title: Title Fight

text: Title Fight formed in 2003 as a three-piece band consisting of Jamie Rhoden on guitar and vocals, Ned Russin on bass and Ned's twin brother Ben on drums, playing local shows in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, PA. Ned Russin claims his older brother, Alex Russin is a huge influence in their formation of Title Fight. Their name came from the cover of an old HBO showtime guide that Ned had read in the attic when he was younger. In addition to popular punk bands, Rhoden claims the Positive Numbers Fest (an annual hardcore/punk music festival in Wilkes-Barre, PA) was an influence on the band's formation. The band produced a demo entitled "Down for the Count" in 2003 that is still available on the internet.


title: Title Fight

text: In 2005, the band added Shane Moran on second guitar and recorded two demos in 2005 and 2006, during which they played shows in what they call a "small, tight-knit community" around Kingston, PA. These included several shows at the Doylestown, PA YMCA Teen Center.


title: Title Fight

text: They recorded a split with the Erection Kids in 2007 on FlightPlan Records. Members of the Erection Kids later went on to form Balance And Composure. The band quickly followed up their first release with the Kingston 7" (also on FlightPlan Records) in February 2008. Title Fight played with Fireworks on their tour with Set Your Goals Summer of 2007, ultimately leading to Jeff's (owner of Run For Cover Records) discovery of Title Fight. On October 16, 2008, it was announced that the band had signed to Run for Cover Records. The Last Thing You Forget 7" was recorded in December 2008 at the Getaway Group in Massachusetts with Jay Maas and released in June 2009 on Run for Cover Records. The 7" featured three new songs while the CD release featured all of their releases to date. The artwork for the album was done by John Slaby, a friend from Wilkes-Barre. Later in June, the band went on tour with Crime in Stereo and Fireworks. This was followed by a US tour with New Found Glory. The Kingston EP has also been re-released on Six Feet Under Records with Dave Sausage in order to revamp the EP. During these years, Title Fight altered their sounds to a more Melodic hardcore genre, with influences including Knapsack, Jawbreaker, and the Promise Ring.


title: Title Fight

text: In 2010, Title Fight was featured on Triple B Record's compilation, America's Hardcore, with a new song entitled "Dreamcatchers". They also did a US tour with Bayside, Senses Fail and Balance And Composure and a tour of Japan with HO.


title: Title Fight

text: On January 19, 2011, Title Fight signed to SideOneDummy Records and announced they had finished recording their debut full-length, produced by Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, and Rival Schools) and engineered by Will Yip at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA. The band will also embark on their first headline tour in 2011 with the Menzingers, Touche Amore, Dead End Path and Shook Ones.


title: Title Fight

text: The band released their new album, "Shed", on May 3, 2011. On February 10, they released a new song off Shed for free download entitled "27" and Shed's album artwork. On February 23, SideOneDummy posted pre-orders for a new Title Fight 7" called "Flood of '72". The 7" featured the song from Shed along with an acoustic version of the song, and was released on April 12.


title: Title Fight

text: On May 20, 2011 it was announced that Title Fight would play their first Australian tour with Touché Amoré in September 2011.


title: Title Fight

text: After finishing the AP Fall Tour 2011, Title Fight embarked on a 22 date European tour, starting November 28, 2011, visiting France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, the UK and finishing in Ireland with a final show in Dublin. They were joined by Balance And Composure and Transit for the tour.


title: Title Fight

text: On January 11, 2012, through the Vans Warped Tour website, it was announced that Title Fight would be joining the 2012 tour on the Monster Energy stage.


title: Title Fight

text: Title Fight announced via tumblr that their next release "Floral Green" would come out on September 18, 2012. July 24th, 2012 Title Fight released a single "Head in the Ceiling Fan" for free download on tumblr. On August 14, 2012 the band premiered another song "Sympathy", on NPR music. On September 13, 2012 "SPIN" magazine premiered a full stream of the record on their website. Floral Green debuted at #69 on the Billboard Top 200. On October 19, 2012, Title Fight hosted a record release show in Warrior Run, Pennsylvania along with the Menzingers, Tigers Jaw, Gypsy, and Grey Zine prior to headlining a US tour with supporting acts Tigers Jaw, Pianos Become the Teeth, Whirr, Young Beats and Single Mothers.


title: Title Fight

text: Title Fight released the four-song EP "Spring Songs" on November 12, 2013 through Revelation Records, with its second track "Be A Toy" premiering on August 12 through "SPIN" magazine. The music video for "Be A Toy" was released on November 20, 2013, and was filmed on Super 8 during the bands' 2013 Spring European Tour, directed by Susy Cereijo.


title: Title Fight

text: In July 2014, the band announced on their Instagram account that they had signed to ANTI- Records, and were in the process of recording a new album with producer Will Yip. On December 1, the band announced their new album would be called "Hyperview", set for a February 3, 2015 release date, and released a video for the track "Chlorine" through "The FADER".


title: Title Fight

text: Title Fight's style has been described as post-hardcore, hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, punk rock, emo, shoegaze, and post-rock. Forming as a hardcore band, they soon began to draw influences from a variety of other genres such as alternative rock, shoegaze, and post-rock.


title: Title Fight

text: The members of Title Fight are also known for their presence in many other Wilkes-Barre hardcore bands, most notably Bad Seed, which featured Shane on vocals and Jamie on bass. Ned joined the band later on bass while Jamie switched to guitar. Bad Seed released a demo in 2008 and a self-titled EP in 2009 on 6131 Records and played Sound and Fury and This is Hardcore Fest before disbanding in 2010. Along with Bad Seed, Shane, Ned and Ben played in the straight edge band, Disengage, who released a 7-song EP, "Look Back", in 2010 Full-Length, "Expressions", in 2011, and a self titled EP in 2014. Ned also plays in straight edge Wilkes-Barre band Stick Together, hardcore band Big Contest, and shoegaze indie-rock act Noise Pet. Jamie also plays in a shoegaze punk band by the name of Haze who released a demo of rough mixes in 2014. Ned and Ben are the younger brothers of Alex Russin, guitarist/singer of Gypsy and hardcore band Cold World.


title: Title Fight

text: In September 2010, the local venue, Cafe Metropolis in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where Title Fight played their first show, closed. To give back to the rising hardcore community, Title Fight and other local friends took action by opening Redwood Art Space, a venue in Wilkes-Barre. The venue opened in March 2011. However, in June 2012 the venue was forced into moving. They will be raising money to have a new venue, due open later this year. Bands such as Touché Amoré, Anti-Flag, and Bane have played shows there.


title: Kiznaiver

text: "Kiznaiver" follows seven high school students who are chosen to be a part of an experimental program promoting world peace which creates bonds between people by forcing them to share each other's pain. The series' title and premise are based upon the Japanese words for , and .


title: Kiznaiver

text: "Kiznaiver" takes place in the futuristic, fictional Japanese town of Sugomori City. While the city appears to be normal, it was created to test a large-scale experiment known as the Kizna System, which connects people through shared pain and suffering, both physical and emotional. Those who are connected to the system are called "Kiznaivers".


title: Kiznaiver

text: A few days before the start of summer vacation, a mysterious and seemingly emotionless girl, Noriko Sonozaki, tells high school student Katsuhira Agata and several of his classmates that they have been selected to become Kiznaivers. Sharing each other's pain allows them to build bonds between their differing lives and personalities.


title: Kiznaiver

text: A tie-in manga by Roji Karegishi was published simultaneously by Crunchyroll digitally and by Kadokawa Shoten in their "Dengeki Maoh" magazine. It premiered on March 25, 2016, and ended on February 27, 2017. It was compiled in two volumes.


