Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Video games

2009-06-10T18:18:14Z

MrEngigma:

'''Video games''' are electronic games commonly played by a wide portion of the population.<ref>[http://www.pan-o-matic.com/blog/?p=45 Only a third of videogamers are under 18]</ref> A large number of young adults, having grown up in the era of video games, also play. Some video games such as [[sports]] games and educational games are harmless [[fun]] and can actually be beneficial to a child's development, especially if they allow more than one player. Some games though are violent and sexually explicit and have attracted the attention of family groups and [[conservative]] [[Christian]]s. Games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' are very violent, sexually explicit, feature [[criminal]] behavior and some even encourage it. [[Law]]s have been passed to limit young people's access to these violent games but these laws are either rarely enforced or overturned by judges due to the [[First Amendment]].<ref>http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/148962.html</ref> Some people argue that violent video games cause violent behaviour in some children, especially those under 16 whose mind is still not fully developed, but such a link has yet to be conclusively proven.
Serious crimes, including murder, have been associated with video games. For example, a 14-year-old brutally murdered a video arcade employee one morning and his cousin stands trial for murdering the store manager when he entered the store shortly thereafter.<ref>http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1212467732102240.xml&coll=1</ref>
In the [[United States|USA]], the majority of games carry ratings from the [[ESRB]], a video game ratings organization.

== Various genres ==

Video games in the course of their existence have grown from the simple arcade style games, and have become more detailed and separated from one another. Genres can now include [[first person shooters]], [[racing]], [[Simulation game|simulation]], [[role-playing]], [[sports]], [[action]] and many others. Even then, games can combine genres, such as ''[[Mass Effect]]'' (Role Playing and Third Person Shooting), or not fit nicely into any genre, like ''[[Katamari Damacy]]''.

== Popularity & Controversy ==

Games have risen in popularity over the years, as is shown in the rise of video games sales from the 1980s until today. This has brought with it a various amount of controversy as the video game industry continues to grow with its original player base.

===Violence===

Most of the controversy comes from the rising trend toward violence in video games, as pioneered by ''[[Doom (video game series)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake]]'', and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series.

At least one study has shown that, contrary to the position mentioned above, kids who don't play video games at all seem to show more violent tendencies. Of course, as expected, those who played violent video games for large amounts of time also showed violent tendencies, however the study claims that this is a "risk marker", not an actual cause. <ref>http://wii.qj.net/New-research-reveals-kids-who-don-t-play-videogames-at-all-are-more-at-risk-of-violent-tendencies/pg/49/aid/118505 New research reveals kids who don't play video games at all are more at risk of violent tendencies</ref>

Multiple studies have shown a correlation between violent video games and levels of real life violence, caused by playing some of the aforementioned video games.<ref>http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-anderson.html</ref>

===Sexuality===

Although nudity is not prominent in [[western]] video games, there are various products containing sexually-suggestive material. One reason for the relative lack of explicitly sexual material in western games may be the refusal of [[Wal-Mart]] (the leading distributor of video games in the United States) to sell games carrying an "Adults-Only" rating.<ref>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=440903</ref> However, a large quantity of games still contain overly-sexualized characters (for example, female characters wearing revealing clothes) or references. One notable target of controversy is the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series after a third-party mod was released that allowed the player to engage in a mini-game containing explicit sexual material. Other sources of this criticism relate to the game ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' as it was one of the first games where a female character (the protagonist) is depicted and advertised as a sex symbol.<ref>Ashley, Robert. "The Secret History of Videogame Sex." Official Playstation Magazine Feb. 2006: 96-99.</ref> It should also be noted that several leading Christian scientist have proven that playing overtly sexual video games can lead to a child becoming a rapist, sexual predator, or a sodomite.

== Video Games & Society ==

As video games become more popular, their impact on society becomes ever more present. A prime example of this is the massive ad campaigns for the [[Halo (game)|Halo]] series, as well as [[Grand Theft Auto]]. Advertising, merchandising, and even social pressures have changed in the ever-growing influence of video gaming.

Due to their popularity, various corporations have begun placing advertisements for their products within the context of the game. [[Second Life]], an Internet-based virtual world, has blurred the lines between real-world and virtual world, and companies such as Adidas, Reebok, and Dell have set up virtual stores selling real-world products within the game. [[Reuters]] also operates a news bureau reporting news in the game.

