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Effect of PC Fighting Games for children

One of the most popular gaming genres, fighting games, is also one of the most controversial. Critics argue that fighting games for the pc encourages children to engage in aggressive and anti social behaviors and increases risks for all types of criminal activities including increased assaults and drug use. Proponents believe that the new pc fighting games are just that and even beneficial as they offer players an escape from reality and much needed stress relief.

How have fighting video games evolved over the years?

Fighting games for the pc have always been popular. Some of the earliest mainstream fighting games were on the Atari and Commodore 64 systems. These included games like International Karate, Star Wars and Dragon's Lair. These games had very crude graphics, choppy movements and no true concept of realistic game play. The introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System brought increased attention to the genre of fighter video games. With games like Street Fighter and Mortal Combat, Nintendo brought gamers a much more realistic fighting experience with increased detail, sound effects and special extreme moves.

The current gaming environment allows for an extremely realistic experience, blurring the line between reality and game play. The top pc fighting games have precision details, life like characters that look, act and talk in a surprisingly realistic manner and environments and backgrounds that are intricately detailed and interactive. Games like Company of Heroes and Counter Strike blur the lines of reality even farther, taking pc fighting games to an entirely different level. These new fighting games for pcs fascinate gamers in an alternate reality with their phenomenal graphics, rich story lines and realistic effects.

What are the various elements in a fighting game?

There are several subcategories which fall into the genre of fighting games. One of these types; beat 'em up type fighting games, involves players selecting a character, which is then given a life meter and a foe to face off against. The object of this type of game is to eliminate your opponent by reducing their life meter to zero. Rag Doll Kung Fu, Guilty Gear XX Reloaded and Exteel are a few popular titles that fall into the beat 'em subcategory of fighting games.

Another type of fighting game is the shoot 'em, or first player shooter games. These games, played from the first person perspective send players on a quest which generally requires them to kill or render defenseless opponents or the computer. Spy and war type games make up a majority of this category. These games have seen popularity gains in recent years as a result of the increased quality and realism. Half Life 2: Episode One, Call of Duty 2 and F.E.A.R. are just a few of the most popular first person shooter types of pc fighting game downloads.

How are these games psychologically influential and what are the effects and implications of fighting games for the pc?

Studies have shown that playing violent video games often coincides with an increase in aggressive feelings and acts in players, especially those that have displayed habitual violent tendencies in the past. There have been consistent findings of decreased prosocial behaviors, increased aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors as well as increased psychological awareness in those who have had even a brief episode of violent video game play. Playing violent video games also increases a person's physiological arousal, including increases in blood pressure, heart rate. This effect occurs because the violent video games require players to connect with, and understand their character and become engrossed in the game. These studies have been performed in a variety of settings, including laboratory and field settings with minimal variations in results. The correlation between increased aggression and violent video game play is greater, in statistical terms, than the correlation between second hand cigarette smoking and cancer.

The effects of these games can be quite serious, especially on an impressionable youth audience. Extended playing has been noted to correlate with an increase in delinquency, assaults at school and home, violent criminal activities including assaults and robbery. Studies have consistently reported that children who have been exposed to violent video games were often rated as more aggressive and less social than peers that had limited or no exposure to violent video games by their teachers and other adults. Limiting children's access to these types of violent video is highly recommended as they can have a detrimental effect on behavior, especially on impressionable youth.

As these new pc fighting games evolve and become even more realistic and graphic, the psychological effects of these games on children will continue to be apparent and detrimental. Studies have consistently shown that fighter games result in undesirable antisocial behaviors, including criminal offenses. It is extremely important that children's exposure to fighting games for the pc be limited, especially for younger children.
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