title: Kiznaiver

text: A gag manga featuring the characters in chibi form called is drawn by S. Kosugi and serialized on Dengeki Comics NEXT. The tankōbon version was released on June 6, 2016. Crunchyroll took the English license for it, titled "Mini! KIZNAIVER Theater".


title: Kiznaiver

text: Kiznaiver is an original anime series from Trigger. It is directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi and written by Mari Okada. While Shirow Miwa provides original character design, Mai Yoneyama adapted it into anime. The opening theme is Lay Your Hands on Me by Boom Boom Satellites, and the ending theme is by Sangatsu no Phantasia. The anime has been licensed in the UK by Anime Limited.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Thoracentesis , also known as thoracocentesis (from Greek "thōrax" 'chest, thorax'— "thōrakos"—and "kentēsis" 'pricking, puncture'), pleural tap, needle thoracostomy, or needle decompression (often used term), is an invasive medical procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. A cannula, or hollow needle, is carefully introduced into the thorax, generally after administration of local anesthesia. The procedure was first performed by Morrill Wyman in 1850 and then described by Henry Ingersoll Bowditch in 1852.


title: Thoracentesis

text: The recommended location varies depending upon the source. Some sources recommend the midaxillary line, in the eighth, ninth, or tenth intercostal space. Whenever possible, the procedure should be performed under ultrasound guidance, which has shown to reduce complications.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Tension pneumothorax is a medical emergency that requires emergent needle decompression before a chest tube is placed.


title: Thoracentesis

text: This procedure is indicated when unexplained fluid accumulates in the chest cavity outside the lung. In more than 90% of cases analysis of pleural fluid yields clinically useful information. If a large amount of fluid is present, then this procedure can also be used therapeutically to remove that fluid and improve patient comfort and lung function.


title: Thoracentesis

text: The most common causes of pleural effusions are cancer, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and recent surgery. In countries where tuberculosis is common, this is also a common cause of pleural effusions.


title: Thoracentesis

text: When cardiopulmonary status is compromised (i.e. when the fluid or air has its repercussions on the function of heart and lungs), due to air (significant pneumothorax), fluid (pleural fluid) or blood (hemothorax) outside the lung, then this procedure is usually replaced with tube thoracostomy, the placement of a large tube in the pleural space.


title: Thoracentesis

text: An uncooperative patient or a coagulation disorder that cannot be corrected are relative contraindications. Routine measurement of coagulation profiles is generally not indicated, however; when performed by an experienced operator "hemorrhagic complications are infrequent after ultrasound-guided thoracentesis, and attempting to correct an abnormal INR or platelet level before the procedure is unlikely to confer any benefit".


title: Thoracentesis

text: Relative contraindications include cases in which the site of insertion has known bullous emphysema, use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP, see mechanical ventilation) and only one functioning lung (due to diminished reserve). Traditional expert opinion suggests that the aspiration should not exceed 1 L to avoid the possible development of pulmonary edema, but this recommendation is uncertain as the volume removed does not correlate well with this complication.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Major complications are pneumothorax (3–30%), hemopneumothorax, hemorrhage, hypotension (low blood pressure due to a vasovagal response) and reexpansion pulmonary edema.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Minor complications include a dry tap (no fluid return), subcutaneous hematoma or seroma, anxiety, dyspnea and cough (after removing large volume of fluid).


title: Thoracentesis

text: While chest X-ray has traditionally been performed to assess for pneumothorax following the procedure, it may no longer be necessary to do so in asymptomatic, non-ventilated persons given the widespread use of ultrasound to guide this procedure.


title: Thoracentesis

text: An exudate is defined as pleural fluid to serum total protein ratio of more than 0.5, pleural fluid to serum LDH ratio > 0.6, and absolute pleural fluid LDH > 200 IU or > of the normal.


title: Thoracentesis

text: An exudate is defined as pleural fluid that filters from the circulatory system into lesions or areas of inflammation. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes of the main circulatory fluid such as blood. In the case of blood it will contain some or all plasma proteins, white blood cells, platelets and (in the case of local vascular damage) red blood cells.


title: Thoracentesis

text: A high amylase level (twice the serum level or the absolute value is greater than 160 Somogy units) in the pleural fluid is indicative of either acute or chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic pseudocyst that has dissected or ruptured into the pleural space, cancer or esophageal rupture.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Glucose is considered low if pleural fluid value is less than 50% of normal serum value. The differential diagnosis for this is:


title: Thoracentesis

text: Normal pleural fluid pH is approximately 7.60. A pleural fluid pH below 7.30 with normal arterial blood pH has the same differential diagnosis as low pleural fluid glucose.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Chylothorax (fluid from lymph vessels leaking into the pleural cavity) may be identified by determining triglyceride and cholesterol levels, which are relatively high in lymph. A triglyceride level over 110 mg/dl and the presence of chylomicrons indicate a chylous effusion. The appearance is generally milky but can be serous.


title: Thoracentesis

text: The main cause for chylothorax is rupture of the thoracic duct, most frequently as a result of trauma or malignancy (such as lymphoma).


title: Thoracentesis

text: The number of white blood cells can give an indication of infection. The specific subtypes can also give clues as to the type on infection. The amount of red blood cells are an obvious sign of bleeding.


title: Thoracentesis

text: If the effusion is caused by infection, microbiological culture may yield the infectious organism responsible for the infection, sometimes before other cultures (e.g. blood cultures and sputum cultures) become positive. A Gram stain may give a rough indication of the causative organism. A Ziehl–Neelsen stain may identify tuberculosis or other mycobacterial diseases.


title: Thoracentesis

text: Cytology is an important tool in identifying effusions due to malignancy. The most common causes for pleural fluid are lung cancer, metastasis from elsewhere and pleural mesothelioma. The latter often presents with an effusion. Normal cytology results do not reliably rule out malignancy, but make the diagnosis more unlikely.


title: Criticism

text: Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed response. Criticism falls into several overlapping types including "theoretical, practical, impressionistic, affective, prescriptive, or descriptive".


title: Criticism

text: Criticism may also refer to an expression of disapproval. When criticism of this nature is constructive it can make an individual aware of gaps in their understanding and it can provide distinct routes for improvement. Research supports the notion that using feedback and constructive criticism in the learning process is very influential.


title: Criticism

text: Critique vs criticism In French, German, or Italian, no distinction is drawn between 'critique' and 'criticism'. The two words both translate as "critique", "Kritik", and "critica", respectively. In the English language, philosopher Gianni Vattimo suggests that "criticism" is used more frequently to denote literary criticism or art criticism while "critique" refers to more general and profound writing as Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason". Another distinction that is sometimes made is that "critique" is never personalized nor "ad hominem" and is presented in a way that encourages rebuttal or expansion of the ideas expressed. Nonetheless, the distinctions are subtle and ambiguous at best.


title: Criticism

text: The term ""brickbat"" is sometimes used to mean "an unfavourable criticism, unkind remark or sharp put-down". The term originated in the 17th century, derived from the practice of throwing bricks as projectiles at a person who was disapproved of.


title: Criticism

text: Critical Studies and Critical Theory programs teach the method of critique, also known as “criticism.” Both theory and studies programs often sample new works in addition to the classical texts. UC Berkeley, CUNY, and Northwestern University offer programs in Critical Theory, while a number of other colleges and universities offer programs or sole courses in Critical Studies, Critical Theory, and sub-disciplines. Sub-disciplines include Critical Race Studies, Critical Asian Studies, Critical Black Studies, and Critical Disability Studies. The term “critical” can be found in course titles concerning a variety of topics, as the term refers to a method or approach to course materials.


title: Criticism

text: Some claim “critical” studies have a particular focus in their perspective or opinion, confusing the method of critique with individual critiques. The recent appearance of “critical” studies and theory further compounds the conflation of particular authors with the new method and discipline. Additionally, the method and disciplines are distinguished from analysis or traditional objectivist or hard sciences by their allowances for subjectivity in the perspective of the author.