== Faith in Video Games ==

Faith in Video Gaming has, as a rule, either led to the creation of new and dynamic antagonists, or video games that are mediocre, such as ''Spiritual Warfare'' and ''Bible Adventure'' for the Nintendo, or ''The Bible Game'' for various systems. ''Bible Adventure'' in particular is infamous for it's poor design and playability.

The Bible, or other such religious texts, tell a story spanning many different viewpoints. Turning these ideas into a video game, however, most often leads to games that tend to bore most video game audiences.

Religion has, however, taken a prominent place amongst the various heroes and villains in video games. The [[Breath of Fire Series|''Breath of Fire'' series]] and the ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' games, in particular, use a god as a main antagonist in many of its incarnations. Other games to use religion in some way include the ''Final Fantasy'' series, ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]'', ''[[Black and White]]'', ''Heaven and Hell'', ''[[Xenogears]]'', ''[[Okami]]'', and the ''[[Tales]]'' series, particularly ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]''. Unfortunately, many (not all) of the aforementioned games present religion (or it's respective church and followers) as evil, fake, or having ulterior and nefarious motives.

Games may include a fictional religion as part of the setting if the use of a real religion may invite undesirable controversy.

Video game reviewers have sometimes unjustly attacked and reviewed games where real-world religion plays a notable role. One of the most prominent examples of this is the game ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]''.<ref>http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/left_behind</ref>

==Popular Video games==
*''[[Assassins Creed]]'' - Taking place, after a fashion, during the [[Crusades]]. Play as Altair, and kill leaders from both sides to stop a deadly plot.
*''[[Age of Empires]]'' - An [[Real-Time Strategy|RTS]] in which the player leads an ancient civilization.
*''[[Call of Duty]]'' - A series of [[first person shooters]] in which a player is either a soldier in World War II or a soldier involved in the [[War on Terror]].
*''[[Civilization]]'' - A strategy game in which the player leads a civilization from it's birth, and into the future.
*''[[Donkey Kong]]'' - An early platform game in which [[Mario]] (then known as "Jumpman") tries to save his girlfriend Pauline from a barrel-flinging ape named Donkey Kong. Both Donkey Kong and Mario went on to star in many other successful video games.
*''[[Final Fantasy]]'' - A very popular and long running [[RPG]] series in both the [[United States]] and [[Japan]]. Earlier games were rather child friendly, but the series has become more mature over time.
*''[[Gears of War]]'' - Mankind has been annihilated by an underground race of beings.
*''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' - A game series about gangster like characters who perform missions to rise to the top by killing, stealing, and other, sometimes violent, missions.
*''[[Guitar Hero]]'' - A game where players play the role of the [[guitar]]ist in a band. Uses a special controller in the shape of and played similarly to a guitar.
*''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' - First Person Shooter series about Gordon Freeman, a luckless scientist turned hero-from-desperation. This game uses one of the leading physics engine in first person shooters, the Source engine.
*''[[Halo]] - A trilogy of games following a super soldier during a fictional future [[war]].
*''[[Harvest Moon]]'' - Farm life simulator, with many sequels spreading from various platforms. Character runs a farm, raises animals, and can eventually marry.
*''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' - A popular series of fantasy action-adventure games.
*''[[Mass Effect]]'' - A science fiction RPG for mature players.
*''[[Medal of Honor]]'' - A first person shooter series usually taking place in the front lines of World War II.
*[[Mortal Kombat]] - Multi-player fighting game which is famous for violence, blood, and gory finishing moves called "fatalities".
*''[[NHL]]'' series - A series of Hockey games produced by EA Sports.
*''[[Pac-Man]]'' - An old maze game. It was very popular with kids and adults back in the eighties.
*''[[Portal]]'' - A popular first person shooter/puzzle game using the same game engine as ''Half-Life 2'' involving inter-dimensional travel through portals in an abandon testing facility. This game is known for its deadpan sense of humor.
*''[[Resident Evil]]'' - Survival/horror video game series, revolving around viral zombies and the survivors of the zombie attacks.
*''[[The Sims]]'' - A life simulator produced by EA.
*''[[Super Smash Brothers]]'' - Series of Nintendo fighting games. It mixes characters from different [[Nintendo]] franchises [with some exceptions] in wide environments.
*''[[Soul Calibur]]'' - A weapon-based fighting game. Revolves around the tale of two weapons, Soul Edge [Cursed] and Soul Calibur [Blessed], and those who fight for control or destruction of the weapons.
*''[[Street Fighter]]'' - One-on-one [[martial arts]] fighting game series, where a player selects one of various martial artists and battles other players or against computer-controlled characters.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' - Side-scrolling platform game series by [[Nintendo]]. Players play as Mario and Luigi, two Italian plumber brothers, who explore the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser [called Koopa in Japan]. Possibly the most well known game in the world.
*''[[Tomb Raider]]'' - Series of games following the adventures of Lara Croft.
*''[[Pong]]'' - the first real video game, resembling 2-d ping-pong.

