written by Jennifer Park on Saturday, March 05, 2005

Tips on how to separate reality from fantasy

Legislators are at it again, and this time it involves the state of Washington where they are trying to propose a new bill that would make game makers liable for damages if any minors (that means, anyone 17 or under) were to commit any crimes "due in any part to playing video games."

Supporters of the bill, such as Bill Hanson of the Washington Police and Sheriff's Association, feel that when “kids play the violent games, they become desensitized to violence.” So, in theory, if you play Mortal Kombat over and over are you destined to rip someone’s arm off and beat them down with it? I think not. But let’s humor the men in Washington and give you a few tips on how to separate reality from fantasy when it comes to video games.

 

Electronic Arts delivered a knockout when it came to the realistic-looking images in Fight Night: Round Two. The facial damage you can do in this sequel goes above and behind with puffy lips, cuts, bruises, blood droplets and saliva-filled mouthpieces getting knocked out. The power of the jabs and uppercuts make for some action that seems brutally real….
 
But, it’s not real. If you want to start a bar fight with a guy the size of Mike Tyson, odds are you’re going to get your ass kicked. And when you’re sitting in a jail cell crying your eyes out thinking how you’re going to get out of this, it’s not looking too good you’re going to be able to blame your beat down on playing too much Fight Night. Remember this tip next time you drink too many Jack Daniels on a Friday night.

Team SoHo spent tons of time trying to render a living, breathing city that you’ll actually think you are running and gunning through the streets of London. Black Monday is so realistic that it also contains no real soundtrack to distract you or on-screen navigation tools, other than the blinkers on your car giving you tips on which way to go--well, that might not be such a great thing.

However, London is a real city. No matter how many missions you pretend you are on, you can’t just go around shooting down and clubbing guys from behind--even though that’s apparently what everyone does in those Guy Ritchie’ films.

NRA Varmint Hunter is just like the title suggest, you hunt varmints. You pick a spot in a field and then whip out your trusty Red Ryder to aim and shoot the critter to a well-deserved death. This scenario can be considered pretty real for those that actually go out and do this for fun. The game even has a seasonal mode where you create a hunter and spend your hard earned cash on things like weapons, ammo, and accessories.

Now, this might not sound ultra-violent or realistic to you, but to the people over at PETA it very well could be. So, think twice before you decide to shoot some squirrels from your balcony. Those PETA people play rough when it comes to any cute creature whether it is Bambi or a varmint.

Playboy: The Mansion isn’t just about stepping into Hugh Hefner’s silk pajamas and running the Playboy Empire. It’s also about gorgeous centerfolds. In the game you get to flirt, date and do whatever else comes next to a ton of Playboy Playmates. It’s so realistic you’ll actually think your new girlfriend is Miss March 2005.

But, don’t let it go to your head. Just because you made it with Miss March virtually doesn’t mean you can walk up to a girl at a club and start groping her. You thought the other games mentioned were violent, you haven’t seen anything until you cop a feel off an unsuspecting lady with a bouncer as a boyfriend. Once you recover from getting thrown out the door, you’ll surely be served with a restraining order faster than you can say, “It's not my fault, I learned it from playing Playboy: The Mansion.”