Writing An Essay About Games

Caboose · March 2004

<div class="IPBDescription">Can't think of a better place to go :p</div> I'm writing an essay for my english class about "Do video games cause people to be voilent?"

Well, In a (large) group of gamers, I suspect that there are many that are knowlagable about the subject matter.

The essay was originally due today (moved forward several times for various reasons) my English teacher, who closley resembles an Onos, extended it to Friday.

I was expecting about 5 pages that needed to be done. Well... I found out today that The average is expected to be about 10 pages and has some that have already been turned in, one of which is 36 pages long.

Anyway, It is an opposing viewpoints essay, meaning the following...

<b>I need:</b><ul><li>1 Intro Paragraph</li><li>1 Consession Paragraph (other sides point of view)</li><li>4 body paragraphs (minimum, about my side of the argument)</li><li>1 Conclution Paragraph</li></ul>
If you have any usefull information (links to reliable sources, news papers or Databast articels) , or any ideas for what the body paragraphs could be about, post them here.

I have about 3 pages done, but It's done all wrong and I can't think of anything to write.

Please help!!!

P.S. She is allowing it to be re-done as long as you turn in somthing on Friday and it's more than 2 or 3 pages.

BTW, this assignment is worth 2400 points, average for her is like 300...

Marik_Steele · March 2004

Using the <a href='http://slashdot.org/search.pl?query=&op=stories&author=&tid=127&section=&sort=1' target='_blank'>search function at Slashdot</a>, you can search through the categories "Games" or "PC Games" using terms like "violent" or "violence." Turns up a ton of articles, some more relevant than others.

Quaunaut · March 2004

Well, being I am a knowledge of all gaming(thanks to many sources and mentors, including many of you <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />), here is my take:

The average gamer is unchanged by games. Their still the way they were before they were introduced to violent games or not.

The hardcore gamer tends to be MUCH more competitive, but also MUCH more intelligent, and also MUCH less violent(but may in fact be overweight, and its a 50/50 between which are sociable, and which aren't.

The young get corrupted by games(for the same reasons you shouldn't let them watch rated R films when their 4-10) USUALLY(not in all cases, just most(read:90%).

Older folks tend to like games because they CAN reduce stress, and are genuinely relaxing.

Other than that: I'd say, NO, video games don't cause violence. If anything, CNN combined with child adolescnece to want to rebel causes violence(games CAN too, but usually it doesn't effect kids in any world but the cyber world.)

MrPink · March 2004

Quadruple spacing with size 24 bold font.

Caboose · March 2004

Double Spacing 12 point Times New Roman

weggy · March 2004

I threw in 2 PA comics when I did mine. Proffessor seemed to enjoy them.

In particular this one:

<img src='http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2001/20010516l.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

And this one:

<img src='http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2001/20010214l.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

Quaunaut · March 2004

So true weg....so true.

(stupid parents, stupid lawyers)

Xiile · March 2004

All I could tell you is... don't get sources from common media places (nbc.com, etc.).
They lie and know nothing. They just go by common stereotypes of people that play video games whilst they never have played them themselves (wow that sentence sounded messed up).

(Wow, when did I pass the 1000th post mark? Oh well, weee...)

Thansal · March 2004

actualy alot of main stream media sources ARE good places to look.

There are offten articles swining one way or the other (and you need both for this paper).

pardzh · March 2004

You should be able to find <i>tons</i> of info on Slashdot.

ZiGGY · March 2004

personally i do believe computer games have many positive and beneficial attributes but handling the sheer addiction some of these games can deliver is a challenge.

Navck · March 2004

Heres some of my ranting, read it for ideas
Social experiment?(From someone else)

A1:President Bush, the one in office
A2:President Clinton, he did a bad thing
A3:President George W Bush, daddy of the current one
And the rest are the ones you commonly known in education
Wow, looks like I'm not into history. Is that wrong. No

Junkfood
B1:Hamburger
B2:Soda
B3:Frys
B4:Chicken Nuggets
*Starts swearing for not knowning junk food well*
See, I don't eat fatty junk.

