Online Games

[Nattfare]

Been trying out a football game called Footballidentity where you can create either a player, a manager or a journalist.

What might turn players away from the game is that all the matches are turn-based and the players are just circles on a 2D pitch.
The turn-based part makes the game feel a bit slow but you have to use strategy instead of quick reactions but still think pretty fast because you aren't given that much time to ponder your next move.

Once you've created you player or manager you will start as unemployed and will have to look for a club to play in.

[Nattfare]

Another online game out there is Erepublik, you create a character which you will train and participate in wars with.
You also have a land you will manage where you can build food and weapon facilities.
All the nations can start campaigns against other nations on their quest to dominate the world.
The game has been described as Risk over the internet.
If you're interested you can find the game on this link:

www.erepublik.com/en/referrer/Nattfare

Registering through that link will also make you end up on my friends list.

[Shadow]

Blokes often enjoy these war type of games-noticed it when facebook launched Empires and Allies or whatever its called...

Part of the reason I enjoyed the earlier games on other formats was the fact that the the lead character was female-Dino Crisis,resident Evil-at least the early ones.

These days the games market is flooded by these war type games-and I feel it does alienate female players-just got to listen to my boys online on the PS3 to hear how male dominated it is.......

[Jazz]

To be slightly controversial did anyone notice how the photograph of the Norwegian, Anders Breivik looked very like a typical character from one of these war games? In the wrong hands (insane or unstable in some way) can these games encourage violence in the real world?

Attachments:

[Ann1]

Yes, I must say when I saw that pic on the telly, I thought he looked like an avatar!!!

[skintagain]

i get sick of people blaming violent games for kids violent behaviour, my son grew up playing these games and he is hard working and sensible so they done him no harm, i think you must first look at the sort of environment some of these violent kids/people grew up in,
violent games seem to be the first thing people use as an excuse for someones violent behaviour i wish they would change the record there were violent people around well before the violent games and films, games and films may have some sort of influence but is not the root of the problem, also any responsible parent should make sure their children fully understand the difference between these games/films and reality before the give them access to them.

[Jazz]

Aye, Skint, I know what you mean....my son, too, played these sort of games although they weren't quite as realistic as they are now. Sometimes though, maybe, people without a grip on reality might start to think that they can act like the characters on the screen? I would like to see the statistics over the years on these sort of horrific events to see if they have escalated or not. Mind you, as you say there are lots of other factors to be taken into account.....insanity being one of them! I can remember as a kid...8,9,10 years old that there was a huge outcry about "Horror Comics" being imported from America.....my older cousin had got hold of some and I thought I was going to be condemned to hell when I looked at them (under cover, of course!). Times change though! Mind you I have heard stories that in the USA some kids think that they can drive their cars through barriers/gates and they think that they'll just disintegrate like in the films!

[Deleted]

Anyone stopped to consider one of the reasons games, comics, films and even books are so popular is the fact they are not all based in our reality.

Not quite as much fun when your on line pals actually start losing limbs or their lives or your neighbour happens to be the next local serial killer etc. etc.

I listen to music created by artists who also use drugs, however I'm in no hurry to rush out and buy some.

Enjoy these games for what they are............ a bit of escapism from everyday life and fun.

CWL

[Ann1]

Yes, not our reality CWL, but I'm sure there are people out there who will be influenced by these games. I make no apologies for having no time for "gaming", but I know millions enjoy it, so good luck to them But I don't think the influence should be dismissed out of hand either. People become "anesthetized" to blood and gore over time, in the same way these famines don't pull at my heart strings like they used to. I've been seeing them on TV for 40 odd years, and it does lose it's impact after a while!! Sad, but there you go! Thank god most people can play games with no effect, just the same as watching porn, but we shouldn't be blind to the fact that for the "nutters" it could have an adverse effect.

[Deleted]

Ann you raise some notable points however to say these games or other mediums have such an influence is playing into the hands of those you describe as nutters. Is it not another ready made get out along the lines of The Devil made me do it!

I agree as a society we are becoming more sanitised to the images involving events shown each night in our living rooms. However perhaps it has more to do with detachment through not experiencing the horror first hand or consequences afterwards. Take that of Oslo last Friday.

I'm sure if these games did not exist something else would be used to explain away the behaviour of the individuals who carry out such killings.

CWL

[Jazz]

A great free flight simulator used with Google Earth.....much improved on older version.

www.ge-flightsimulator.com/