title: Criticism

text: Journalist and writer H. L. Mencken argued that "criticism is little more than a branch of homiletics. They judge a work of art, not by its clarity and sincerity, not by the force and charm of its ideas, not by the technical virtuosity of the artist, not by his originality and artistic courage, but simply and solely by his orthodoxy."


title: Violence and video games

text: Since their inception in the 1970s, video games have often been criticized by some for violent content. Politicians, parents, and other activists have claimed that violence in video games can be tied to violent behavior, particularly in children, and have sought ways to regulate the sale of video games. Studies have shown no connection between video games and violent behavior. The American Psychological Association states that while there is a well-established link between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, empirical research finds there is little to no evidence connecting violence to video games.


title: Violence and video games

text: The Entertainment Software Association reports that 17% of gamers are boys under the age of eighteen and that 36% are women over the age of eighteen, with 48% of all video game players being women of all ages. They also report that the average age of gamers is 31. A survey of 1,102 children between 12 and 17 years of age found that 97% are video game players who have played in the last day and that 75% of parents checked the censor's rating on a video game before allowing their child to purchase it. Of these children, 14% of girls and 50% of boys favored games with an "M" (mature) or "AO" (adult-only) rating. 64% of American adults and 70% of those under 18 play video games regularly as of 2020.


title: Violence and video games

text: Since the late 1990s, some real acts of violence have been highly publicized in relation to beliefs that the suspect in the crime may have had a history of playing violent video games. The 1999 Columbine High School massacre created a moral panic around video games, spurring research to see if violent video games lead to aggressive behaviors in real life. Some research finds that violent video game use is correlated with, and may cause, increases in aggression and decreases in prosocial behavior. Other research argues that there are no such effects of violent video games. This link between violent video games and antisocial behavior was denied by the president of the Interactive Digital Software Association in 2005 in a PBS interview. In the interview, he stated that the problem is "vastly overblown and overstated" by people who "don't understand, frankly, this industry". Others have theorized that there are positive effects of playing video games, including prosocial behavior in some contexts, and argue that the video game industry has been used as a scapegoat for more generalized problems affecting some communities.


title: Violence and video games

text: Elements of the type of moral panic that came with video games after they gained popularity had previously been seen with comic books. Through the 1950s, comics were in their Golden Age, having become a widely popular form of media. As the media expanded, some artists and publishers took more risks with violent and otherwise questionable content. Fredric Wertham, a psychiatrist, wrote "Seduction of the Innocent" in 1954, which outlined his studies asserting that violent comics were a negative form of literature and led to juvenile delinquency. Even though some of Wertham's claims were later found to be based on bad studies, the book created a moral panic that put pressure on the comic book industry to regulate their works. Later in 1954, the comic industry issued the Comics Code Authority (CCA) which put strict regulations on content that could appear in comic books sold at most stores, eliminating most violence and other mature content via self-censoring. The mainstream comic industries waned as comics had lost their edge, while an underground market for the more adult comics formed. The comic industry did not recover from Comics Code Authority regulations until the 1970s, when adherence to the Authority was weakened. By the 2000s, the Authority was generally no longer considered. Modern trends of targeting violence in video games have been compared to these events in the comic industry, and video game industry leaders have specifically avoided the use of self-censorship that could impact the performance of the industry.


title: Violence and video games

text: Pinball machines had also created a moral panic in post-World War II America, as the teenage rebels of the 1950s and 1960s would frequently hang around establishments with pinball machines, which created fear across the generation gap of older Americans unsure of the intents of this younger crowd. To some, it appeared to be a form of gambling (which led to machines being labeled "For Amusement Only"), while more religious people feared pinball was a "tool of the devil". Because of this, many cities and towns banned pinball machines or implemented strict licensing requirements which were slowly lifted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Notably, New York City's ban on pinball machines lasted until 1976, while Chicago's was lifted in 1977. The appearance of video games in the early 1970s overlapped with the lifting of bans on pinball machines, and when youth were drawn to arcade games, the same concerns that were initially leveled at pinball machines as gambling machines and immoral playthings were also made about video games.


title: Violence and video games

text: After "Pong" exploded onto the arcade game market, arcade game manufacturers were aware of the attention that video games were getting and tried to position games as entertainment aimed at adults, selling units preferably to bars and lounges. This gave them more leeway with content, but still which drew criticism from some. Two arcade games had already drawn attention for amoral content prior to 1976. Atari's "Gotcha" in 1973, a maze game, initially shipped with two joystick units that were covered in pink domes as to represent women's breasts, but which were removed in later makes. The 1975 "Shark Jaws", also by Atari, was an unlicensed adaption of the film "Jaws" and attempted to play on the film's violent context, though here, the player was hunted by the shark. As arcade games spread into more locations, the ease for children to access the games also elevated concerns about their potential impacts.


title: Violence and video games

text: The 1976 arcade game "Death Race" is considered the first game to be targeted for its violent content. The game, like "Shark Jaws", was an unlicensed adaption of the 1975 film "Death Race 2000", a violent film centered on driving. Within the game, the player was challenged to drive a car and run over simulated gremlins scoring points for doing so. Besides the game's simulated content, the game cabinet was also adorned with imagery of death. The game caught the attention of an Associated Press writer, Wendy Walker, who had contacted the game's manufacturer, Exidy, with her concerns that the game was excessively violent. Walker's concerns spread through other media organizations, including the National Safety Council, who accused the game of glorifying the act of running people over when at the time they were trying to educate drivers about safe driving practices. While some arcades subsequently returned the "Death Race" machines due to this panic, sales of the game continued to grow due to the media coverage. It was recognized that many other competing arcade games at the time, like "Cops 'n' Robbers", "Tank 8", and "Jet Fighter", all games equally about violent actions, saw little complaint. Nolan Bushnell of Atari said that "We Atari had an internal rule that we wouldn't allow violence against people. You could blow up a tank or you could blow up a flying saucer, but you couldn't blow up people. We felt that that was not good form, and we adhered to that all during my tenure."


title: Violence and video games

text: United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop was one of the first to raise concerns about the potential connection of video games to youth behavior. In 1982, Koop stated as a personal observation that "more and more people are beginning to understand" the connection between video games and mental and physical health effects on youth, though that at that time, there was not sufficient evidence to make any conclusion.


title: Violence and video games

text: The fighting game "Mortal Kombat" was released into arcades in 1992. It was one of the first games to depict a large amount of blood and gore, particularly during special moves known as "Fatalities" used to finish off the losing character. Numerous arcade games that used high amounts of violent content followed in "Mortal Kombat" wake. However, as these games were originally exclusive to arcade machines, it was generally possible to segregate them away from games aimed for younger players. Eventually, there was significant interest from home console manufacturers in licensing "Mortal Kombat" from Midway Games, particularly from Sega for its Sega Genesis platform and Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. At the time, Sega and Nintendo were in the midst of a console war to try to gain dominance in the United States market. Sega's licensed version of "Mortal Kombat" retained all the gore from the arcade version (though required a use of a cheat code to activate it), while Nintendo had a version developed that removed most of the gore, recoloring the blood as grey "sweat" and otherwise toning down the game. Sega's version drastically outsold Nintendo's version and intensified the competition between the two companies.