Reporter:Lets make millions by calling gamers insane physco murders and make the gamers suffer and make mental hospitals own them.
Reporter 2(drunk):Duhhhh surrzzz buddyzz

They're in it for money and to have their name published. They'll do about anything in lies to get their name

Reporter:This young man appears to be a insane murder, bla bla bla
And the rest is about his past, but he hasn't done anything, he got in a few fights with "thugs" trying to rob him
Now people look at him and go:NOOOO HES GONA KILL US ALLL RUNNNN
Because they read the newspaper.
Reporter:So what if I ruined his life, no one knows except him and his personal friends, now I'm FAMOUS!! *Does dance*

Then probly this happens
Person:*Murders reporter*
Reporter 2:HEY I CAN MAKE TONS OF MONEY AND BE FAMOUS FOR THIS STORY AND BE PROMOTED AT LAST BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH!!! *Makes story about murder and gets published and is happy for rest of life due to that person murdered the reporter*

Really, its not 105% out of 100% its the games fault. Its more of the person who pushes pressure on then gamers.

And its the people who don't say it right, but even if they do, reporters mess it up.
Reporter:Why do you play violent bloody games
My good response:Its a game, hey, I have replica guns, am I going to go become a crazy murder because its fun to kill? NO. Its a game, you get points for shooting aliens, maybe just a "fake" person. I have never wanted to harm a person, but I would rather harm my self if I had that feeling.

Reporter published:He says its a game and has many toy guns and target, but its not a human target. He then says he rather would hurt him self. Now see how those games made him want to sudicide

Me:*Is **** off and punchs him in the face later when he comes back quite happy*

Reporter 2:DEAR PEOPLE HATE THIS PERSON NOW DUE TO HIS VIOLENT ACTION AND LIE OF WHAT HE SAID

Me:I SAID RATHER NOT SUDICIDE OR ANYTHING
Reporter 2:YOU VIOLENT HULK INSANO GAHHH!!!
Reporter 2 publishes another story ruining my life

What was said above was fake, but that is an example of reporters

And unluckly a ctrl alt del online isn't up(comic) which they had a nice and funny example of what they mean of fear caused by reporters
They ruin your life for their gain. Its just the world

Remember, if the story isn't DRAMATIC enough, it doesn't make it in

Spooge · March 2004

How bout next time you do your own damn homework. Sort of like everyone else in your class who is handing in papers while you were diddling your keyboard.

Yeah, I'm grumpy. Deal.

CForrester · March 2004

Make sure you talk about the big toy drive that Penny Arcade had for a hospital a while ago.

Supernorn · March 2004

and the fact that all these kids who shoot people and then blame it on videogames shouldnt of ever had access to weapons in the first place.

Cronos · March 2004

Anyone that experiences increased tendencies to violence due to videogames was clearly mentally unstable in the first place.

Videogame violence only promotes desensitisation, and even then, 99% of people can tell the difference between graphical and actual blood.

Summed up: It's a crock of **** that the parents are blaming it on yet again. Just like Elvis, Rock, and Swimming in the Ocean (points go to whomsoever notices that last one).

Burr · March 2004

I had to write a paper for my college freshman englsih class on a controversial topic, what did I choose? I chose "Violent vidoe games and Columbine"...

I got an A+ on it! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

Nemesis_Zero · March 2004

I wrote my German exam about a similiar topic. Seeing that you already got enough raw input, I'd like to offer you some general points you can build argumentations around:<ul><li>Violence has been a predominant topic in every cultural era to date. I like to cite the maybe biggest lovestory of all time, Romeo & Juliet, which includes two clear cut murders, thus being one of Shakespeares most timid works, here. Seeing this, it's only natural to see violence in the new media, as well.</li><li>The school shooters share a big number of common characteristics, among them social reculsion, extremistic, often racist opinions, careless upbringing in regard of firearms, and a low or declining economical status. Basing the whole of the argumentation around the maybe least problematic of these common characteristics, the games, seems insensible.</li><li>Gaming is a mass phenomenon practiced by the vast majority of the younger generation. It's statistically likely to have a number of otherwise violent persons in this vast demographic.</li></ul>Hope it helps.

Writing An Essay About Games

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