|
Okay here's the problem. Recently there have been several games that have come out that deal with road rage. These aren't typical racing games that show people driving around a racing track. These games are based on how badly you can drive. It is your object to kill as many things as you can with your vehicle. Of course, in real life road rage like this would be an outrage, but in this "fantasy world" we call a video game, anything goes! In this report I will bring to your attention some of these games and the examples of road rage depicted in each game. I will also cover some of the controversies that these road rage games bring, and what is being done to regulate them.
This game is a triple combination of Road Rage, Racing, and a Destruction Derby all rolled into one. Races with names like "Maim Street" and "Coastal Carnage" in this highly intense game add to the terror and destruction contained within. Hitting pedestrians and performing high-risk moves with your car earns the player points and extra game play time. These rewards are combined with messages such as "Splatter Bonus", "Bonus for Artistic Impression", and "3x Combo Bonus" lighting up the screen. This is the first game I have ever seen that actually REWARDS you for smashing pedestrians. Ah, not only smashing them, but killing them in every which way possible.
For your viewing pleasure I have assembled some screenshots of the actual game. True, the pictures may not seem appropriate, but I feel you must see them firsthand as to understand how graphically intense these games are. If you are offended by extreme violence, please do not view these pictures. Remember these pictures are for educational purposes, as related to the road rage topic of this report.
Pretty intense huh? When I played this game for the first time, I immediately thought, "This game is definitely NOT for children!" Even I, a video game junkie had to widen my eyes at the violence depicted in this game. But even so, I thought this was one of the most fun games to play. I mean, I'm not the only one who thinks this way.
Here are some reviews for Carmageddon...
Carmageddon is the most impressive racing game around, and the most original game I've played for ages. It would
be almost impossible to list all the ins and outs of the game.. you can play it for ages and still discover something
new. For sheer playability, size and longetivity, it's unbeatable. The difficulty is perfectly pitched, the tracks are
detailed, and it's a lot of fun to play - there's also a multiplayer mode with various different modes including tag
and all out war. Oh, and if anyone is thinking of getting this but is weak of stomach, try starting the game by typing
'carma -german' which will let you play the non-bloody german version of the game. Now you have no excuse not
to buy this. A stonker of a game!"
-- Games Domain
Carmageddon, to get straight to the point, is one of the best
computer games I've ever played; it's certainly the best car
game I've ever played, bar none.
-- PC Zone
After the demo was let out much criticism was brought up prior to the final release of the game. Depending on which country you lived in depended on which version of the game you got. In the UK, the old woman crossing the street and the weird guy in the trenchcoat was replaced by zombie-looking characters, with green instead of red blood. You can bet those guys were a bit upset over this. Luckily for everyone, patches available on the net have corrected this problem, and people can now play Carmageddon in its uncensored form.
Mike Johnson, a spokesperson for the AA (Automobile Association), said about the game that "Despite the changes to the game, we still don't think it's an appropriate message to be sending out. However, people should be able to draw a distinction between what is a computer game and what is reality."
Gamers have rights too, and people fought the game regulators about this censorship. The following is an article that can explain further:
'Uncensored' Carmageddon will be released in March 1998
14th November 1997
Following overwhelming public demand, SCi, the makers of the No.1 hit driving game
Carmageddon, announce that it will be releasing the uncensored version of the game
in March 1998.
The uncensored version of the game was originally refused a certificate by the
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) back in June, effectively 'banning' its
sale in the UK. Following a lengthy appeal this decision was overturned in an
historic hearing on 4th November by the Video Appeals Committee, thus granting the
game an 18 age certification and giving SCi the green light to make the game
available in the UK. In the meantime, a modified version of Carmageddon has been on
sale in the UK since June, featuring zombies instead of pedestrians, and has
achieved the No.1 spot in the PC games charts.
Although the company originally had no immediate plans to release the uncensored
version of Carmageddon, the overwhelming public response to the decision and demand
for the uncensored product has led SCi to reconsider its decision.
I happened to be browsing the net one day and I saw this "Roadkill" game available for download, so I decided to give it a try. On the site it says: "The road is your hunting ground, a car is your weapon, the mission, to turn as many animals as you can into ROADKILL."
So I figured this could be interesting. What followed was my bitter disappointment. Everything about this game was pathetic. The graphics were horrible, sound effects were horrible, gameplay was horrible, blah EVERYTHING was horrible! You are put in this awful-looking vehicle, and you drive along this road, killing old ladies and animals walking across the street. After about 2 seconds of playing this game, I became so BORED! If you don't believe how horrible this game is, just try downloading it and see for yourself. It's freeware I think, and it's in its beta stage. Hopefully with new updates the game improves. This thing needs a LOT of improvements.
