Doing a survey for a research paper over violence in video games.

[dwharmon]

How long have you been playing video games?
Approx. 20 years

How many hours do you play video games a week?
10 - 12 hours

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Yes. I'm not really into FPS, but I've played numerous violent, mature-rated action titles (Grand Theft Auto, Ninja
Gaiden, Devil May Cry, etc...) as well as many teen-rated games with some degree of violence in them.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
A 3 maybe. I've gotten frustrated enough to make me stop playing, but nothing beyond that.

Do you feel that you have been affected by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
Not really. I still cringe at excessive gore in movies, I rarely cuss, and have never been in a single fight or gotten
so much as a speeding ticket.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
4 or 5 years old.

 

[TheTJackson]

How long have you been playing video games?
I've had my Steam Account since 2009 and a console since 2006, and was playing my dad's PC before then, so i'd say around 2003ish, so around 9 or 10 years if you count this year (I'm 17)~

How many hours do you play video games a week?
Well I just finished High School, and are taking a Gap year, so my playtime has spiked around finding a job and whatnot, but usually 10-20 hours a week.

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Yes the majority do include "violent themes" and the likes.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
I'd say i'm a 5.5, or if you're rounding up, a 6. I do end up getting frustrated at certain mechanics or just my own inability to pass something. I usually calm down pretty quick though

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
I can certainly say i'm personally desensitized to a lot more violence than I would be, but I think it's more to do with media in general (i.e. The news, movies, TV shows, etc.) compared to just video games.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
I'd say 7 or so? Playing Command and Conquer too, which was fun

 

[Kaymish]

How long have you been playing video games?
i cant remember perhaps 8 or 10 years or more

How many hours do you play video games a week?
not sure according to steam about 28 hours a week perhaps 30 when i have a slow work week

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
well its sorta half and half i have some shooters and some RPG's that are somewhat violent but i play many strategy games that are a abstract unit offing another form far away which i would not really classify as violent

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
1 i am not an aggressive person some one will have to personally piss me off to get so much as a twinge out of me and that's hard to do and i pride myself on being hollow so any emotional reaction tends to concern me

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
no but i might have it is just imperceptible to me

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
now thats a hard one maybe 15 - 16 i started when i got a version 4 ps2 and im 27 now

 

[Batou667]

How long have you been playing video games?
Since 1990 or thereabouts

How many hours do you play video games a week?
About 10 to 15 hours

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Yes. I mostly play Halo, various zombie games (Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead) and Minecraft.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
About a 7 or 8, which includes getting short-tempered, swearing, irritated by other sounds or movements in the room, and occasionally I'll ragequit or throw my controller onto the bed, but that's not in any way due to the violence - it's mostly me getting annoyed by the lag, frustrated by teamkilling team mates, or annoyed at myself for missing an opportunity in a high-tension situation. I could be playing Mario Tennis and I fully expect I'd react the same way.

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
No. In my everyday life and my job people tell me I'm very calm and chilled-out. Perhaps I do tend to "vent" a bit when I play games.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
About 8 or 9.

 

[Harlemura]

1. How long have you been playing video games?

About 14 years I've been playing properly, back when I got a PS1.

2. How many hours do you play video games a week?

30+ probably, can't be any less than 25.

3. Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

About half feature most of the above. The rest feature not a lot more than cartoon guys punching each other or androgynous people stabbing goo monsters.

4. From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling, damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

Probably around a 7. I can get pretty mad at video games, but it's rare I actually break anything. The controller and sofa get the brunt of my rage.
This goes for any game that decides to stop being fun though, not just violent ones.

5. Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

Not really. Occasionally I'll worry I'm getting a little desensitized, but then I see a TV show with someone getting their head crushed or something and I'll still wince with the best of 'em.

6. How old were you when you first started playing video games?

I think I was 3. Good ol' Sonic 2.

 

[Starik20X6]

How long have you been playing video games?

I'm not sure exactly, but I know my first gaming device was a Game Boy Pocket, so I'm going to say around 17 years.

How many hours do you play video games a week?

On average I'd say about 7, though it fluctuates wildly depending on release schedules, work roster, classes etc.

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

Not really. It depends what level of violence you mean by it- do you count Mario's stomping or Link's sword fighting to be 'violent'? The most violent games I've played would be InFamous, Batman: Arkham or Red Dead Redemption. Oh, and Smash Bros, but Smash Bros. games are violent in the same way Loony Tunes cartoons are violent.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

Hmm, I'm going to say it'll be something low like a 2. I find the level of violence present in the game to have no correlation with how angry I may get playing it- rather, it's the difficulty that gets me angry much more than the violence.

