why is there pleasure from fear and violence from games?

Mr_Inzaino · Oct 2011

Hey guys i am currently working on my dissertation and wanted to get opinions and discussions about my subject.

So yeah my question is in the title, basically meaning, why do people enjoy getting themselves scared or others love to see an enemy get butchered.

If theres anything you would want to say about this idea, please please please don't hesitate to comment!

Thanks

glottis8 · Oct 2011

For me this is an enchanting topic. I love horror, and i am most often fascinated by character development in the extreme circumstances and settings. The other day i reopened Night Shift by Stephen King, and in his foreword he talks about getting scared, and i thought it was a really good approach to explaining why.

Here is the link. http://www.librosgratisweb.com/pdf/king-stephen/night-shift.pdf

This is more focused on the macabre and getting scared. I'll try to gather my thoughts and put them into a comment, gotta run for now. But maybe that read will prove interesting to spark more conversations.

Ben Apuna · Oct 2011

Well a minute of Wikipedia leads me to this chain of thought Fight-or-flight response -> Epinephrine -> Endorphin.

Once things get "too violent" I get pretty turned off to a game so I don't actually like to see an "enemy get butchered" in the games I play, perhaps it's a matter of taste? or empathy?

ZacD · Oct 2011

People naturally are attracted to war and violence, its a vent for people cause it doesn't exist in our normal lives anymore. Sports are pretty much simulated combat, and we turned that into a game, we do the same thing with video games.

MainManiac · Oct 2011

Live the life you can't live in real life. And do it safely. Why do we all like action movies and horror movies?

TNO · Oct 2011

just think about chess, you kill farmers,knights and kings and so on..
or other boardgames like ludo.. why do we play that? well here is what I think could be an answer;

the theme/violence/visuals does not count when you are mentally fine, you have "pleasure" about being able to outsmarting something (AI- Artificial Intelligence)/someone(other players)

and it is funny to be able to reach a certain task which is set to reach.
The theme/violence/visuals are just there to inform you how you are working it out.

eld · Oct 2011

ZacD wrote: »

People naturally are attracted to war and violence, its a vent for people cause it doesn't exist in our normal lives anymore. Sports are pretty much simulated combat, and we turned that into a game, we do the same thing with video games.

Yeah, pretty much this.

There's a need for adrenaline and violence deep down in the reptile brain with a big a control over us as procreation, and with any modern society currently in peace most take it out in sports and games where it can be controlled and be done with minor harm to anyone.

Additionally, some might not be into this, but most will.

I think it goes back to where being the active aggressor would ensure your victory and thus your chances to procreate and spread your genes, nature favored the violent dominant humans over most species.

EzMeow · Oct 2011

You may want to check the "Catharsis" word as well. Basically it's mostly an analytic/philosophic concept related to dramatic art and such, but the parallele with the video game is easy to translate.

HonkyPunch · Oct 2011

I just like watching humans in dark, dark moments. Facing down not only horrible death, but insanity as well. I am a huge fan of Lovecraft and the sort. I guess it's because to me, insanity is the one thing i'm pretty damned afraid of. Just because the mind is fragile/complex, etc. Also, because violence is awesome. Yup.

Habboi · Oct 2011

I like horror games when a friend is with me because it's entertaining seeing each other get scared. I did my dissertation on how different sound effects in horror games affect the players and I noticed there are two types of players such as the "tough, not easily scared" and the "wimpy, doesn't like horror".

I found that its the ones who aren't easily scared that funny enough avoid horror games because it bores them. Whereas the scaredy cats seem to love it because they see it as a challenge to overcome.

Hope that helps.

Sandro · Oct 2011

I don't think people are fundamentally violent or evil. It's not war and violence itself that people enjoy, it's the process of challenging deadly opponent and defeating him that is exciting. People generally are attracted to pretty much every activity (violent or non-violent) that causes adrenaline spike.

I don't know a lot about biochemistry, but if fight/flight response is followed by reactions that help body deal with stressful situations, then it's not surprising that triggering it artificially (extreme sports, scary games, bar fights) is quite effective way of dealing with accumulated stress.

Wells · Oct 2011

I think people want to experience any strong emotion. fear and violence are the easiest to quickly manufacture in these mediums. More daring games that actually accomplish feelings of wonder, sadness, elation, love are celebrated, but they're rarer because it's harder.

