Lyner

Big World

Additionally, they contradict themselves frequently. For example, they suggest at one point that "T" rated games may actually be of greater concern than "M" rated games. In their analyses looking at aggression variables, however, they compare "M" rated game players to non-"M" rated game players. Now even they still find an effect of being an "M" rated player vs. not leading to increased aggression, but if "T" rated games are all that bad (which I don't personally believe) then violent "T" rated games should have been clustered with the "M" rated games. Or separate groups should have been set up to compare increasing levels of violence in the games regularly played rather than arbitrarily dichotomizing the variables.

graddy

The title is too sensational because it signals to many the opposite of what the findings reveal (and many just go by the title alone to form their opinion).

But it's a truly excellent book and one Kotaku peeps would enjoy and should promote.

iskew

ShearDude

ostartero

Blake Ruff

butterladle

Schoolimangooli the doogie mag goosie!

Take that Jack Thompson, you unending douche.

Check out this wikipedia page for the epic truth: [en.wikipedia.org]

deviantCharles

Quote, emphasis mine:

"Umm.. there [sic] crazy to believe that people especially parents have time to read this."

I don't know, dude. That's a pretty all-inclusive statement, right there. You're also making a lot of broad assumptions about a very large and varied demographic.

Tell you what: I'll stop using pretend 1337 speak if you take care of your grammar a bit. Deal?

JustThisGuy

Plus your so called 1337 speak made me die a little inside.

Schoolimangooli the doogie mag goosie!

vincentprice

"ZOMG BOOK IS TL;DR WHAT'S THE POINT"

Hunh. I do believe that a little bit of my faith in humanity just died.

@peAr_nectAr: You've read other pop-sci books, yes? The specific methodologies used are generally glossed over, and not given the detail that a paper submitted for peer-review would receive. Plus, their conclusions are not entirely based on that one snippet alone. And finally, you're quoting the journalist's take (which has to be simplified for mass public consumption) on the research book (which is most likely simplified for mass public consumption). You're criticizing filtered, third-hand received knowledge, man. Surely you see what's wrong in that scenario?

Even then, I personally don't see what's wrong with the survey, taken at face value. Judging strictly from the wording used, everything you said about their survey could be said about the other games mentioned; if they're grouping the GTA titles, then they're also grouping Madden, Halo, and the Sims + its endless expansion packs. And I think that whether they played it a lot or just once within a six month period is beside the point, since I think the goal was to prove/reinforce just how popular/mainstream GTA actually is, with higher "mind share" (to borrow a marketing term) then many other titles.

Point being: it's good to be skeptical. However, being too skeptical leads straight into irrationality. And I do think you're being much, much too skeptical. You can't just question the data; you have question the context.

JustThisGuy

+ Watch video

AUAnonymous

@peAr_nectAr: Yes the article makes this research sound pretty shoddy, but the article is probably giving a basic overview of their findings. I don't expect a Washington Post article to go very in depth on this subject, and the authors probably wouldn't want them too. They do actually want to sell this book.

IMO, if the research is as good as anything Gentile and Walsh have done, or W. James Potter then this book will be quite influential in the communications, media policy, and child development fields.

MantisDragon

@Ashurahori: Yes. Jesus, I don't think a lot of commenters even bother to read articles any more.

Roto13

"The authors' research team asked 1,250 kids to name some video games they'd played in the past six months. GTA was at the top of the list for boys, way ahead of the Madden football games and Microsoft's sci-fi blockbuster, Halo. Among girls the same age, the game was No. 2, behind the Sims."

First off, this could be suspect, considering GTA IV hasn't even come out yet. But obviously they mean older GTA games, though they don't say which ones. So basically they're grouping all of the GTAs into one giant GTA, meaning the statistics are a bit stacked.

That, and they said games played in the past six months. They didn't say they played it a lot; they said they played it, maybe only once. For girls, that seems more likely, as I think (statistically) the games girls play most are games like the Sims and WoW.

The research just seems shoddy to me, not specific enough, slightly skewered simply to prove their point.

Not that I am arguing with their findings, but still: if most video game research is like this, it shows why the media doesn't know what the hell they're talking about most of the time.

peAr nectAr

Still, it's nice to see that someone from a popular news source is taking a stance that is opposed to the popular media's opinion.

I do hope that at least some of the Washington Post's readers who have children of their own pick up the book and maybe learn a thing or two about parenting concerning video games.

MasterDex

Kurdel

No offense to any of you, but don't think that the people on here are complaining because of what the author said, it's what he said being true is what everyone is complaining.

Vincent060

William "Killer" Shatner

rabidkeebler

Ashurahori

I actually enjoyed the article, but I believe that Schoolimangooli has a point. There are so many busy parents these days (mine are never home anymore), so they probably wouldn't read the book or even the article. My fear is that parents would buy the game for the kids just to keep them from whining instead of enforcing the rules.

mquest

The one thing i found most interesting about their study was they found that children that did not play any games were often found to have the biggest problems. The authors even cited the virginia tech shooter who's roommate and dorm mates noted that he never played any video games.

Point being dont write the book off cause of the title, actually read about it.

vincentprice

KM91

Vincent060

Good to know that a single game can have such a chokehold on other markets, corporations, yet show no real distinct link between human behavior.

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

PissedPS3Fan

The Washington Post article says that GTA is practically an industry itself, with the possible EA takeover and analysts predicting it will affect the opening weekend of Iron Man.

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

ShaggE

Anyway. I think I might pick up "Grand Theft Childhood" next weekend, just for kicks. Should be an interesting read, at least. I've been jonesing for a book to read for while now.

Moridin

Witzbold

The article is pretty nuetral. If I had to pick a side for it, I'd say it's for GTA more than it is against GTA.

Peryite

CanaryWundaboy

Musgrove doesn't have anything against GTA or other violent videogames. All he states is that despite its M rating and numerous warnings about the content of the game, kids, especially 12-14 year olds still have access to it.

Beyond that he is simply writing about the book, Grand Theft Childhood, and how it breaks down the possibly flawed studies that place a correlation between videogames and violent youth.

So next time please read the article before you grab your torches and pitchforks.

phillyred05

JohnnytheFuture

*facepalm's for the hell of it*

Big World

Seriously, I would rather have my child be subject to tyrannical parenting and a government that controls all forms of entertainment and live a life full of perpetual hatred and bitterness, then to have them play, for even one minute, that... abomination... that is... *sob*... GRAND THEFT AUTO IV!!!

DAMN YOU ROCKSTAR!!! THE BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS!!!

Big World

Mister Adequate

ceokhan

Games aren't just for kids, people. There are games for kids, and games for adults. Same as in movies. You can't tell Hollywood that every movie has to be an animated Pixar film thats rated G just because you don't like the content of a few R rated movies.

Kenny

In all seriousness, the article itself is a good, if brief, read. The author is actually levelheaded and discussed many of the more important highlights of the book.

rabidkeebler

turbofreak

Armagetiton

It's Jack Thompson, walking all over GTAIV.

Shocky

Doesn't it?

/27 year old child

PapaBear434

I'm sure it's a compelling book but ca mon who really gonna pick it up and read and give it a chance. What's easier looking at a tv special or taking the time of reading a book which is easier just to say no to your child.

Schoolimangooli the doogie mag goosie!

Fadakar

Ra is on That 70s Show