The Video Game Debate: Video Games are Complicated

Book Review for The Video Game Debate (2015)
Edited by: Rachel Kowert & Thorsten Quandt
Genre: Research Essays
Routledge, 195 pp.

Review

The Video Game Debate is a collection of scholarly articles about the social, psychological, and cultural impact of video games. More specifically, the essays examine the ways in which Video Games and their potential affects on the mental health of those who play them have been studied and what conclusions can be drawn at the present moment in time. Since the book was put together and released last year it's pretty safe to say that the conclusions, studies, and information in the book is entirely up-to-date.


The mission of The Video Game Debate is to ensure that those who wish to discuss or learn about video games are not inducted into the same reasoning that local mouth pieces tend to spout. This is, above all else, a scientific textbook about Media Studies with Video Games as the focal point.

And what a focal point it is. For most people the first two chapters will be of most interest. James D. Ivory's essay focuses on the history of video games. Most importantly he mentions the two strains of videogames: the competitive and combative action video games, and the narrative driven games. He presents the history in a chronological and easy to comprehend manner. It's followed closely by the lynchpin article and primary reason for buying. Nicholas D. Bowman's article, "The Rise (and Refinement) of Moral Panic," begins by exploring the trial of Galileo for his heliocentric theory of the planetary movement. It hits other moral panics throughout history on his journey to discussing the impact of video games. Most importantly, he explains why there are so many reasons for separate findings in video game studies of aggression and crime.

The rest of the essays delve more into the scientific stuff. This reading becomes slightly dryer for those of us not taking a course in the subject, but is still interesting nonetheless. Did you know that Video Games are used in a variety of medical settings? From the therapist's office to children cancer hospitals, with a variety of effects? Did you know that Video Game Addiction is now an accepted condition in the DSM-V? Did you know that the increased proliferation of violent video games has increased while the overall rate of violent crime has decreased?

The Video Game Debate is a specific type of book that's meant to address a specific type of problem. That problem is the misunderstanding of how video game research can be accomplished. There are no easy answers, and this book spends one hundred and ninety-five pages ensuring that that is clear.

If you are interested in the best and most scientific study to date about video games and the effects, I recommend picking up this book. If you are looking for something a bit more digestable, you might consider Tom Bissell's Extra Lives.

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