Kocurek’s piece thoughtfully makes the argument that on-screen violence perpetuates violent realities by playing off of our cultural anxieties, dehumanizing marginalized or “othered” groups – but her article remains fairly narrow minded. I am inclined to agree with her argument that video games and alternative blood reflect deeper and problematic fears, but after reading her piece, I’m not sure who to blame for this digital and real-world violence.
Kocurek only mentions parents once in the article, outlining Serious Sam’s five different ‘blood modes’ and stating that “The ease with which the player may move between these modes makes clear that they are included for player amusement and not as any kind of parental controls” (83). I agree with Kocurek’s statement, but what of the actual parental controls that are made available? On iPhones, which are far and away the most popular gaming device available today, there are a wide array of parental controls that can be set, including age restrictions or access to the app store at all. In that case, is it up to the parents to know these restrictions are available? Up to Apple to appropriately categorize and rate games? In terms of console devices, well, one could just not buy their children certain video games. Kocurek’s piece sounds somewhat like children have unfettered access to these violet video games, which if my childhood is any indication, is far from true. There was one day my mom found out I was playing Halo at a friends house, and I was accosted and did not return.
I would also like to see more research done in terms of the variety of video game available, for example, if arcade style video games with faux guns perpetuate violence more so than handheld devices, and if console games lie somewhere in the middle.
Ultimately, I am in the boat that parents must monitor and decide what games are appropriate for their children to play. The great thing about the digital age is that while it is brining us into a period of anxiety and unknown territory, it can only exist so long as the batteries last. Kocurek makes a strong argument against video game violence, but I don’t think it paints the whole picture.