Are violent computer games to blame?

Controversial video games will be put under the microscope next week when UQ’s School of Political Science and International Studies hosts a public lecture on First Person Shooter Games (FPSG).

Infamously dubbed the “bad boy” genre of the video game industry, the FPSG has been blamed for desensitising today’s youth to modern warfare and romanticising the hi-tech skill of digitised killing.

On October 5, academic Peter Mantello will examine the policy implications of FPSG’s, discussing whether the genre reinforces the notion of military force as a legitimate tool for foreign policy.

“First Person Shooter video games blur the line between actual war and synthetic entertainment,” Mr Mantello said.

“Players transform into cyborg soldiers and patriotic crusaders whose goal is to liberate failed nations, protect national security interests and vanquish pre-modern evil.

“The underlining goal advocates a form of military humanism which justifies breaching another country’s sovereignty and the right of national self determination.”

A self-confessed gamer, Mr Mantello is a media artist, lecturer and writer, and founder of the Center for Advanced Media Arts Studies at Ritsumeikan University in Japan.

Mr Mantello’s photographic work is currently on display in the United Nations Gallery and the Power House Gallery (both in New York) and in the Bundekunsthalle Museum in Bonn, Germany.

The lecture will be held at room 208 of General Purpose North building 39A, St Lucia on October 5th from 4pm until 5:30pm.

Media: Gillian Ievers (g.ievers@uq.edu.au, 07 33651524) or Trudi Saul at UQ Communications (trudi.saul@uqconnect.edu.au)