Mcejn · Oct 2011

Gets the heart pumping. If we saw these things in person, they would no doubt be horrendous, but would also get us high/wired up. It's exciting, in a fucked up way.

Lazerus Reborn · Oct 2011

Same reason we get a rush going in the abandoned house's dark basement. A big hunk of adrenalin and a bigger Fu to our fears.

R3D · Oct 2011

Also you have to realise that people can tell the difference between real life and fictional video games.

Also games with good gameplay can be fun, and from my understanding, people enjoy fun.

I agree that it can be used as a way to vent. For example you can't get road rage if you're listening to angry music in the car.

Ace-Angel · Oct 2011

What about Portal or other puzzle games? People like those I would say.

You also have to remember one more thing, games which have violence and scary elements rewards the player when they achieve something.

Think about Amnesia, safe houses, story progression, new things which we struggle with fighting and overcoming a challenge. The narration forcing us to progress because we WANT to see what happens next.

Same with God of War for example, new weapons, new enemies to kill, new moves, you get the gist.

Problem is ANY educational game out there doesn't have this. All the elements are tepid at best, and resort to "OH, you did it! Yay, continue to next area and solve X,Y,Z". I might as well watch Dora the Explorer while at it.

Mrskullface · Oct 2011

I think it's just curiosity of your own feelings that are mostly untapped. The sense of danger is a challenge to get used to, but when that adrenaline rush happens from your natural fight of flight actions happen without being in REAL danger then it's fun. And just being curious, like white rich kids listening to gangster rap. People like from time to time being taken out of their every day elements.

R3D · Oct 2011

Also do realise that the ESRB puts most, if not all, gory/violent games as an M Rating.

I've always found it kind of strage though that games that are nothing about fighting, such as super smash brothers, are a ~T rating, when violence is something that should be more frowned upon than sex, which will either get an M or an AO rating, at which point the game wont even ship.

DrunkShaman · Oct 2011

I believe that many people, including myself, over come fear by watching scary movies or playing scary games.

I play violent games because they are better way to take out anger.

ZacD · Oct 2011

Ryswick wrote: »

Also do realise that the ESRB puts most, if not all, gory/violent games as an M Rating.

I've always found it kind of strage though that games that are nothing about fighting, such as super smash brothers, are a ~T rating, when violence is something that should be more frowned upon than sex, which will either get an M or an AO rating, at which point the game wont even ship.

The ESRB rating system is retarded and unfair, I don't get why console manufactures support them, I know steam doesn't requite esrb ratings.

Autocon · Oct 2011

ZacD wrote: »

The ESRB rating system is retarded and unfair, I don't get why console manufactures support them, I know steam doesn't requite esrb ratings.

Because Steam dosnt sell there products in Walmarts and Bestbuys.

Human beings are violent by nature. Our species has always and will always be extremely violent.

passerby · Oct 2011

Ryswick wrote: »

Also do realise that the ESRB puts most, if not all, gory/violent games as an M Rating.

I've always found it kind of strage though that games that are nothing about fighting, such as super smash brothers, are a ~T rating, when violence is something that should be more frowned upon than sex, which will either get an M or an AO rating, at which point the game wont even ship.

that is just a states thing, they got this whole love hate things going when it comes to sex, and feel they need to shield there innocent little kids form seeing how nature works.

something i never got since the mind set is the opposite in most of Europe and most of Canada too.

R3D · Oct 2011

passerby wrote: »

that is just a states thing, they got this whole love hate things going when it comes to sex, and feel they need to shield there innocent little kids form seeing how nature works.

OH MY GOD!!! GIRLS HAVE NIPPLES TOO?! MY CHILDHOOD IS RUINED!!!

Ace-Angel · Oct 2011

Nipples, getting bigger in extreme temperatures > Shaved Mole between your legs which either melts or shrinks.

Makkon · Oct 2011

Cause I get to feel like a badass and do things I'd never do in real life.
It's getting the chance to experience a different reality.

passerby · Oct 2011

partially the challenge and partially having the whole fight/flight instinct.

even when i play any sports like hockey or football, i play extremely aggressive, and get a pretty big adrenaline boost whenever i check or tackle someone.

and im someone who would never want to go to war, but i do love my paintball and my fps games.

why is there pleasure from fear and violence from games?

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