==See Also==
*[[Video game controversy]]
*[[Jack Thompson]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.whattheyplay.com/ What They Play - the parent's guide to video games]

==References==

<References/>

[[Category:Entertainment]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Computers]]

Nintendo

2009-06-10T18:14:07Z

MrEngigma:

[[Image:765px-Nintendo svg.png|right|thumb|Nintendo logo.]]
'''Nintendo''' is commonly known as one of the major [[video game]] [[hardware]] and [[software]] manufacturers in the world.

==Origins==
Nintendo got its start in [[Japan]] in 1889, as a company manufacturing cards for [[Hanafuda]], a Japanese [[card game]]. In the 1960s, it diversified into a number of ultimately unsuccessful product lines, including a [[toy]] company. In the 1970s, it moved into electronic gaming, where it was ultimately successful.

In 1981, it created the popular arcade game "[[Donkey Kong]]", which brought it international attention, and introduced Nintendo to the [[United States|American]] market. Nintendo's products in the United States are released through Nintendo of America, their American subsidiary.

The word 'Nintendo' (任天堂株式会社) is said by the companies own sources to literally translate to 'leave luck to [[heaven]]'<ref>Touch Generations: [http://www.touchgenerations.com/enGB/discover_nintendo/what_nintendo_means.php What Nintendo Means]</ref>. The term has its origins in [[gambling]] done with Hanafuda cards and the Japanese mafia, of which several of its board members are low ranking members of.

==Nintendo Video game systems==
[[Image:Bible_adventures.jpg|right|190px|thumb|An unlicensed NES game cartridge.]]
*[[NES]] - Nintendo Entertainment System.
*[[Game Boy]] - A classic handheld games console.
*[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] - Super Nintendo, a 16-bit console.
*[[Virtual Boy]] - A mobile system which utilised 2 screens to provide a 3D view.
*[[N64]] - [[Nintendo 64]], Nintendo's first 64bit console.
*[[GBC]] - Game Boy Color, evolution of the original with a color screen.
*[[GBA]] - Game Boy Advance, a 32bit handheld.
*[[GBA SP]]- Game Boy Advance SP, an upgraded version of the Game Boy Advance.
*[[Gamecube]] - Nintendo's entry to the 128bit console war with Sony's PS2 ([[Playstation2]]) & Microsoft [[Xbox]].
*[[DS]] - An innovative 64bit handheld.
*[[DS Lite]] - Nintendo DS Lite, an improved version of the original.
*[[Wii]] - Nintendo Wii, an innovative game console, and Nintendo's latest offering, with sales exceeding expectations against stiff competition between the [[Xbox 360]] & [[Playstation 3]].<ref>http://nexgenwars.com/</ref>

==Notable series of Videogames by Nintendo==

*[[Mario (series)|Super Mario]]
*[[The Legend of Zelda]]
*[[Metroid]]
*[[Pokemon]]

== See also ==

*[[Japanese animation]]
*[[Sony]]

==References==

<references />

[[Category:Japanese Companies]]
[[Category:Nintendo]]

Pokémon

2009-06-10T18:10:59Z

MrEngigma:

{{stub}}<br />
<br />
[[image:Pokemon.jpg|thumb|The Pokemon Logo.]]
'''Pokemon''' is a highly successful Japanese franchise that was introduced in the 1990s. Owned by [[Nintendo]], it has risen to become the 2nd most successful video game franchise, behind Nintendo's own Mario. It spread to several other countries in a short time.

Pokemon began it's fame with the release of the dual part video game series Pokemon: Red and Pokemon: Blue for the original [[Game Boy]] system in 1995. There have since been various Pokemon releases across all Nintendo platforms.

