Context of Practice Seminar 2

The question I found interesting in this seminar was: Do video games allow users to unleash deprived primal desires and can this lead to violent behaviour? Personally, I don't think video games and real life violence have any correlation or at least video games do not create or make people violent. Although that is the argument that a serial killer did copy the video game Manhunt 2 resulting in it being banned in the The UK, South Korea and New Zealand. But then again a famous case in the 70s saw a man who used to watch Star Wars to get him excited and riled up before he went out to commit murders. I think this proves that a person has to be mentally insane to commit murder and choose his inspiration rather than Star Wars or Manhunt 2 being held responsible.

And as far the question, do games let people unleash these deprived human desires? this depends on the person. Yes, some people do buy GTA V to run people over for run or visit a fantasy strip club but it isn't society that demands them not to murder, I'm sure most people, myself included, have no desire to murder people at random. I think that games like Army of TWO are fun for the exciting story, tactical thinking and action involved, murder and violence are fun scenarios to play in because users know its fake. Your not really hurting and your not really about to die, as death is one of the most feared things to happen to a person, it's exciting to be imagined in that situation, although in reality your far from harm.

If violence and sexual desires were the only motives for video games titles Little Big Planet and the Lego games wouldn't be successful, in fact Indie games such as Shelter, Thomas Was Alone and Gone Home rely on peoples desire to protect and care for there loved ones, even if imaginary; quite the contrary.

Another interesting topic was that many films are just the same basic story and character archetypes recycled. I found that, for example, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter, some of cinemas most successful fantasy franchises (and all that I'm a fan of) have undoubted similarities.

Archetype	Star Wars	Lord of the Rings	Harry Potter
Bearded old mentor (that will die).	Ben Kenobi	Gandalf	Dumbledore
Young destined hero.	Luke	Frodo	Harry
Adult, badass (usually attractive) hero.	Han Solo	Aragorn	Sirius
Evil dark lord (that will be defeated)	The Emperor	Saruon	Voldermort
The comedy duo	C3-PO and R2-D2	Merry and Pippin	The Weasley twins
The ‘was a good guy, turned bad, but redeems himself before he dies’ (striving for redemption)	Darth Vader	Boromir	Snape
Powerful mystical weapon	Lightsaber or The force	The Ring	Wands (or the Elder Wand)
Evil Army	Clone troopers	Black Riders	Death Eaters