While there are legitimate concerns being voiced here regarding the inability of certain individuals to distinguish between fiction and reality, the underlying sentiment that I hear throughout the article boils down to "Wah, our hobby is/might be becoming mainstream!" making rednecks the new Goths/Emos/Rappers of 2010+.
And before someone picks up a torch, I'm being sarcastic (slightly), although more in regards to the Goths/Emos/Rappers statement than the perceived violation of individuality and privacy that some gun enthusiasts may be experiencing as video games attempt to imitate reality to higher and higher degrees causing some of their consumers migrate and investigate the real thing.
If it were in my arena and now strictly speaking as someone on the furthest periphery of the topic, I would be pretty happy that games like MW2 are creating an interest in actual firearms (as opposed to the fictitious variety) for a number of reasons (this is in no way meant to be derogatory, merely direct):
The needs of a firearms enthusiast are pretty straightforward: buying the gun, the supplies to maintain the gun, someplace to shoot the gun and someone to talk to about shooting, maintaining and buying the gun. If there are more people interested in your hobby, the chances of stock and supply rising to meet an influx of demand increases, the legitimacy of having grounds on which to perform your hobby with three dozen other individuals is far more likely to secure you the permits and facilities to do so than only eight other enthusiasts, and finally more people means more contacts and stories.
While it is true that an increase in quantity does not necessarily correspond with an increase in quality, there are strict rules, regulations and laws governing the manufacture of firearms and firearm accessories, as well as government instated regulations regarding who may own and operate a firearm. So, the quality of your materials will not decrease, although the availability of such materials will most likely increase (something that cannot be said for the video game market and it's influx of "casual gamers" *shudder*), and if you are gravely concerned regarding the safety implications of Halo McFratboy firing off his .45 at the range, then it merely indicates that there were problems in the licensing and registration methods before he came along.
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As PS:
Inevitably, I believe the proliferation of "realistic" firearms can and will result in more firearms related crimes, but I believe that to be the effect of simple mathematics rather than any actual plot or degradation caused by video games. It would be much more feasible in my opinion to blame that very mindset for attempting to bury these violent impulses beneath a layer a psycho drivel and pretending that we are not, as a species, every bit as violent as we were a thousand years ago.
Just my two coppers
And before someone picks up a torch, I'm being sarcastic (slightly), although more in regards to the Goths/Emos/Rappers statement than the perceived violation of individuality and privacy that some gun enthusiasts may be experiencing as video games attempt to imitate reality to higher and higher degrees causing some of their consumers migrate and investigate the real thing.
If it were in my arena and now strictly speaking as someone on the furthest periphery of the topic, I would be pretty happy that games like MW2 are creating an interest in actual firearms (as opposed to the fictitious variety) for a number of reasons (this is in no way meant to be derogatory, merely direct):
The needs of a firearms enthusiast are pretty straightforward: buying the gun, the supplies to maintain the gun, someplace to shoot the gun and someone to talk to about shooting, maintaining and buying the gun. If there are more people interested in your hobby, the chances of stock and supply rising to meet an influx of demand increases, the legitimacy of having grounds on which to perform your hobby with three dozen other individuals is far more likely to secure you the permits and facilities to do so than only eight other enthusiasts, and finally more people means more contacts and stories.
While it is true that an increase in quantity does not necessarily correspond with an increase in quality, there are strict rules, regulations and laws governing the manufacture of firearms and firearm accessories, as well as government instated regulations regarding who may own and operate a firearm. So, the quality of your materials will not decrease, although the availability of such materials will most likely increase (something that cannot be said for the video game market and it's influx of "casual gamers" *shudder*), and if you are gravely concerned regarding the safety implications of Halo McFratboy firing off his .45 at the range, then it merely indicates that there were problems in the licensing and registration methods before he came along.
----
As PS:
Inevitably, I believe the proliferation of "realistic" firearms can and will result in more firearms related crimes, but I believe that to be the effect of simple mathematics rather than any actual plot or degradation caused by video games. It would be much more feasible in my opinion to blame that very mindset for attempting to bury these violent impulses beneath a layer a psycho drivel and pretending that we are not, as a species, every bit as violent as we were a thousand years ago.
Just my two coppers