title: Violence and video games

text: The popularity of "Mortal Kombat", along with the full-motion video game "Night Trap" and the light gun shooting game Lethal Enforcers, gained attention from U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl. This resulted in two congressional hearings in 1993 and 1994 to discuss the issues of violence and video games with concerned advocacy groups, academics, and the video game industry. Sega, Nintendo, and others were criticized for lacking a standardized content rating system, and Lieberman threatened to have Congress pass legislation requiring a system that would have government oversight if the industry did not take its own steps. By the time of the second hearing, Sega, Nintendo, and other console manufacturers had outlined their agreed-upon approach for a voluntary rating system through the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which was in place by the end of 1994. This also led to the establishment of the Interactive Digital Software Association, later known as the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade group for the video game industry that managed the ESRB and further supported trade-wide aspects such as government affairs.


title: Violence and video games

text: American attorney Jack Thompson has criticized a number of video games for perceived obscenity and campaigned against their producers and distributors. He argues that violent video games have repeatedly been used by teenagers as "murder simulators" to rehearse violent plans. He has pointed to alleged connections between such games and a number of school massacres.


title: Violence and video games

text: The Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, reignited the debate about violence in video games. Among other factors, the perpetrators, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were found to be avid players of violent games like "Doom". The public perceived a connection between video games and the shooting, leading to a Congressional hearing and President Bill Clinton ordering an investigation into school shootings and how video games were being marketed to youth. The report, released in 2004 by the United States Secret Service and the United States Department of Education, found only 12% of perpetrators in school shootings had shown interest in video games.


title: Violence and video games

text: In the aftermath of the Columbine shooting, previous school shootings were re-evaluated by media and connections were drawn between Columbine and the Westside Middle School massacre of 1998. Although video games had not been identified as a factor at the time of the Westside shooting, media discussions of Columbine pointed to Westside as a similar case in that the two student perpetrators had often played "GoldenEye 007" together and had enjoyed playing first-person shooter games prior to the shooting.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2001, Rockstar Games released the PlayStation 2 game "Grand Theft Auto III". The game gave the player control of an unnamed protagonist in a contemporary urban setting taking on missions within the city's criminal underworld. The game was one of the first open world games and allowed the player to have nearly free control of how they completed missions, which included gunplay, melee combat, and reckless driving. The game was widely successful, selling over two million units within six months. Its popularity led several groups to criticize the violence in the game, among other factors. Rockstar subsequently released two follow-up games, "" in 2003 and "" in 2004, the latter becoming controversial for the sexually explicit "Hot Coffee" mod. After this incident the government decided to take action. In 2005, California banned the sale of violent video games to minors.


title: Violence and video games

text: In the years that followed, a number of fatal murders and other crimes committed by young adults and youth were found to have ties to "Grand Theft Auto III" and later games that followed in its footsteps. Jack Thompson became involved to try to sue Rockstar, its publisher Take-Two Interactive, and Sony on behalf of the victims for large amounts of damages, asserting that the violence in these games led directly to the crimes and thus these companies were responsible for said crimes. These cases ultimately did not lead to any action against Rockstar, as they were either voluntarily withdrawn or dismissed before judgment. Thompson agreed to no longer seek legal action against Take-Two's games, and ultimately became an activist to highlight the issues of violence in video games. The events of this period were made into a BBC docudrama, "The Gamechangers", which was first broadcast in September 2015.


title: Violence and video games

text: The shooter in the Winnenden school shooting on March 11, 2009, in Winnenden, Germany, was found to have had interest in video games like "Counter-Strike" and "Far Cry 2". In the weeks that followed, politicians and concerned citizens tried to pressure the government into passing legislation to ban the sale of violent video games in the country, though this never came to pass.


title: Violence and video games

text: The 2009 first-person shooter "" included a controversial mission in its story mode called "No Russian". In the mission, the player takes on the role of a CIA agent who has embedded himself among a Russian ultranationalist terrorist group; the leader of the group warns them to speak "no Russian" to give away their origins. The mission allows the player to participate in a terrorist attack at a Moscow airport, during which they may fire indiscriminately on civilians and security alike. Participation in the mission is not mandatory: a disclaimer before the mission begins warns the player about the violent content and gives the option to skip the level. If the player chooses to play the level, they are not required to participate in the shooting in order to complete the level. The level ends when the terrorist group's leader kills the player-character in order to frame the attack as the work of the United States, leading to a world war.


title: Violence and video games

text: The existence of the level leaked before the game's release, forcing publisher Activision and developer Infinity Ward to respond to journalists and activists that were critical of the concept of the mission. Activision defended the level's inclusion in the finished game, emphasizing that the mission was not representative of the rest of the game and that initial assessments had taken the level out of context. Even with the full game's release, "No Russian" was still criticized, with some stating that video games had yet to mature. The mission is considered a watershed moment for the video game industry, in how certain depictions of violence can be seen as acceptable while others, like "No Russian", are considered unacceptable.


title: Violence and video games

text: To address violent video games, several U.S. states passed laws that restricted the sale of mature video games, particularly those with violent or sexual content, to children. Video game industry groups fought these laws in courts and won. The most significant case came out of a challenge to a California law passed in 2005 that banned the sale of mature games to minors as well as requiring an enhanced content rating system beyond the ESRB's. Industry groups fought this and won, but the case ultimately made it to the Supreme Court of the United States. In "Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association", the Supreme Court ruled that video games were a protected form of speech, qualifying for First Amendment protections, and laws like California's that block sales on a basis outside of the Miller test were unconstitutional. Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote the majority opinion, considered that violence in many video games was no different from that presented in other children's media, such as "Grimm's Fairy Tales".


title: Violence and video games

text: The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012. The perpetrator, Adam Lanza, was found to have a "trove" of video games, as described by investigating officials, including several games considered to be violent. This discovery started a fresh round of calls against violent video games in political and media circles, including a meeting on the topic between U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and representatives from the video game industry. The National Rifle Association accused the video game industry for the shooting, identifying games that focused on shooting people in schools.


title: Violence and video games

text: The 2016 Munich shooting occurred on July 22, 2016, in the vicinity of the Olympia Shopping Mall in the Moosach District of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The perpetrator, David Sonboly, killed 10 people before killing himself when surrounded by police. As a result, the German Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière, claimed that the "intolerable extent of video games on the internet" has a harmful effect on the development of young people. His statements were criticized by media specialist Maic Mausch, who said with regards to Maiziere's statement that "No sensible scientist can say that with such certainty. And if no scientist can do it, no minister can do that."


title: Violence and video games

text: The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting occurred on February 14, 2018, in Parkland, Florida. In the aftermath, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin declared that the country should re-evaluate "the things being put in the hands of our young people", specifically "quote-unquote video games" that "have desensitized people to the value of human life". A month later, President Donald Trump called for several industry representatives and advocates to meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss the impact of violent video games with him and his advisors. Industry leaders included Michael Gallagher, ESA president; Patricia Vance, ESRB president; Robert Altman, CEO of ZeniMax Media; and Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, while advocates included Brent Bozell, of the Media Research Center and Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council. While the video game industry asserted the lack of connection between violent video games and violent acts, their critics asserted that the industry should take steps to limit youth access and marketing to violent video games in ways similar to the approaches taken for alcohol and tobacco use.


title: Violence and video games

text: The Suzano school shooting occurred on March 13, 2019, at the Professor Raul Brasil State School in the Brazilian municipality of Suzano, São Paulo. The perpetrators, Guilherme Taucci Monteiro and Luiz Henrique de Castro, managed to kill five school students and two school employees before Monteiro killed Castro and then committed suicide. As a result, Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourão claimed that young people are addicted to violent video games, while also claiming that the work routine of Brazilian parents made it harder for young people to be raised properly. As a result, the hashtag #SomosGamersNãoAssassinos (“#WeAreGamersNotMurderers”) gained popularity in Brazil.


