And ye shall know us by our wireless controllers

By Brennon Slattery

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A misinformed media and a general distaste for youth culture have fostered the stereotype of gamers as misanthropes going blind as moles in their mothers' basements. News stories profiling these hobbyists reek of negativity. There's the ten-year-old Floridian who punched his mother's face because she curbed his Halo 3 addiction, and Snowly, the Beijing gamer who perished after playing World of Warcraft nonstop for several days.

Jack Thompson, conservative Christian Floridian lawyer, and the largest combatant against pixels since Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, lumps the entire industry in the same pit as torture-porn.

Politicians give videogames far too much credit for the damage they do. Take, for instance, Thompson's stance on Bully, a game about a troubled new kid at a boarding school, who must gain popularity and pass classes while fending off bullies, principals and the cops. Thompson insists Bully glamorizes Columbine. (Bully was produced by Rockstar, the famed maker of Grand Theft Auto, and the mini-game in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas dubbed "Hot Coffee," which features the main character pumping a lady friend full of genetic material.)

While the debate about the effect of violence in entertainment parries back and forth, the positive aspects of the medium remain largely ignored.

Videogames paired with painkillers have been proven to distract children undergoing painful treatments like surgery or chemotherapy far better than painkillers alone. These young gamers experience less nausea, need fewer pills and maintain lower blood pressure, according to a 15-year study from the British Medical Journal.

And just as surgeons request iPod speakers while working, they also perform better after fiddling with a Nintendo Wii, reports the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. Their study found professional performance improved 48 percent after swooping through a virtual training tool.

That's just one of the benefits of the Wii. As soon as the console hit shelves, we drooled over the concept of old ladies in nursing homes bowling virtually and chubby kids sweating out hamburger grease whilst crushing the hell out of the Wii Fit pad.

As the technology has improved, so has the social aspect of gaming. Rock Band, released in late 2007 by Cambridge's own Harmonix and distributed by MTV, features musical instruments, including a drum set, a microphone, a guitar and a bass. Rock Band emphasizes teamwork and multiplayer interaction. Paired with online connectivity—namely Microsoft's wildly popular Xbox Live—it's a virtual playground for gamers that may even inspire some players to pick up an actual instrument.

If the positive aspects of gaming and gamer culture were emphasized, the attention might herald constructive change in gaming culture. It would ingrain itself in our everyday lives, much like gay culture, hip-hop and environmental activism. But, you know, with the occasional rocket launcher.

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