Browse Exhibits (4 total)
1970-1980
Starting from the 1970s, videos games in the form of arcade systems began to rise in popularity. Arcades became a central hub for these games as owners would amass various "cabinets" for people to come and spend their quarters on. Unlike the information present for modern video games in terms of sales and ratings, these games have been recreated an incredible amount of times to different platforms, adding to the difficulty in finding accurate numbers regardings sales.
While the platforms and technology of the age restricted video games in their ability for any "realism", what can still be observed is how violence was incorporated into the story for the majority of these games. We even saw one of the first cases of controversy over video game violence within this era with the introduction of Death Race.
1980-1990
The 1980’s was a period in which the video game industry transitioned from popular arcade-based gaming to console gaming, due to the rise of companies like Nintendo and Sega. This decade was also significant in that it was a period when video games rapidly evolved, as technology and graphics got better, the games’ contents became more complicated and involved more violence. Though not as detailed and gory as games of later decades, the games of the 80’s began to allow and encourage players to achieve goals through physically violent means. The best-selling games of the decade, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, and Duck Hunt, all involve some sort of elimination of enemies/targets. The gameplay became more realistic, and there was a strong sense of implied violence in these popular games. Overall, the 80’s was a period of change for video games that eventually pave the way for the controversial and extremely gory Mortal Kombat, which led to the establishment of a ratings system in the industry.
1990-2000
The 1990s were a decade of marked innovations in video gaming. It was a decade of transition from sprite-based graphics to full-fledged 3D graphics and it gave rise to several genres of video games including, but not limited to, the first-person shooting, real time stragdegy, survival horror, and MMO. Handheld gaming began to become more popular throughout the decade thanks in part to the release of the Game Boy . Arcade games, although still relatively popular in the early 1990s, begin a decline as home consoles become more common. (source: Wikipedia, 1990s in Video Gaming)
Due the limited technology in this decade, video games are not as graphic as those nowadays, which in a way lessen their portrayal of violence. To take Mental Gear Solid as an example, even though it requires the player to play the role to fight against enemies to death, its way they fight each other looks awkward and not vivid, and thus not providing a immersive experience for player.
2000-2015
The 2000's marked the beginning of 6th generation consoles, namely the Playstation 2 and Xbox, and by 2005, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Due to technological advances and improved graphics, these games moved closer and closer to looking like reality, sparking controversy regarding how these video games were affecting individuals.
Not only were they critically analyzed for violent tendencies within individuals, but also behavioral changes such as addiction as well.
This was a time where video games entered mainstream pop culture, gaining large traction, from huge player bases, to movies adaptations such as Lara Croft or Resident Evil.