Critical Investigation Essay Plan

Why are video games becoming more violent? How is this a concern?

Introduction

Insight into video games and the fact that they cause aggression and violence.
http://www.raisesmartkid.com/raise-smart-preschool-kid-articles/the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video.html

Look at brief history of violence in video games and how violence has been influencing the male audience
http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/kooijmans.html

Brief look at the sales of video games on different formats and a link of top selling games
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16597649/ns/business-us_business/
http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=15831
http://www.vgchartz.com/

Link to popular violent video games- Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

1st Point

Violent video games have been proved to link to aggression- Anderson and Dill/ Copycat Theory
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/11479041
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/video-game

2nd Point

Video games which contain violence cause psychological problems in the audience- Dr Bruce Bartholow, Hypodermic Needle theory

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1535948/Video-game-violence-harmful-to-brain.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/ns/technology_and_science-games/

3rd Point

Focus on the content in video games and how violent video games result in violent behaviour- Dr Cheryl Olsen

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-03/health/healthmag.violent.video.kids_1_violent-video-video-games-game-genres?_s=PM:HEALTH

http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/kooijmans.html

4th Point

Desensitisation: The fact that violent video games result in teenage and younger audiences being unable to distinguish real violence from game violence- Dr Bruce Bartholow

http://illumination.missouri.edu/spr06/pro1
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/07/28/video-games-desensitize-to-real-violence/137.html

5th Point

Many parents and guardians have concerns on the impact violent video games have on their children, as the values and ideologies in the game contrast to reality and actively endorse violence- Reception Theory and Moral Panic

http://techliberation.com/2009/01/23/video-games-and-moral-panic/
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/28/3216340/activists-protest-sacramento-librarys.html
http://www.daniweb.com/news/story301460.html

In accordance to my critical investigation essay, I will create a magazine article which focuses on the topic of violence in video games. As part of my research, I will purchase 2/3 gaming magazines and factual magazines such as TIME and Shortlist, which look at gaming and issues such as violent video games being a concern. Using inspiration from these magazines, my article will include two page spreads which will include stills from games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 , Assassins Creed and other related games.