CMV: Video game violence leads to violence in the real world.

Hello everyone. I’m a game developer who has a very unpopular opinion, so I’m worried that I might get downvoted into oblivion. However, I also think that bringing this topic up for discussion may be beneficial to everyone involved. <br><br>I am a veteran player of video games, and have played everything from Super Mario World as a kid to Call of Duty. I’ve been in game development for a few years now, working on two teams and even leading one for a few months. <br><br>I think that graphic violence in video games can lead to real world violence. <br><br>I know that I’m a game developer, so it may seem hypocritical that I don’t believe in the freedom to produce any sort of content you want, as long as someone is there to buy it. That being said, I don’t think that you should be able to sell content that can lead to violence. <br><br>The first and most obvious example is the Columbine shooters. There is a lot of evidence that the two shooters played a lot of violent video games. One of the shooters even had a level in Doom II that simulated the shooting, and they called the game “guaranteed action”. While correlation doesn’t always equal causation, I think that this is an extreme circumstance where it does. <br><br>Another example that I know of is a guy from my hometown who murdered his mother and grandmother. The guy was also a fan of Call of Duty and other violent video games. While this is purely anecdotal, I can’t help but wonder if this guy hadn’t been so desensitized to violence if the murders would have happened. <br><br>This is a very touchy subject for me, and I’m ready to be downvoted into oblivion. I don’t think that someone should be banned from producing content if other people want to buy it. I do, however, think that there should be some sort of governing body that decides whether content is too graphic for minors. Without a governing body deciding what content is too graphic, I think there will be a lot more Columbines. <br><br>EDIT: I made an edit on mobile, and it’s slightly jumbled. Apologies in advance. <br><br>A lot of you are claiming that correlation doesn’t equal causation. If correlation never equals causation, then trials don’t make any sense. I’m not saying that there’s a direct correlation. I’m saying that, when combined with other factors, someone can be most likely led to violence by video games. <br><br>Another thing that you’re bringing up over and over is mental illness. I agree that mental illness is an issue that needs to be addressed. However, blaming every shooting on mental illness is ridiculous. It’s over simplistic, and it’s a cop out. There are a lot of other factors, and to say that someone just “wasn’t right in the head” is insulting not only to victims of shootings, but sufferers of mental illness. <br><br>Thanks for the feedback so far everyone. <br><br>EDIT 2: I support the second amendment. I don’t think that anyone should have their guns taken away. I also don’t think that someone should be able to just buy any gun they want. I think there should be background checks, and tests to make sure that you can safely own a gun. <br><br>EDIT 3: I’m not saying that everyone who plays violent games will be violent. I am saying that, combined with other factors, these games can lead to violence.