Article on gun owners and video gamers

[hso]

We used to see people doing stupid things they had have picked up at the movies, now it's people doing stupid things they picked up in games.

This is one of the few threads with the word "game" in it that hasn't drifted into ban territory right way for shifting focus onto gaming instead of firearms issues. I hope it can avoid that pitfall.

I doubt that game companies would have any requirement to reveal how much they paid or were paid due to placement of gun company copyrighted/trademarked material. Pity, it would have been interesting.

I suppose it's not surprising that younger shooters were inspired to look to real firearms once they were exposed to their entertainment source. How many older members got real six shooters and rifles because they saw their cowboy heros on "the silver screen" and B&W TV and graduated from the toy one while those of us in my generation grew up with Bond and war movies/TV and itched for the day we could get old enough to trade our plastic and wood toys for "real" M1s?

 

[dmancornell]

^

I bought the S&W 500 because I was even more of a man than Dirty Harry.

Unfortunately I can only shoot one cylinder then my hand needs an ice pack.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I hate to be 'that guy' of gaming forums (PC fanboy ), but I will point out that Crysis on PC has some lovely weapon models.

You should take a look at Far Cry 2. I checked it out since it came free with a video card that I bought for my son's pc. Open expanse of African terrain and weapons that degrade over time. The arsenal is mostly eastern bloc stuff. I gotta admit, I had a blast for a couple of days running around aimlessly with a silenced Makarov and a Dragunov collecting blood diamonds. I also amused myself with a M1903 Springfield dropping the local 4-legged wildlife. Of course, they throw in a useless desert eagle for all the little script kiddies out there.

After playing it, I also rekindled a lost flame. The Makarov. I had one ever so briefly and sold it before ever even firing it. I find myself looking around for milsurp now at a bargain price. Yes, I am a grown man and yes I have let a video game affect my firearm purchases (assuming I buy another Mak).

 

[Cromlech]

Weapon degradation is indeed pretty cool. STALKER games also have it, though not everyone is happy with just how fast some of them degrade when fired enough.
Of course, all you need to do is open up the LTX weapons files with Notepad and change the values!

I do think that shooters in general, and FPS games specifically are a good starting point for some kids (in LIMITED 'doses'!). Sure, even the most realistic games can't teach them how to how real steel, or account for wind, but it gets many kids interested. I was an Army Cadet anyway, but I would not be so interested in firearms if it weren't for games like DooM, Goldeneye, Rise of the Triads, Duke Nukem (Mossberg shotty!), Half Life, Hidden and Dangerous, and many more.

The same goes for movies and TV show, but lets face it, FPS games like Call of Duty are THE biggest influence for this generation when it comes to firearms.
For older people it might have been John Wayne/Clint Eastwood, or James Bond.

Nope, these days it's Soap and Captain Price.

 

[happygeek]

That was actually a very well written article. Penn & Teller Bull**** (HBO show) has touched on both topics, but not in the same episode. They made the point that most of the fuss about violent video games was based around Columbine. But heck, most kids play video games. It's at best a casual correlation. Personally, I'd say parenting is by far the most important, not what video games are available.

One thing the article did leave out was how many gun laws the Columbine killers had already broken before they ever fired a shot. Illegal possession of a sawed off shotgun (a felony with 10 years if I'm not badly mistaken), illegal straw purchases, possession while underage, etc. They also had illegal explosives.

It seems people always want to blame something other than the psychotic killers themselves. It was the video games fault. It was the gun's fault. It was societies fault. Me, if I blame anything other than the two murderers themselves, I blame their parents a bit for raising such psychos.

 

[ForumSurfer]

Personally, I'd say parenting is by far the most important, not what video games are available.

Amen brother, you said a mouthful.

You can't blame spit on the games or movies. My kid is exposed to it at his friend's houses, schools or many other places outside of my domain where I can't control it. That is why you should be an active parent. Especially while they are young enough to want their parent(s) to be active in their lives.

Half of this nation's problems can be traced back to selfish, irresponsible, lazy parents.:banghead:

Why does everyone insist on blaming scapegoats like violent games, movies, guns, whatever? Why can't we just blame the people who are being irresponsible? We're too politically correct to call lazy, bad, self parents just that. Maybe it's just me because when I share this opinion aloud I am often met with blank stares and the "Oh my goodness" expressions.

