most certainly be happening there too.

This could be a good thing. Psychologists say that there is no apparent connection. If it is researched by psychologists and not bureaucrats, law proposals will go no where.

It's simple, get video game stores to refuse selling the game to the parents who are in the shop with their child.... I was in my local video game store few months ago and a mother was pre-ordering GTA5 for her (Underaged) Son and the member of staff was talking to the child about what deals he would get from pre-ordering it. The staff member should have refused to serve the mother who was obviously buying it for the minor. If you can get criminally charged for buying alcohol and cigarettes to minors why not do it for video games or atleast explain to the parent it may contain violence and things not suitable for anyone under the games rating. History is proof that video games doesn't make people violent.

How about testing for where these kids keep getting the guns... I mean it must have been acting that made John Wilks Booth shoot Lincoln right?