When you play or watch a visual projection, the explicit results of your actions, or those involved are often at the forefront of those minds attentive to the results at hand. However, the viewer is often positioned to absorb information that goes beyond the obvious thought process, and leave an often substantial imprint on your morals, values, social understanding as well as tap into a thought process not restricted by physical consciousness and comprehension. Allowing the ability to perceive and determine without constraint, furthermore controlling the instincts and desires that characterise your personality.

The ability to retain information is a commonly used technique for many of life’s purposes. The information is obtained and proceeds in a way, which it is both quantitatively and qualitatively transformed; resultantly making up the composition that forms our decision-making and situational awareness. That, and the nuances that gives us the unique personality that differentiates each individual. Information can come in many ways, each with its own possession of bias or opinion, depending on that from which it came. There is the option to simply accept it as fact, or to see it as what it often is, a persuasive construction intended to get you to acknowledge another persons localised view point. But how does this relate to video games and other similarly categorized forms of media?

Video games have most commonly in recent times been under duress from those believing there to be a direct correlation between that which is experienced through interaction and that, which is then performed, in physical consciousness. In most considerations this is directly linked to violence, a popular recurring trait in modern video games. Where once stylised visuals made obvious, the evolution of graphical intensity begins to remove the previously noticeable gap between reality and fiction. Character models are given lifelike features, almost completely clear of the uncanny valley, as well as engines that make characters physical responses identical to that of their human operators. This creates a system that recreates natural occurrences; to give the user a synthetic experience devoid of tangible consequences, for which would normally cause undesired results had it be performed outside of the virtual existence.

Studies show that cortical brain activity, which is reciprocally related to conscious thoughts, significantly increases when you first begin to learn a skill. This can be directly associated to video games. Lets use a console controller, for instance. With no pre-existing knowledge of using such a device, the mind must consciously focus on the task at hand in order to successfully learn the skill. Once the pursuit is mastered, such activity decreases. There is habituation, with the motor system managing further activity with your subconscious mind, external of your awareness. The question begs then. Do the actions performed in a video game become so habitual, that it is translated into similar reality-based physical repercussions

"Youth, who are not designed to have access to such subject matter, may take moral elements beyond the contemplated idea."

How the aspect of interactivity effects the participant is largely debated amongst activists. Can the motion of controlling the movements and actions of a virtual constituent have a greater and altering effect on a person’s absorption of content, over that of which is simply viewed? Many say yes. There are factors that video games possess which are unique to the media form. Becoming increasingly frequent, moral decisions have begun to play an integral part in the construction and direction of the narrative. The decision of whether to take the life of another character may have dynamic consequences in-game, affecting the relationships between non-playable characters, limiting gameplay scenarios, or even the ultimate outcome and conclusion. These moral decisions are typically presented as taking the two extremes, with little chance for ambiguity or negotiation. When confronted with such a dilemma, we take our pre-existing knowledge from life and apply our assumed consequences to either choice. If such results seem non-consequential within the game, is there evidence to believe that application into a real context might be expected, from those with little moral grounding or understanding of social ethics. Would the continual murdering of civilians in sandbox games such as Grand Theft Auto, desensitise those into forming subconscious instincts or tendencies? Many say this might be true, due to habituation or gameplay tendencies. However, this is far from unanimous and proof is still quite limited. Many arguments have also been designed to combat this claim.

Opinions are most easily formed at the initial creation, becoming dramatically more difficult to change after this period formation. Those with an expected level of intellect would be assumed to have an understanding of what is to be considered taboo and what is socially appropriate. These opinions, values, or morals, are usually brought upon at an early age. This is why age restrictions play an important part to limit the content that is viewable by those still comprehending. The intention of a mature project is at a mature audience, those who can already consider the negative connotations that the actions being played out have, and the importance to contain this in a controlled virtual environment. Developers rightly assume that those with access to the game they produce can ably distinguish between it and what they perceive to be real. Youth, who are not designed to have access to such subject matter, may take moral elements beyond the contemplated idea. For example, if a game were to display their female character as being overtly sexualised, with the intention of satirically presenting a current issue, those without the knowledge or understanding about satire or the issue would simply accept that this is the correct way to associate the female gender. Responsibility of censoring is down to the parent or guardian, as the necessary measures of controlling the ability to purchase has been made by distributors. Considering that the average age of video gamers has reached the age of thirty, the absence of an R18+ rating in Australia is continually bewildering. Games that gain minor changes but still remain essentially the same, give access to susceptible youth, as they manage to slip into a MA15+ rating. This rating has less of an impact on parents to reduce censorship, compared with an R18+ adult rating. Despite this, video games continue to be used as a scapegoat that is commonly used in violent incidents.

Video games have the potential to grow beyond the capabilities of alternative art or media forms. Truly unique experiences are available, through the control and decision-making is allows. Virtual existence gives an escape from reality, in a way that truly ignites your imagination, unleashes your emotions and gives the opportunity for acts not comprehendible in modern life. Subconsciously, we see the nurturing of emotions and progression of values. For once, the reasons for doing or abstaining of an action become ultimately clear.