I played violent video games and watch violent movies. I turned out just fine because I had great parents that taught me things like respect and honor. Those games/movies may influence my purchases at some point in my life on some level, but not my actions.

~~~End Rant~~~

P.S. Sorry for straying off topic...

 

[Madcap_Magician]

The ammo thing bugs me the most.

1,000 rounds of 7.62 linked and an M240? I don't care if you had a 500 on your last Raaaaaaaanger PT test, you'll be sweating bullets fast. It's not even just the weight, which is considerable. It's the awkwardness of having belts of ammo sliding in odd places and the fact that it's nearly impossible to fire the M240 standing with any degree of accuracy.

The only time you carry tons of ammo like that is when you have a truck or a track to carry it in.

I mean, I'm paranoid about running out of ammo, and sure, I'll carry an extra drum or three or four extra mags.

But sometimes it goes a bit overboard.

 

[buy guns]

Video games have definitely introduced me to more gun models then I probably would have come across on my own. I won't lie, I've definitely been wanting a G3 since playing the first Modern Warfare

 

[CelticArmory]

For a few years I organized a shooting event with my gaming clan. Most of the guys who hadn't shot before were attentive and learned the safety rules right off. They even shot well for n00bs. There were a few though that wanted to be "gangsta". I made sure they behaved and then didn't invite them back for the next shoot. I think for most of them who had never shot before it really helped them see the difference between the game and real life. At least now they understand why I gripe in the game so much about the lack of realism. LOL

CSS changed the names and there isn't any product placement, but I do see it in other games. It gets expensive to create them, paying all those programmers way more than they're worth, so I can understand approaching corporations, especially arms manufacturers, with offers to advertise their product for a little kick back. It helps pay for the game. On the flip side manufacturers see the popularity of the games and see interest in their products rise with the release of new games that feature them, so I can understand the companies approaching the game creators and offering to help pay for the game if they put their products in it. It's a win-win situation for both game and arms companies.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I have/was arguing with a kid that plays video games and airsoft and he was saying how ar-15s can't shoot 5.56 x 45 when i have done it personally, he claimed that you can have the barrel bored out so you then can shoot 5.56 x 45. airsoft and video games is a better source of info i guess.

 

[sprice]

''pwnd'' or ''pwn'' means rapped or owned, take your pick.

 

[LS240]

I'm a huge gamer and have been since I was little. I also love Modern Warfare 2 and play it frequently on Xbox Live. As good as it is(when somebody's not knifing you! ), it is most certainly not realistic. Dual wielding 12 gauge shotguns and having to get multiple COM hits on someone with a Barrett M82A1 to drop them are the rule of the day. I can attest to it's effect of getting people interested in firearms though. Nearly every time my friends are playing MW2 they ask me questions about the firearms in the game. Even my best friend who is indifferent at best about guns, an anti at worst(I'm working on him), asked me if one could buy an ACR in reality and if it's as awesome as it is in the game. I relish questions like this as I see them as an opportunity to teach my friends something every time.

I challenge everyone who plays shooters online to do the same. Use the games as an opening to talk to your online friends about firearms. People are more apt to hear arguments for civilian ownership of guns when they just got an "awesome" triple kill with an M16A4 and you point out to them they could buy the real civilian equivalent. That usually perks their interest a bit and makes them want to hear more. You could very well steal away a few people from the clutches of the antis this way.

 

[xcgates]

I have to say, the last time I really played much in the way of video games was back in early high school, before I discovered how fun real life could be. Largely it was driving that did in video games for me. I mean, I could stare at a TV driving, or I could actually go out and have fun behind the wheel of a real car!

That said, my roommates and I frequently compare the guns in games they play to real life guns. We do the same thing with TV shows and movies. Most recently it was when I asked for the gazillionth time what a P-90 shot, and finally looked up what it fired, and more concerning, how many rounds a real one shot before reloading. I forget whether it was Stargate, or some video game, though. Then I got REALLY excited when I read about the PS-90. Lets just say I have another thing to break one of those pesky 10 commandments over.

 

[Big_E]