title: Violence and video games

text: Two mass shootings occurring within a day of each other, one in El Paso, Texas and another in Dayton, Ohio, in August 2019 provoked political claims that video games were partially to blame for the incidents. U.S. President Donald Trump stated days after the shootings, "We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace". House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also blamed video games for these events, stating, "I've always felt that it's a problem for future generations and others. We've watched from studies, shown before, what it does to individuals, and you look at these photos of how it took place, you can see the actions within video games and others." News organizations and the video game industry reiterated the findings of the past, that there was no link between video games and violent behavior, and criticized politicians for putting video games to task when the issues lied within proper gun control.


title: Violence and video games

text: The Halle synagogue shooting occurred on October 9, 2019, in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, continuing in nearby Landsberg. The suspect, identified by the media as Stephan Baillet, was influenced by far-right ideology and managed to live-stream his attack on Facebook and Twitch. In the process of the attack, he managed to kill two people before being subdued by police. Given the live-streamed nature of the attack, German Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer claimed that "many of the perpetrators or the potential perpetrators come from the gaming scene" with regards to incidents like the shooting in Halle. His comments received widespread criticism from German gamers and politicians, such as SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil, who stated that "The problem is right-wing extremism, not gamers or anything else."


title: Violence and video games

text: Hours after a school shooting in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, in January 2020, the governor of that state, Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís, stated that the 11-year-old shooter was wearing a T-shirt with the legend "Natural Selection" and could have been influenced by the game. The governor's comment sparked a debate about the link between violence and video games. Erik Salazar Flores of the College of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) stated that blaming video games for violence is an "easy way out" for authorities who wish to ignore the complexity of the problem. Dalila Valenzuela, a sociologist from Autonomous University of Baja California said that video games influence children's behavior but that the parents are most directly responsible.


title: Violence and video games

text: Broadly, researchers have not found any connection between violent video games and violent behavior. The policy statement of the American Psychological Association (APA) related to video games states "Scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal or correlational connection between playing violent video games and actually committing violent activities." The APA has acknowledged that violent video games strongly correlates with aggressive behavior, as well as anti-social behavior, but distinguishes between aggression and violence. A 2015 APA review of current studies in this area described the link between violent video games and aggressive behavior as "both as an increase in negative outcomes such as aggressive behavior, cognition, and affect and as a decrease in positive outcomes such as prosocial behavior, empathy, and sensitivity to aggression." However, the APA recognized the studies tended to be disproportionate to normal demographics.


title: Violence and video games

text: Further, the APA issued a policy statement in 2017 aimed at politicians and media to urge them to avoid linking violent video games with violent crimes, reiterating the subject of their findings over the years. In a follow-up statement in 2020, the APA reaffirmed that there remains insufficient evidence to link video games to violent behavior. They had found that there was "small, reliable association between violent video game use and aggressive outcomes, such as yelling and pushing", but could not extend that to more violent activities.


title: Violence and video games

text: Christopher Ferguson, a professor at Stetson University, and a researcher on the connection between violent video games and violent behavior, he has stated that "[t]here's not evidence of a correlation, let alone a causation" between video games and violence. Ferguson's more recent studies have shown that there is no predictive behavior that can be inferred from the playing of violent video games.


title: Violence and video games

text: Theories of negative effects of video games tend to focus on players' modeling of behaviors observed in the game. These effects may be exacerbated due to the interactive nature of these games. The most well-known theory of such effects is the General Aggression Model (GAM), which proposes that playing violent video games may create cognitive scripts of aggression which will be activated in incidents in which individuals think others are acting with hostility. Playing violent video games, thus, becomes an opportunity to rehearse acts of aggression, which then become more common in real life. The "general aggression model" suggests the simulated violence of video games may influence a player's thoughts, feelings and physical arousal, affecting individuals' interpretation of others' behavior and increasing their own aggressive behavior. Some scholars have criticized the general aggression model, arguing that the model wrongly assumes that aggression is primarily learned and that the brain does not distinguish reality from fiction. Some recent studies have explicitly claimed to find evidence against the GAM.


title: Violence and video games

text: Parents can protect their children from violence used in video games by limiting game usage and privileges.


title: Violence and video games

text: Some biological theories of aggression have specifically excluded video game and other media effects because the evidence for such effects is considered weak and the impact too distant. For example, the "catalyst model" of aggression comes from a diathesis-stress perspective, implying that aggression is due to a combination of genetic risk and environmental strain. The "catalyst model" suggests that stress, coupled with antisocial personality are salient factors leading to aggression. It does allow that proximal influences such as family or peers may alter aggressiveness but not media and games.


title: Violence and video games

text: Research has focused on two elements of the effects of video games on players: the player's health measures and educational achievements as a function of game play amounts; the players' behavior or perceptions as a function of the game's violence levels; the context of the game play in terms of group dynamics; the game's structure which affects players' visual attention or three dimensional constructional skills; and the mechanics of the game which affects hand–eye coordination. Two other research methods that have been used are experimental (in a laboratory), where the different environmental factors can be controlled, and non-experimental, where those who participate in studies simply log their video gaming hours.


title: Violence and video games

text: A common theory is that playing violent video games increases aggression in young people. Various studies claim to support this hypothesis. Other studies find no link. Debate among scholars on both sides remains contentious, and there is argument about whether consensus exists regarding the effects of violent video games on aggression.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 1998, Steven Kirsh reported in the journal "Childhood" that the use of video games may lead to acquisition of a "hostile attribution bias". Fifty-five subjects were randomized to play either violent or non-violent video games. Subjects were later asked to read stories in which the characters' behaviour was ambiguous. Participants randomized to play violent video games were more likely to provide negative interpretations of the stories. Another study done by Anderson and Dill in 2000 found a correlation in undergraduate students between playing violent video games and violent crime, with the correlation stronger in aggressive male players, although other scholars have suggested that results from this study were not consistent, and that the methodology was flawed.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2001, David Satcher, the Surgeon General of the United States, said "We clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that's where the science is."


title: Violence and video games

text: A 2002 US Secret Service study of 41 individuals who had been involved in school shootings found that twelve percent were attracted to violent video games, twenty-four percent read violent books and twenty-seven percent were attracted to violent films. Some scholars have indicated that these numbers are unusually low compared to violent media consumption among non-criminal youth.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2003, a study was conducted at Iowa State University assessing pre-existing attitudes and violence in children. The study concerned children between ages 5 and 12 that were assessed for the typical amount of time they played video games per week and pre-existing empathy and attitudes towards violence. The children played a violent or non-violent video game for approximately 15 minutes. Afterwards, their pulse rates were recorded, and the children were asked how frustrating the games were on a 1-10 scale. Last, the children are given drawings (vignettes) of everyday situations, some more likely to have aggressive actions following the depiction, while others an empathetic action. Results show that there were no significant effects of video game playing in the short term, with violent video games and non-violent video games having no significant differences, indicating that children do not have decreased empathy from playing violent video games. Conversely, children who play more violent video games over a long period of time were associated with lower pre-existing empathy, and also lower scores on the empathy inducing vignettes, indicating long-term effects. It is possible that video games had not primed children for the particular aggression scenarios. This data could indicate desensitization in children can occur after long-term exposure, but not all children were affected in the same way, so the researchers deduced that some children may be at a higher risk of these negative effects. It is possible that fifteen minutes is not quite long enough to produce short-term cognitive effects.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2003, Jeanne B. Funk and her colleagues at the Department of Psychology at the University of Toledo examined the relationship between exposure to violence through media and real-life, and desensitization (reflected by loss of empathy and changes in attitudes toward violence) in fourth and fifth grade pupils. Funk found that exposure to video game violence was associated with lowered empathy and stronger proviolence attitudes.


title: Violence and video games

text: Another study from 2003, by John Colwell at the University of Westminster, found that violent video game playing was associated with reduced aggression among Japanese youth.


