Violence | Perception | Video Games

1. Why did You chose this topic?

This book compiles contributions to the Young Academics Workshop at two Clash of Realities conferences. The aim of the 2018 workshop was to move beyond the outdated discussion around the question if video games can cause violent behavior and explore other facets of this topic. The notion of perception was at the center of the 2017 workshop. We chose this topic because the field of game studies tends to focus more often on the medium itself and individual analyses than on the experience of players.

2. What new perspectives does your book offer?

The section on violence explores this topic from several novel angles, including phenomenology, cognitive science, and game design. These papers transcend the discussion that video games can influence violence behavior and move onto more nuanced territory. The contributions on perception offer a wide array of perspectives as well, providing new insights about how players experience video games from disciplines such as psychology, philosophy and mental health.

3. What makes your topic relevant for current research debates?

Abundant studies show that video games do not cause violent behavior, yet politicians and the mass media constantly rekindle this debate. This book is a breath of fresh air for those who are interested in the topic and have grown tired of the current discussion. The topic of perception offers new insights into how player experience can be affected by this medium from disciplines such as psychology or mental health, which are only beginning to explore the effects of video games on perception.

4. Choose one person you would like to discuss your book with!

We would like to discuss our book with young academics and designers who are passionate about the study of video games. We would love to hear their thoughts on the studies presented here and the ways they have used this volume as researchers and makers of games. Ultimately we hope they see this book not only as a helpful research tool, but also as an invitation to take an active role in the development of new pathways in game research.

5. Your book summary in one sentence:

This book is a great resource for those interested in young and fresh takes on the topics of violence and perception in video games.