How much violence do we suppose Gen Con has brought to Indianapolis?

People are panicking over violence right now. A town has been traumatized, and a nation has been traumatized by proxy. But recent trauma victims, be they people or societies, are not known for their decision-making capabilities. There's a reason people are advised to wait a significant amount of time -some say six months, some say a year- before making any important changes after something huge.

Good idea. The last Gen Con I heard about was a virtual bloodbath.

FTFA: "Jo Cooley is a communication major at the University of Minnesota Duluth bad at satire and/or trolling."

Anyone really want to go to Duluth anyway? Not me. I've thought about going to the Indy one, but I've never overcome my own inertial apathy to do so.

As Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's studies prove, "Video games that require the player to shoot a gun and react reflexively with the shooting responses are teaching an entire generation of children to associate shooting killing with pleasure."

FTFY

/and he's right

Gen Con is not a video game con. They have a presence there, yes. Why is the author treating it as such?

Can the author cite a direct example linking violent behavior to Gen Con?

Would Duluth turn down a sports franchise? Because people who go to those play the exact same kind of video games.

The author is an ass.

That might be the most idiotic drivel I've read this month...

Duluth, you used to be so cool man.

What about reading violent books? I read for pleasure, and some of the books I read describe acts of violence - sometimes even in the 1st person. Is it going to turn me into an autistic savage, bent on mayhem and slaughter?

Everyone's looking for something to blame.
We'd be foolish to think they'd stop at blaming just one thing.

As an Iron Ranger-turned-St Paulite gamer, let me just say



Bring on the con, there's a bunch of nerds that would love it, and the region needs all the money it can get.

Video game violence? Come on Duluth, pull the remote control out of your ass.

Protip: Never play miniatures wargames with Marines who want to make the game more "realistic". I don't think your training applies to giant robots from the year 3050.

Citrate1007: Duluth, you used to be so cool man.

Another victim of global warming.

Disgruntled Goat: Gen Con is not a video game con. They have a presence there, yes. Why is the author treating it as such?

I'll take "The Author's an Idiot" for $1000, Alex.

"...and less helping behavior."

GIS "helping behavior"

Does this mean the "stranger danger" child molester social panic witch (warlock?) hunt is over and the culture has moved on to video games? I only ask because I can't keep up with the mentality of the eternally frightened. It's too alien to me.

Sherman Potter: Gross

He also claims that there is a rise in violent crime in the US and there's not.

/I read your books, Grossman, and you're wrong

Last time I went to GenCon, the only video games were the Battletech pods. That was it.

This has to be satire.

Words can not express the amount of stupid in that article.

The solution is simple. Reduce the XP reward for killing the locals.

Why the fark did I read that?

I want those 50 sec's back!

another cultural observer: What about reading violent books? I read for pleasure, and some of the books I read describe acts of violence - sometimes even in the 1st person. Is it going to turn me into an autistic savage, bent on mayhem and slaughter?

People get their panties in a bunch over crap like that. I read "The Stranger Beside Me" to Lil Bee aloud while pregnant....I mentioned that at work and like two or three coworkers flipped out. Seriously, as though an 8 month gestation baby follows the storyline? It was what I was reading at the time, and I figured rather that just chit-chat at the babe, I'd read to him. I'd be damned if I was gonna have to read alphabet books til he popped out and could look at them himself.

With an all volunteer army where else are you going to get people who enjoy there job ?

Duh-luth.

I hope they don't let the Rolling Stones play there, what with their satanic messages and what-not. Or Elvis.

I live in Duluth, GA. Got pretty excited for a moment at the prospect of a local gaming convention...then I realized it was the other Duluth.

FTFA:Jo Cooley is a communication majortroll at the University of Minnesota Duluth

ftfy

Clearly we need to limit dice to six sides. Why do you need twenty sided dice? Also, we need to eliminate game sales at conventions--it's just too easy for dealers to throw in extra game components and other goodies without doing a background check to ensure that the individual is at least 13.

The study the author cites. Doesn't really help their case or cover the underlying assumptions associated with Gen Con.

/The only violence to ever ensue at one of my games was my girlfriend got in a fight with this one jerk in game and when he tried to justify his behavior out of game, she managed to force choke him from the other side of the apartment.
//pdfey.