title: Violence and video games

text: The American Psychological Association (APA) released an official statement in 2005, which said that exposure to violent media increases feelings of hostility, thoughts about aggression, suspicions about the motives of others, and demonstrates violence as a method to deal with potential conflict situations, that comprehensive analysis of violent interactive video game research suggests such exposure increases aggressive behavior, thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal, and decreases helpful behavior, and that studies suggest that sexualized violence in the media has been linked to increases in violence towards women, rape myth acceptance and anti-women attitudes. It also states that the APA advocates reduction of all violence in videogames and interactive media marketed to children and youth, that research should be made regarding the role of social learning, sexism, negative depiction of minorities, and gender on the effects of violence in video games and interactive media on children, adolescents, and young adults, and that it engages those responsible for developing violent video games and interactive media in addressing the issue that playing violent video games may increase aggressive thoughts and aggressive behaviors in children, youth, and young adults, and that these effects may be greater than the well documented effects of exposure to violent television and movies. They also recommend to the entertainment industry that the depiction of the consequences of violent behavior be associated with negative social consequences and that they support a rating system which accurately reflects the content of video games and interactive media. The statement was updated in 2015 (see below.)


title: Violence and video games

text: Some scholars suggested that the APA's policy statement ignored discrepant research and misrepresented the scientific literature. In 2013 a group of over 230 media scholars wrote an open letter to the APA asking them to revisit and greatly amend their policy statement on video game violence, due to considering the evidence to be mixed. Signatories to the 2013 letter included psychologists Jeffrey Arnett, Randy Borum, David Buss, David Canter, Lorenza Colzato, M. Brent Donnellan, Dorothy Espelage, Frank Farley, Christopher Ferguson, Peter Gray, Mark D. Griffiths, Jessica Hammer, Mizuko Ito, James C. Kaufman, Dana Klisanin, Catherine McBride-Chang, Jean Mercer, Hal Pashler, Steven Pinker, Richard M. Ryan, Todd K. Shackelford, Daniel Simons, Ian Spence, and Dean Simonton, criminologists Kevin Beaver, James Alan Fox, Roger J.R. Levesque, and Mike A. Males, game design researchers Bob De Schutter and Kurt Squire, communications scholar Thorsten Quandt, and science writer Richard Rhodes.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2005, a study by Bruce D. Bartholow and colleagues at the University of Missouri, University of Michigan, Vrije Universiteit, and University of North Carolina using event related potential linked video game violence exposure to brain processes hypothetically reflecting desensitization. The authors suggested that chronic exposure to violent video games have lasting harmful effects on brain function and behavior.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2005, a study at Iowa State University, the University of Michigan, and Vrije Universiteit by Nicholas L. Carnagey and colleagues found that participants who had previously played a violent video game had lower heart rate and galvanic skin response while viewing filmed real violence, demonstrating a physiological desensitization to violence.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2007, a study at the Swinburne University of Technology found that children had variable reactions to violent games, with some kids becoming more aggressive, some becoming less aggressive, but the majority showing no changes in behavior.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2008, a longitudinal study conducted in Japan assessed possible long-term effects of video game playing in children. The final analysis consisted of 591 fifth graders aged 10–11 across eight public elementary schools, and was conducted over the course of a year. Initially, children were asked to complete a survey which assessed presence or absence of violence in the children's favorite video games, as well as video game context variables that may affect the results and the aggression levels of the children. Children were assessed again for these variables a year later. Results reveal that there is a significant difference in gender, with boys showing significantly more aggressive behavior and anger than girls, which was attributed by the authors to boys elevated interest in violent video games. However the interaction between time spent gaming and preference for violent games was associated with reduced aggression in boys but not girls. The researchers also found that eight context variables they assessed increased aggression, including unjustified violence, availability of weapons, and rewards. Three context variables, role-playing, extent of violence, and humor, were associated with decreased aggression. It is unknown if the observed changes from the two surveys are actually contextual effects. The researchers found that the context and quality of the violence in video games affects children more than simply presence and amount of violence, and these effects are different from child to child.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2008 the Pew Internet and American Life Project statistically examined the impact of video gaming on youths' social and communal behaviors. Teens who had communal gaming experiences reported much higher levels of civic and political engagement than teens who had not had these kinds of experiences. Youth who took part in social interaction related to the game, such as commenting on websites or contributing to discussion boards, were more engaged communally and politically. Among teens who play games, 63% reported seeing or hearing "people being mean and overly aggressive while playing," 49% reported seeing or hearing "people being hateful, racist or sexist while playing", and 78% reported witnessing "people being generous or helpful while playing".


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2009, a report of three studies conducted among students of different age groups in Singapore, Japan, and the United States, found that prosocial mostly nonviolent games increased helpful prosocial behaviour among the participants.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2010, Patrick and Charlotte Markey suggested that violent video games only caused aggressive feelings in individuals who had a preexisting disposition, such as high neuroticism, low agreeableness, or low conscientiousness.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2010, after a review of the effects of violent video games, the Attorney General's Office of Australia reported that even though the Anderson meta-analysis of 2010 was the pinnacle of the scientific debate at that time, significant harm from violent video games had not been persuasively proven or disproven, except that there was some consensus that they might be harmful to people with aggressive or psychotic personality traits.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2010, researchers Paul Adachi and Teena Willoughby at Brock University critiqued experimental video game studies on both sides of the debate, noting that experimental studies often confounded violent content with other variables such as competitiveness. In a follow up study, the authors found that competitiveness but not violent content was associated with aggression.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2011, a thirty-year study of 14,000 college students, published by the University of Michigan which measured overall empathy levels in students, found that these had dropped by 40% since the 1980s. The biggest drop came after the year 2000, which the authors speculated was due to multiple factors, including increased societal emphasis on selfishness, changes in parenting practices, increased isolation due to time spent with information technology, and greater immersion in all forms of violent and/or narcissistic media including, but not limited to, news, television and video games. The authors did not provide data on media effects, but referenced various research of the topics.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2011, in a longitudinal study of youth in Germany, von Salisch found that aggressive children tend to select more violent video games. This study found no evidence that violent games caused aggression in minors. The author speculated that other studies may have been affected by "single responder bias" due to self-reporting of aggression rather than reporting by parents or teachers.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2012 a Swedish study examined the cooperative behavior of players in "The Lord of the Rings Online". The authors argued that attempts to link collaborative or aggressive behavior within the game to real life behavior would rely on unwarranted assumptions regarding equivalencies of forms of cooperation and the material conditions of the environment in-game and out-of-game.


title: Violence and video games

text: One study from Morgan Tear and Mark Nielsen in 2013 concluded that violent video games did not reduce or increase prosocial behavior, failing to replicated previous studies in this area.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2013, Isabela Granic and colleagues at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, argued that even violent video games may promote learning, health, and social skills, but that not enough games had been developed to treat mental health problems. Granic et al. noted that both camps have valid points, and a more balanced perspective and complex picture is necessary.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2014, Ferguson and Olson found no correlation between video game violence and bullying or delinquency in children with preexisting attention deficit disorder or depressive symptoms.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2014, Villanova professor Patrick M. Markey conducted a study with 118 teenagers suggesting that video games have no influence on increased aggression of users; however, he did find that when used for the right amount of time (roughly 1 hour) video games can make children nicer and more socially interactive. This information was provided by the teens teachers at their local schools.


title: Violence and video games

text: A 2014 study by Andrew Przybylski at Oxford University examined the impact of violent content and frustration on hostility among video game players. In a series of experiments, Przybylski and colleagues demonstrated that frustration, but not violent content, increased player hostility. The authors also demonstrated that some previous "classic" violent video game experiments were difficult to replicate.