Due to the horrible graphics, gameplay, etc..., I don't think road rage activists need worry about this game desensitizing anyone. This game couldn't desensitize a flea! Absolutely no realism at all!
I saw this game at Costco and it was in the bargain bin for about 10 bucks. The graphics on the box looked very realistic, so I decided to buy it. Well I think I got what I paid for. The graphics were pretty good, but the gameplay was horrible. This game is a racing game on a stunt course. Lots of loops, obstacles and stunts. However, the "Fatal" part isn't very present in the game. You can supposedly destroy other cars and stuff, but it isn't very realistic. hitting cars will only slow you down. You don't get points for destroying other cars, and if you do try to hit other cars you'll probably end up losing the race. So there is no real need to do this. Thus, this game had very little road rage. This should be more considered as a racing game, more than one of carnage and destruction. Click here to see a review for Fatal Racing.
In this realistic racing game, you are in control of highspeed luxury cars, like the Ferrari F50, the Ford Indigo, the Lotus GT1, or choose from many others. This game amazingly has little to no road rage. Of course driving along a highway at 120 mph is a form of road rage, but this is mere entertainment for the sportscar simulation. Missing here the the extreme blood and violence. You don't try to ram people for points, or smash pedestrians for laughs.
This is simply and fast-paced, realistic simulation. This is the only time mere poor folk like me can afford to drive such luxury vehicles! Visit the Need For Speed Homepage and/or download the demo!
I thought this was just another racing game. I was wrong. This game is devoted to destroying other cars. The difference here is that the people you try to kill are "bad guys", not innocent pedestrians or something, like in Carmageddon. At the end of each mission, weapons and upgrades can be salvaged from enemies' vehicles. Heavy artillery such as rockets, cannons, grenade launchers and flame throwers can be used to enhance fire power. Even though you aren't targetting innocent people, I would consider that there is much road rage present in this game. Sure there isn't all that blood and gore stuff, but you're still trying to run people off the road and trying to shoot them down with weapons.
The other thing was that the graphics and gameplay was very good. This adds to the realism when you blow things up. This realism could also be bad in that it could be more influential to the younger generation. You must see and experience it for yourself. You can download this game, or go to its homepage.
So how influencial could these games be? It is argued that gamers can always distinguish between fact and reality. I, too, believe in this in most cases. Where I think this could be problem is with the younger generation. The ESRB ratings on boxes are NOT ENOUGH! I really do not think Carmageddon should be played by kids. I think only hardcore gamers above 17 should be able to play it. The other games are okay, but like I stated in my report, Carmageddon is by FAR the bloodiest, most goriest game on road rage there is! I have been playing video games my whole life, and I thought I had seen it all. However, Carmageddon and its portrayal of bad driving has even made ME widen my eyes!
So what can be done about this? Due to the overwhelming popularity of these games, it is a sure bet other similar games will come out, trying to be even more bloodier and gorier than the present ones! The ESRB won't be stopping children from having access to these games. Thus something MUST be done! Hm, perhaps a huge disclaimer at the startup of the games stating that the game is only a fictitious setting and the driving portrayed must never be attempted in real life. Sounds corny, but imagine if nothing is done about it.
As technology advances, so does the realism of these driving games. The more realistic a game, the more persuasive and influential is will be. Already road rage is a huge problem and is only getting worse. These games are certainly not helping people drive with aloha spirit! Hehe but then again, I don't think a game where driving with aloha spirit gains you points would be very popular... These games will come out because that what gamers want, it's just they need a way to make sure people ACTUALLY know what is fact and what is fiction.
Most of these games, with the exception of Carmageddon, Roadkill, and Interstate '76 are mild in road rage, mostly restricted to high-speed diving associated with driving games. However, Carmageddon is the worst of the lot.
All you have to do is download or buy Carmageddon and you'll know what I'm talking about. Something has to be done to prevent the younger more influenced people from attaining and playing these games. They shouldn't ban these games anywhere, because gamers have rights too, and in the hands of responsible adult gamers, these games are relatively harmless. Think about it. The future drivers of the world are influenced enough by the media, through movies, commercials, and television shows. Video games are worse in that they are interactive and they actually influence the outcomes.
So this leads me to think, if they are proposing rating systems for bad driving in commercials and stuff, wouldn't it make more sense to rate these games as well? For a realistic interactive road rage game is probably more influential on a youth than a mere commercial, wouldn't it?