The video game was the basis for the popular children's television show, Pokemon, and helped to spawn a large amount of merchandise, various movies (both theatrical and straight-to-DVD) and a successful trading card game.

[[Category: Games]]
[[Category: Nintendo Franchises]]

Byzantine Empire

2009-06-10T18:09:20Z

MrEngigma:

The '''Byzantine Empire''' is the name given to the eastern part of the [[Roman Empire]], which survived until 1453--indeed its fall is often used to date the end of the [[Middle Ages]]. Its capital was [[Byzantium]] (now [[Istanbul]])

First split into an Eastern and Western divisions by [[Diocletian]] in 293, the Eastern Empire went on to outlive its Western half, which fell in 476 AD, by 1000 years. Founded by the Emperor [[Constantine]] in 330 in the city of [[Constantinople]], the empire was multi-ethnic and predominantly Greek-speaking. The empire's heritage consisted of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Greek]] philosophy, [[Greek]] language, Byzantine Art and Architecture and [[Roman law]]. It survived the fall of the Western Empire in 476 because of much greater financial resources. In other words it could bribe away attacking armies whereas the west could not. The Empire actually reached its height in the 500s under Justinian as it reincluded many elements of the Western Roman Empire, but shrunk back down to its Eastern roots as it lost these. After surviving the intial rush of Islamic expansion, the Empire settled into boundaries that were relatively stable for several hundred years. While western Europe struggled through the [[Dark Ages]], the Byzantine Empire kept up an aura of refinement and defensive strength that sheltered Europe from the attacks of first the Persian Empire, then [[Islam]].

The Empire had difficulties with the "Iconoclast" controversy - a dispute lasting nealy 100 years and centering around arguements over whether or not to allow "holow images" or icons to be displayed in the churches. The position of the Emperors was often at odds with many of the subjects but since the Emperors considered that they were appointed by God, this didn't matter since their oponents were automatically heretics.

The Empire was often at war with at least one foreign power, but their strong defensive strategy was usually able to weather attacks. Other than the period 1204 to 1261, the Empire was always centred in [[Constantinople]].

While taking on offensive position to "reunite" with the west under Justinian in the 500's, for the most part the position of the Empire was defensive in nature, having little desire to increase its borders. For years the cultured Byzantine Empire was the protector of Dark Age Europe, repelling Islamic armies that would stretch to control lands from Morocco to India via Hungary. The secure and lasting nature of the Empire was changed forever when treachery led their defeat to Islamic armies at the [[Battle of Manzikert]] in 1071. They lost all of Anatolia to the invaders. Even when they retook the land, much of the population had perished with many of the survivors having fled. Areas that once allowed armies of 120,000 men to be raised for the defense of the Empire had now become barren. The Empire was forced to rely on mercenaries for the bulk of their army from that point forward.<ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979</ref>

The Empire was dealt another blow in 1204 when forces from Western Europe in the [[Fourth Crusade]] sacked Constantinople in 1204, the first time that had ever happened, instead of going to the [[Holy Land]]. The Pope had ordered Constantinople to be sacked, because it was widly believed that the Orthodox heretics were Sodomites.They set up their own "Latin" Empire, so called because of their attempts to make Latin the official language of the Empire rather than Greek, which lasted until the Byzantine reinstatement in 1261. On their arrival in Constantinople, the Latins, mostly Franks and Ventians, were astonished at the power and positions held by "Eurochs" - men who, as children, had been castigated so that they would have no children and hence be no threat to the ruling Imperial dynasty.

The Byzantine Empire never truly recovered from the blow dealt to it by the Crusaders. On May 29 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the [[Ottoman Turks]] after a long cannon bombardament - though by this time, following the fall of the city to the Latins in 1204, the Empire had been reduced to a mere shell of its former self. It is believed by some that the last indirect descendant of Constantine Palealogous XXI, the last Emperor of Byzantium, was Lady Joanna Constantine, who died in Northampton, England, in October 1859.

The Ottoman conquerors, whose original capital had been located in Sofa, now in [[Bulgaria]], renamed the city [[Istanbul]] and turned the great church of that city into a mosque.

[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Medieval History]]
[[Category:Ottoman Empire]]
[[category:Byzantine Empire]]