Violence in video games can be regarded as a touchy subject by many people, as there are lots of opinions about the subject. Some think that violence in video games causes players to become increasingly violent in their real lives, however, there has been no correlation between the two.
Granted, a select few members within the population may seek to mimic what they see in games, and some would blame this solely on the violent nature of some video game which they play, however, there is almost always another underlying reason behind the violence exhibited in real life, such as drugs, bullying, or abuse.
There are many people out there who play violent games, and do not show any additional signs of ager or violence towards others. In fact, some even think that being violent within a digital world, such as a video game, can reduce the amount of violence shown within the real world, as it can act as a stress reliever.
As with many people, I agree that violent video games should only be allowed to be played by people who are of the appropriate age of the rating certificate. i.e 12, 15, 16 and 18.
Many game development studios include some sort of repercussions when violence is shown without need for gameplay. A good example of this, is the Grand Theft Auto series, in which if the player murders somebody within the game, the player then has to avoid the law enforcement. There are many games which utilise similar gameplay mechanics, and this allows them to get away with releasing their games without too much attention from angry parents.
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