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

Not at all. I may have a short temper, but so does my father, and he's hardly touched a controller in his life.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?

Around 6 years old. I'd played some games before that, DOS games and the like, but getting my Game Boy was the real start of my life as a gamer.

 

[Mausthemighty]

How long have you been playing video games?

16 years on PC and if you count playing on the Gameboy/NES as gaming: 23 years.

How many hours do you play video games a week?

At the moment 20 hours per week.

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

No.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

2 out of 10 Frustrated, but I don't throw with stuff. It would be a waste if I broke my mouse over a game

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

No, I can see the difference between real life and games.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?

I was 14 when I got my first PC. If you count playing on the gameboy as gaming since I was seven.

 

[GnomeChompsky]

-How long have you been playing video games?

33 years or so.


-How many hours do you play video games a week?

It varies, depending upon a great number of factors, but probably somewhere around 15.


-Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence (extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

Isn't that pretty much the majority of games, period? So, yes.


-From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

1 or even zero. Some violence in certain games can even be a cathartic outlet for aggression that's already manifested as a result of real life events or circumstances. Puzzle games and simulators (Gran Turismo) tend to get me worked up far more than any violent games ever could.


-Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

Nope. I'm highly sensitive and almost wholly unaggressive, and more so every year, it seems. I could frankly use some desensitizing - I might get more done.


-How old were you when you first started playing video games?

About 5 or so - hard to remember, really. Video games were nowhere near as commonplace back then.

 

[TehCookie]

How long have you been playing video games?
20 years

How many hours do you play video games a week?
~20

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Going by the ESRB most feature violence, but not many have extreme violence, gore or strong language.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
2 or 3, I get frustrated but then I rage quit. If I'm not having fun what's the point of playing?

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
No, there is a huge difference between a game and reality.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
I was a baby, my parents put a controller in my hands before I could remember.

 

[MoltenSilver]

1. 16 years
2. 25-35 hours a week
3. Absolutely
4. That seems like a rather vague question without an idea what each number relatively means,
but to answer, I'd say 3; not one bit more than sports, puzzles, or any other form of competitive/emotional investment
5. Absolutely not. I'm all-but certain I would panic and crumble in the face of real violence, and thats just from thinking about the possibility, without any actual experience with it. I find the sight of blood deeply disturbing, and become anxious and concerned over even minor injuries.
6. Eight; Starcraft on the PC

 

[Grottnikk]

1. I've been playing video games since the Atari 2600... wow .

2. If I have time off, then dozens. If not, then a few hours in the evening are all I get.

3. Many, though not all, of my games have some strong violence in them. Usually the first person shooters.

4. Well, if a 1 is normal and 10 is "I'M GUNNA FUCKIN' KILL YOU!", then I'd say maybe a 2 or 3 occasionally. The thing is, it's not usually the violence itself that's making me aggressive but rather the gameplay: If I die, I'll get a bit ticked. If the game is not doing what I expect it should be doing (my guy gets held up in a clipping error, or a bug crashes the game), then I'll get frustrated with that.

5. I think that I have been desensitized to violence in video games, not violence in real life. I can mow down a horde of enemy soldiers in a video game and not bat an eye, but if I see someone throw a punch at someone in real life it perks up that fight/flight mode in me. I can laugh my ass off at someone literally losing their head in Chivalry, but if my friend shows me her stubbed toe all purply and whatnot I get that weird "zoinks!" feeling and have to look away.

6. Since I was about 6 or 7.

 

[DeltaEdge]

1. How long have you been playing video games?

I have been playing video games for roughly 15 years I suppose.

2. How many hours do you play video games a week?

It varies heavily. If I am gaming normally, I suppose it would average around 5 hours a day, so about 35 hours a week. If I am deep into LaTale(An MMORPG), it pretty much sucks up most of my free time, and I might spent around 6-8 hours on weekdays, and then 8-12 on weekends, so about 48-64 hours if I am really into LaTale. Or in another case, like right now, I am hardly gaming at all, as I lost my old PS3 controller, and am currently waiting on one which shipped from the U.K, and I live in the US, and the expected shipping time is 18-26 says, so I probably won't have my controller until the end of February/First week of March. I am also waiting on a big update for LaTale, that is super late, to the point that I don't feel like playing until the update hits, so my two biggest gaming slots are on hold. I am pretty much limited to DS games/GBA games on my computer, which I have been neglecting Lately. So, my current gaming time per week would have to be about 0-5 hours a week.

3. Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

That depends on how you define violence. If you define it as what is in the parenthesis, then no, almost none of my games match that description, but if violence like in Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokemon, or pretty much any JRPG for that matter count, then pretty much all of my games are violent games.

4. From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling, damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

I would say that violence in a game isn't what influences my aggression. I would only even enter this scale if I was becoming frustrated, which is caused when a game is being very tough/cheap to beat. I would say that I could reach up to a 6, at least internally, when I am getting frustrated by playing games. When I reach that, I just lose the will to play if it goes on for too long, and I find it difficult to calmly talk to people for long until I cool down a bit.

5. Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

I would be lying if I said that video games haven't altered my perception of violence at all, but I definitely don't feel desensitized to real violence, and I still find it to be highly disturbing compared to video-game violence. Heck, even in video games or movies/comics, I still find it unnerving when the violence seems to get a bit too real, like seeing someone get decapitated.
I definitely think that I am desensitized to violence to a moderate degree, to the point that things that got the country all riled up, like the Sandy Hook shooting, didn't phase me at all. I honestly didn't even see at first why everyone was even paying so much attention to it. This, I can squarely blame on the news media, as they broadcast every kind of horrible tragedy, so regularly, to the point that it loses its shock value, and just becomes another daily occurrence.

6. How old were you when you first started playing video games?

I think I was about 3 when I started gaming, as my parents had a NES before I was born, so I remember playing with it at a young age, but my first system that I ever owned for myself was a Sega Dreamcast I think when I was like 4 or 5. I'm 18 now by the way.

 

[wearesoneutralthatithurts]

How long have you been playing video games? since 14 years

How many hours do you play video games a week? depends on my time and on the game. eg, as i began to play skirym, i played often up to 14-16 hours (A day^^).it depends strongly on the game and wheter or not i have much spare time. so i´d say from 2(minor fps) to 16 hours(skyrim, fallout-until ive grown out)^^ a day, so aehm, maybe one day or 2 days per week?

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
jeah. i think so. fps, rpgs, horror games

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated. 1-2. I often get WAYYYY more frustrated by playing platformers, urgh, one fire-level in mario-galaxy game nearly killed my controller. i think, if the game is hard i get frustrated because i suck^^ so the harder the game, the bigger frustration and destructive energy. (but well, i got very aggressive and frustrated as i was a child and had to learn piano, i nearly crushed one electric-piano/keyboard because i kept hitting the wrong tunes.(i have a low frustration-resistance)


Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
no. i despise violence (okay, against things) i am vegan, so i dont even eat animals because i cant stand the thought pf someone killing a life only for me.(and all the other nasty things which come with factory farming and meat "production) but violent games -destroying pixels aren't real so that isn't a problem. real violence is one. i was more aggressive as i was younger-but not very much and i got aggressive while practising piano, not while playing soldiers of fortune 2..


How old were you when you first started playing video games? maybe 11 or 12. i started FPS with 14 (well, it was a game which is on the index in germany-so you can buy it if you are 18 but advertising and displaying the game (eg in shops) it isnt allowed)I think the effect depends much on the maturity of the player. this might be linked to the age, but it doesn't has to.

 

[purf]

ah, hell, why not.

Spoiler: How long have you been playing video games?

roundabout... yeah, 25 years

Spoiler: How many hours do you play video games a week?

impossible to put a number here. Say, last November as an extreme due to a GuildWars obsession: 70. This last month: 2. No, don't just take the median. Let it be part of your statistics that it fluctuates a lot.

Spoiler: Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

A good part of my games library is M rated, so... yes?

Spoiler: From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

Occasionally, Slighty flinging/dropping the mouse on its pad and saying 'Fuck' ranges how high on your list? Also applicable to Minecraft.

Spoiler: Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

I sometimes look at dirtbikes or certain BMW models in a different way. This due to GTA. Oh, regarding your question? Nope.

Spoiler: How old were you when you first started playing video games?

~14

 

[Candidus]

How long have you been playing video games?

23-24 years.

How many hours do you play video games a week?

More than 100 hours.

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

Yes, they all do.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

5, but this is aggression that I'm expressing with a grin rather than a scowl. I might shout "FUCKING SPACE-BASTARD!" when I get out-done. I might threaten to molest my lane opponent when he pokes me or denies me too much. I get a little rugged with the keys when things come down to the wire. But that's all positive. If my feelings were negative, I'd walk away.