title: Violence and video games

text: One longitudinal study from 2014 suggested that violent video games were associated with very small increases in risk taking behavior over time.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2015, the American Psychological Association released a review that found that violent video games caused aggressive behavior, with Mark Appelbaum, the chair of the task force that conducted the review, saying that "the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field." However, Appelbaum also characterized the size of the correlation as "not very big". The same review found insufficient evidence of a link between such video games and crime or delinquency. Critics, including Peter Gray and Christopher Ferguson, expressed concerns about methodological limitations of the review. Ferguson stated that "I think (the task force members) were selected because their opinions were pretty clear going in." At least four of the seven task force members had previously expressed opinions on the topic; critics argued this alone constitutes a conflict of interest, while a task force member defended that "If it were common practice to exclude all scientists after they render one conclusion, the field would be void of qualified experts".


title: Violence and video games

text: A 2015 study examined the impact of violent video games on young adults players with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study found no evidence for an impact of playing such games on aggression among ASD players. These results appeared to contradict concerns following the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, that individuals with ASD or other mental conditions might be particularly susceptible to violent video game effects.


title: Violence and video games

text: One study from 2016 suggested that "sexist" games (using games from the "Grand Theft Auto" series as exemplars) may reduce empathy toward women. Although no direct game effect was found, the authors argued that an interaction between game condition, masculine role norms, gender and avatar identification produced enough evidence to claim causal effects. Comments by other scholars on this study reflect some concerns over the methodology including a possible failure of the randomization to game conditions (see comments tab).


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2016, a preregistered study of violent video game effects concluded that violent video games did not influence aggression in players. The preregistered nature of the study removed the potential for the scholars to "nudge" the results of the study in favor of the hypothesis and suggests that preregistration of future studies may help clarify results in the field.


title: Violence and video games

text: Because the results of individual studies have often reached different conclusions, debate has often shifted to the use of meta-analysis. This method attempts to average across individual studies, determine whether there is some effect on average, and test possible explanations for differences between study results.


title: Violence and video games

text: A number of meta-analyses have been conducted, at times reaching different conclusions. A 2001 meta-analysis reviewing the relationship between video game violence and aggression in teenagers (n = 3,033) found a significant and positive correlation, indicating that high video game violence does lead to greater aggression among teenagers.


title: Violence and video games

text: Another meta-analysis conducted the same year by John Sherry was more skeptical of effects, specifically questioning whether the interactivity of video games made them have more effect than other media. Sherry later published another meta-analysis in 2007, again concluding that the influence of video game violence on aggression was minimal. Sherry also criticized the observed dose-response curve, reporting that smaller effects were found in experimental studies with longer exposure times, where one might expect greater exposure to cause greater effects.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2010, Anderson's group published a meta-analysis of one hundred and thirty international studies with over 130,000 participants. He reported that exposure to violent video games caused both short-term and long-term aggression in players and decreased empathy and pro-social behavior. However, other scholars criticized this meta-analysis for excluding non-significant studies and for other methodological flaws. Anderson's group have defended their analysis, rejecting these critiques. Rowell Huesmann, a psychology and social studies academic at the University of Michigan wrote an editorial supporting the Anderson meta-analysis. A later re-analysis of the Anderson meta-analysis suggested that there was greater publication bias among experiments than Anderson and colleagues had accounted for. This indicated that the effects observed in laboratory experiments may have been smaller than estimated and perhaps not statistically significant. A reply by Anderson and colleagues acknowledged that there was publication bias among experiments, but disagreed that the degree of bias was large enough to bring the effect into question.


title: Violence and video games

text: A 2015 meta-analysis of video game effects suggested that video games, including violent games, had minimal impact on children's behavior including violence, prosocial behavior and mental health. The journal included a debate section on this meta-analysis including scholars who were both supportive and critical of this meta-analysis. The original author also responded to these comments, arguing that few coherent methodological critiques had been raised. In 2016, Kanamori and Doi replicated the original "Angry Birds" meta-analysis and concluded that critiques of the original meta were largely unwarranted.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2018, a meta-analysis of the relationship between violent video game play and physical aggression over time found that "violent video game play is positively associated with aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect, as well as negatively associated with empathy for victims of violence and with prosocial behavior".


title: Violence and video games

text: A 2020 meta-analysis of long-term outcome studies concluded that evidence did not support links between earlier playing of violent games and later aggression. The authors found an overall correlation of , and stated that better quality studies were less likely to find evidence for effects than poorer quality studies.


title: Violence and video games

text: Some scholars worry there may be an effect of violent video games on brain activity, although such concerns are highly contentious. Some scientists have attempted to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to study this hypothesis. Some studies suggested that participants who engaged with VVGs displayed increases in the functioning of their amygdala and decreases in the functioning of their frontal lobe. Some scholars argue that the effect on the frontal lobe may be similar to the deactivation seen in disruptive behavior disorders. However, potential funding conflicts of interest have been noted for some of these studies. During the Brown Vs. EMA legal case, it was noted that the studies conducted by Kronenberger were openly funded by "The Center for Successful Parenting", which may mean a conflict of interest.


title: Violence and video games

text: Further, other studies have failed to find a link between violent games and diminished brain function. For example, an fMRI study by Regenbogen and colleagues suggested VVGs do not diminish the ability to differentiate between real and virtual violence. Another study from 2016 using fMRI found no evidence that VVGs led to a desensitization effect in players. In a recent BBC interview, Dr. Simone Kuhn explained that the brain effects seen in prior fMRI studies likely indicated that players were simply able to distinguish between reality and fiction and modulate their emotional reaction accordingly, not becoming desensitized.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2008, records held by the US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Office of Justice Programs indicated that arrests for violent crime in the US had decreased since the early 1990s in both children and adults. This decrease occurred contemporaneously with increasing sales of violent video games and increases in graphically violent content in those games.


title: Violence and video games

text: Studies of violent video game playing and crime have generally not supported the existence of causal links. Evidence from studies of juveniles as well as criminal offenders has generally not uncovered evidence for links. Some studies have suggested that violent video game playing may be associated with reductions in some types of aggression, such as bullying.


title: Violence and video games

text: Studies of mass shootings have, likewise, provided no evidence for links with violent video games. A 2002 report from the US Secret Service found that school shooters appeared to consume relatively low levels of violent media. Some criminologists have specifically referred to claims linking violent video games to mass shootings as a "myth".


title: Violence and video games

text: Some studies have examined the consumption of violent video games in society and violent crime rates. Generally, it is acknowledged that societal violent video game consumption has been associated with over an 80% reduction in youth violence in the US during the corresponding period. However, scholars note that, while this data is problematic for arguments that violent video games increase crime, such data is correlational and can't be used to conclude video games have caused this decline in crime.


title: Violence and video games

text: Other studies have examined data on violent video games and crime trends more closely and have come to the conclusion that the release of very popular violent video games are causally associated with corresponding declines in violent crime in the short term. A 2011 study by the Center for European Economic Research found that violent video games may be reducing crime. This is possibly because the time spent playing games reduces time spent engaged in more antisocial activities. Other recent studies by Patrick Markey and Scott Cunningham have come to similar conclusions.


title: Violence and video games

text: In the early 1980s, Ronnie Lamm, the president of the Long Island PTA sought legislation to govern the proximity of video game arcades to schools. In the 1990s, Joe Lieberman, a US Senator, chaired a hearing about violent video games such as "Mortal Kombat". David Grossman, a former West Point psychology lecturer and lieutenant colonel, wrote books about violence in the media including: "" (1996) and "Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill" (1999). He described first-person shooter games as "murder simulators", and argued that video game publishers unethically train children in the use of weapons and harden them emotionally towards commitments of murder by simulating the killing of hundreds or thousands of opponents in a single typical video game.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2008, in "Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do", Kutner and Olsen refuted claims that violent video games cause an increase in violent behavior in children. They report there is a scientifically non-significant trend showing that adolescents who do not play video games at all are most at risk for violent behavior and video game play is part of an adolescent boy's normal social setting. However, the authors did not completely deny the negative influences of violent (M-rated) video games on pre-teens and teenagers: Kutner and Olson suggested the views of alarmists and those of representatives of the video game industry are often supported by flawed or misconstrued studies and that the factors leading to violence in children and adolescents were more subtle than whether or not they played violent video games.