Video games definitely helped keep my interest up before I turned 18 and found this site. Most of my infatuation with guns mainly came from action movies as a kid and that my parents/grandparents owned and shot guns a lot.

It does help bring up an interest and most of my friends that want to purchase a firearm now come to me asking questions. Don't be fooled though, there are plenty of anti's in video game forums (yeah I know, I need more to do in life). Kind of funny when people say they hate war and violence then praise a game like MW2 as best game ever. It is satisfying to take newbies to the range when the only triggered they have pulled before was the one on a plastic controller. (I wish Glock made Xbox controllers, mine always seem to break. )

As for advertisements, more power to the companies, I know I would invest in advertising in video games if I had large business.

 

[danprkr]

and the worst part is just a sequel; and required little developlment. modern warfare, world at war, and modern warfare 2 are all VERY similar just tweaked/different looks so they spent ALOT less than a blockbuster movie budget and made ALOT more...

That's the, "worst part of it?" Sounds like the best part of it to me. After all, they don't make those games for fun. They make them to make money. Sounds like the accomplished their goal, and so I take my hat off to them.

 

[happygeek]

Unfortunately I couldn't find the whole episode in one piece on youtube.
Link to Penn & Teller Bull**** episode on The War on Video Games (S07E03).

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKJj84SQia4&feature=related

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YskcWRLnXao&feature=related

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUSQOLXaoIU&feature=related

The beginning of Part 3 is where the 9 year old kid who loves Call of Duty shoots a real AR15 for the first time. Needless to say, it was easy for Penn & Teller to prove their point that video games are not shooting simulators.

 

[Shung]

In Switzerland, people from nearly all political sides, and who are over 45YO, want to totally ban "violent" video games.. it has been accepted by both chambers yet.. we still need to hear the opinion of the federal concil about it.. What is funny is that young people from the same parties are totally opposed to the ban...

kinda weird...

 

[Hatterasguy]

Every generation goes through this. The baby boomers had their wild rock n roll, etc.

Games are fun, but realy life is more fun.

I remember when I took a gammer/airsoft friend of mine shooting for the first time. He was amazed at how loud my Sig was and how quickly the barrel and gas block get hot. In the games you can fire off thousands of rounds, in real life the barrel melts.

 

[happygeek]

It seems people are always looking for something to blame for irrational/random violence. Something that if only they ban then said irrational/random violence won't occur again. People don't want to feel as though as though such violence can happen pretty much anywhere at anytime, and does.

We saw this after 9/11. Some wanted to believe in conspiracy theories because they didn't want to believe that the attack was random/irrational violence. I seem to remember that after the Oklahoma City bombing some tried to blame militias. We see this all the time with mass shootings. If only we ban Call of Duty and AR15s then this won't happen ever again.

I can almost understand it. People want to feel safe. Even the VPC/Brady Campaign says things like "would you feel safer sitting next to someone with a gun?". When it comes down to it, pretty much everything they're pushing for is a feel good law to help those people feel safe.

Me, I've often felt very unsafe driving in the states, witnessing the behavior of many of my fellow motorists. I'm not out there advocating we ban military style assault vehicles like the Hummer though. I wear my seatbelt, obey the five over rule, and try to drive defensively.

 

[Mandolin]

Definitely one of the less realistic aspects of the game, I think your character is pretty much carrying his own body weight with:
M240B with 1,000 rounds 7.62 link
SCAR-H with 300 rounds 7.62 ball
4 flashbangs
4 frag genades
body armor
Mitch helmet
Camelback

Ok, let's see
M240: 27lb
1,000 rounds Acording to this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100109112255AAUbLoU 9lb/100 rounds that's 90lb of ammo
SCAR-H: about 8lb, and 27lb ammo
4x flashbangs: 4lb total?
4x frags: 4lb
Body armour: 20-30 lb?
Total: about 190lb, or enough to require a fireteam to carry. There's a reason everyone went with the 5.56 Minimi/M249 SAW over the M60, FN MAG, etc.

 

[Cromlech]

Depending on which one of them you believe (if either of them), two of the infamous Bravo Two Zero guys claimed to have carried about that much.

The total weight of each member's kit was estimated at 95 kg (210 lb) by McNab and 120 kg (260 lb) by Ryan



It's worth pointing out that when the SHTF they dumped their Bergens, anyway.


*pre-emptive edit*
Of course that was loads of different things, not just ammo.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I sense trouble on the tracks ahead.