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

No. I'm an extremely violent and aggressive man today because I was attacked routinely for two and a half years by peers at junior school, and couldn't lift a finger to defend myself until I completely broke down. I spent two and a half years despising myself for the fact that whenever I lost my temper, I'd cry instead of lashing out like I wanted to. How I WISH that videogames- which I was escaping to all the while- could have hastened my road to finding violence, but the only thing that got me there in the end was self loathing and relentless abuse.

People who think videogames have any bearing on violent behaviour are so full of shit you could fertilize all the soil in the US just by rolling one of them across it.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?

About 4 years old.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

How long have you been playing video games?
About 24 years
How many hours do you play video games a week?
I don't know. Too many.
Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Yeah, I suppose you could say that. No I wouldn't say extreme violence, but some form of violence, yes. I mean I don't play Gears of War or CoD.
From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
I don't know, 5. I mean it does get the adrenaline pumping. It's been quite some time since I've actually damaged something though.
Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
Not really, no. No more than I have by watching Loony Tunes, which is not at all.
How old were you when you first started playing video games?
About 7 I think.

 

[Disturbed-Hell]

How long have you been playing video games?
Around 11 years, starting when I was 6.

How many hours do you play video games a week?
Something like 30 to 40 hours per week

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Violence? Pretty well all of my games are violent to some degree. Gore? Not so much. Allmost all of my violent games have blood, but somewhat fewer have dismemberment and giblets. Strong language seems to be fairly light in most of my games, with the exception of TW2 (seriously, how many times was the word "plough" uttered in that game?).

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
2, I think. Although a few years ago I would have put it at 5 as I punched my monitor and hit a laptop once. Now the worst I get is irritated. [sub]Unless you count talking to myself.[/sub]

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
No. If anything, playing videogames has helped my temprement.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
I played my first game at 4, I think, then I started playing frequently at 6 and started calling myself a gamer at 11.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

How long have you been playing video games?

How many hours do you play video games a week?

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?

I have been playing since I was about 3 or 4..

Hours a week depends on what I have going on..usually close to 30 hours

Yes, the majority of my games do feature violence in some way

Now, I would be around a 5 or a 6. A while ago I was easily 8 or 9

I have not been affected in any negative way by video games, only positive.

hope I could help!! C:

 

[Elegy of Fools]

I'd be happy to help! It's always interesting trying to assess yourself in these ways, and I'd certainly be curious to see your results.

How long have you been playing video games?

That I can remember? About 20 years

How many hours do you play video games a week?

These days about 20-25 hours a week. Lifetime average? Oh man... a lot?

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?

I suppose yes. Depends on how you define "extreme violence" A majority of the games I play are M mostly due to violence and/or language

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.

This is a trickier question for me because I get very frustrated, but I diffuse it into energy, resolve and focus (or when I'm streaming, as much humor and insight as possible). It's also completely dependent on the game, I'm just as likely to rage a bit playing Bit.Trip Runner as I am playing an online shooter where I die a lot.

To answer more directly: 4

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.

I do feel I'm a bit desensitized to violence; but I don't necessarily view that in a negative light, nor do I attribute it to gaming (or any other media form) because I can't prove where it came from. In either case, I react to violence emotionally, but I don't overreact; instead I am able to calmly view a situation and figure out the best course of action. Violence in games and movies was conceived to be part of the artful experience -- violence in life is still a horrific ideal.

Again, a more direct answer for you: Possibly, as I do feel desensitized towards violence, at least in regards to games/movies etc.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?

5 years old though I joke I came out of the Womb with an NES controller.

 

[magicman326]

How long have you been playing video games?
close to 16 years

How many hours do you play video games a week?
varies depending on my course work, but generally ~20-30 hours a week

Do the majority of your games feature some form of violence(extreme violence, gore, or strong language)?
Yes.

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how aggressive do you get playing violent video games? This can be yelling,damaging items, or as simple as getting frustrated.
2. I may get frustrated on a hard part of a game, but I'm able to maintain my composure most of the time. If a game gets so hard that I'm outright yelling at it, I stop playing.

Do you feel that you have been affect by violent video games in a negative way? I.e, desensitization, higher aggression, or any other ways.
desensitization to fictional violence: more or less completely desensitized; short of "The Event" from Spec Ops: The Line, nothing in a game can really phase me.
desensitization to real violence: none. I'm the kind of person who gets squeamish when I see so much as a dislocated shoulder in real life.

Aggression: none. I am not an aggressive person by nature, and video games have not impacted that fact in the slightest.

How old were you when you first started playing video games?
around 5-6 years old.