(Column) - Seriously, I’ve had it with government officials and pretty much everyone else who has a problem with violent video games and believes that video games are the cause of rising crime, murders and everything else. Can we drop this argument already and move onto something more productive? These people are clearly wasting their time, as the gaming industry couldn’t care less and isn’t going to stop one of the most successful genres (action) in the industry. And honestly, there’s no need to either. If ignorant people, whether government officials or anti-gaming lobbyists, would rather pump haphazard claims with no correlation to crime whatsoever, then they are not worth the time. The only problem is that the constant press coverage and the same old arguments are getting annoying.

Yesterday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented his thoughts in a statement regarding the new Grand Theft Auto: IV (GTA: IV) game, which is based around New York City in its latest release. To quote, "The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers." Of course, the New York Police Commissioner wasn’t going to be left behind. He said, "It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be." (Source: AP Newswire)

I take it you see a few flaws in their statements. Let’s break it down, shall we.

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I don’t know about the Mayor or the Commissioner, but I would much rather have people inflict injuries on virtual police officers than real ones. Does that not sound acceptable? Violent video games have been around since the beginning, though it can be argued whether the experience is more realistic today than it was a decade ago. Either way, video games are not the cause of rising crime. Do these people really think criminals are honing their skills on video games before going on a real crime spree? I hope not.

At the end of the day, it’s about relaxing and socializing with friends in a quick action packed game. Obviously, I’m pro-responsibility. Whether it’s smoking, drinking or gaming, if you push the limits, the end result will be drastic. There have been a few cases where the culprits blamed video games for their actions, but as any rational person will tell you, that’s the most absurd reason to justify a crime. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but what is the probability that it will happen again? It’s very low, if not unsubstantial enough to be considered nonexistent. Should we also ban action movies because a few people, who lack the ability to think, may attempt to do dangerous stunts that will put them and others in harm’s way? I would like to know the Mayor’s thoughts on this.

If it hasn’t been clear already, it’s dubious that people will use video games as their source of inspiration to commit crimes. It could happen, but the chances are almost nonexistent. Now, government officials and anti-gaming lobbyists, could we please move on to working on more critical issues to truly better our society than worrying about violent games?

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