title: Violence and video games

text: In 2013, Corey Mead, a professor of English at Baruch College, wrote about how the U.S. military financed the original development of video games, and has long used them for both training, recruitment purposes, and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. He also argues that the two industries are currently intertwined into each other in a "military-entertainment complex". Writing in 2013, scholars James Ivory and Malte Elson noted that, although research on video game effects remained inconclusive, the culture of the academic field itself had become very contentious and that politicians had put pressure on scientists to produce specific research findings. The authors concluded it is improper for scholars or legislators to, at present, portray video games as a public health crisis. Research by Oxford psychologist Andrew Przybylski has shown that Americans are split in opinion on how video game violence links to gun violence. Przybylski found that older people, women rather than men, people who knew less about games and who were very conservative in ideology were most likely to think video games could cause gun violence.


title: Violence and video games

text: Several groups address video game violence as a topic that they focus on. Groups such as Parents Against Violence, Parents Against Media Violence and One Million Moms take stances aimed at limiting the violence in video games and other media. Groups such as the Entertainment Software Association seek to refute their claims.


title: Violence and video games

text: Video games, particularly violent ones, are often mentioned as a cause for major gun crimes in the wake of school shooting by young adults. For example, Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old shooter at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, was found to have numerous video games in his possession, leading for some people to blame video games for the shooting; however, the State Attorney did not link video game to the event in their final report of the incident, though identified that video game addiction may have been connected. In February 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida, President Donald Trump, among others, said "the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people's thoughts". Rhode Island state representative Robert Nardolillo also proposed legislation to tax violent video games (those rated "Mature" or higher by the ESRB) to use funds for supporting mental health programs in the state.


title: Violence and video games

text: Following the Stoneman Douglas shooting event, President Trump arranged to meet with several video game industry professionals on March 8, 2018; in attendance beyond Trump and other Congressmen included Mike Gallagher, the president and CEO of the ESA; Pat Vance, the president of the ESRB; Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take Two Interactive, Robert Altman, CEO of ZeniMax Media; Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center; and Melissa Hanson, program manager for the Parents Television Council. The meeting was not designed to come to a solution but only for the invited parties to present their stance on video games and their relationship to violent activity as to try to determine appropriate steps in the future. At the start of the meeting, the President showed the attendees a short 88-second video of numerous violent video game segments put together by his staff, including the infamous "No Russian" level from "", which featured the player watching and potentially participating in a massacre of civilians in an airport.


title: Violence and video games

text: The White House later released the video to YouTube, where it quickly became popular due to the controversy over the relationship between video games and real-life violence; despite being unlisted shortly after being uploaded, it has reached a 2.7 thousand to 93 thousand like-to-dislike ratio as of April 5, 2018. The video is still accessible via URL, and media outlets like IGN included links to the original in their responses to the matter. Games for Change made an 88-second video of their own, composed of video game segments and cutscenes more cinematic and emotional in nature; their video has received upwards of 463,000 views as of April 5, 2018, as well as a 13 thousand to 203 like-to-dislike ratio.


title: Violence and video games

text: In the description of the video, they said,"After seeing that the White House produced a video depicting video games as ultra-violent, we felt compelled to share a different view of games. Video games, their innovative creators and the vast community of players are so much more than what is depicted in the White House's video. We wanted to create our own version, at the same length, to challenge the White House's misdirected blame being placed upon video games. To all you game developers and players who create and enjoy games – this is for you! #GAMEON"


title: Violence and video games

text: Video games are rated in Australia by the Australian Classification Board (ACB), run out of the federal Attorney-General's Department. ACB also oversees ratings on films and applies the same ratings system as to video games. Broadly, the ratings system is based on a number of factors including violence. The ACB can refuse to classify a film or game if they felt the content was beyond allowable guidelines for the strictest ratings. Titles refused classification by ACB are thus illegal to sell within Australia and assess fines fort those that attempted to import such games, while allowing titles with more mature ratings to be sold under regulated practices. Prior to 2011, video games could only qualify up to a "MA15+" rating, and not the next highest tier of "R18+" which were allowed for film. Several high-profile games thus were banned in Australia. The ACB agreed to allow video games to have R18+ ratings in 2011, and some of these games that were previously banned were subsequently allowed under R18+.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the film of the same name composed, orchestrated, and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released by Sony Classical/Sony Music Soundtrax on November 18, 1997.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Riding the wave of the film's immense success, the soundtrack shot to the top of the charts in nearly two-dozen territories, selling over 27 million copies, making it one of the top 100 best-selling albums in the United States. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, and the highest-selling primarily orchestral soundtrack ever.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: In 2012, the album, along with its successor "Back to Titanic" (1998), was re-issued as part of the "Collector's Anniversary Edition" set for the 3D re-release of the film. In 2017, La-La Land Records released the "20th Anniversary Edition" in a limited edition 4-disc release.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Director James Cameron originally intended Enya to compose the music, and in fact put together a rough edit of the film using her music as a temporary soundtrack. After she declined, he approached James Horner. Their relationship was strained after their first collaboration in "Aliens", but the soundtrack of "Braveheart" made Cameron overlook it. Horner composed the soundtrack having in mind Enya's style; Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø performed the wordless vocals on the soundtrack.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Horner knew Sissel from the album "Innerst i sjelen" and he particularly liked how she sang the song "Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg" ("I Know in Heaven There Is a Castle"). Horner had tried 25 or 30 singers and, in the end, he chose Sissel to sing the wordless tune.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Céline Dion, who was no stranger to movie songs in the 1990s, since her contribution to Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast, sang "My Heart Will Go On", the film's signature song written by James Horner and Will Jennings. At first, Cameron did not want a song sung over the film's ending credits, but Horner disagreed. Without telling Cameron, he went ahead and wrote the song anyway, and recorded Dion singing it. Cameron changed his mind when Horner presented the song to him. "My Heart Will Go On" became a worldwide smash hit, going to the top of the music charts around the world. "My Heart Will Go On" also ended up winning the 1997 Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1998.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Other artists were invited to submit songs for the movie including contemporary Christian artist Michael W. Smith. He mentions in the liner notes to the song "In My Arms Again" from his 1998 album "Live the Life"; "Inspired and written for the movie "Titanic", grateful for the opportunity to send them a song; grateful it landed on this record."


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: For the choral background of certain tracks, Horner made use of a digital choir instead of a real one; after the orchestral music was recorded, Horner personally performed the synthesized choir over a playback of the recording. The idea behind using electronics, rather than a real choir, stemmed from Horner wanting to avoid a 'church'-like sound.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: Throughout the film, the composer created themes for particular characters, events, locations, and ideas.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: "Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture" became the highest-selling primarily orchestral film score in history, with worldwide sales surpassing 30 million copies. The soundtrack quickly moved up the US "Billboard" 200, going from number eleven to number one on the chart in January 1998, keeping Shania Twain's "Come On Over" and Madonna's "Ray of Light" from reaching the top spot. It remained at the top for sixteen straight weeks until it was replaced by the Dave Matthews Band album "Before These Crowded Streets". No album would spend at least ten consecutive weeks at number-one until Adele's "21" in the winter of 2012. The soundtrack has been certified 11× Platinum for 11 million copies shipped in the United States, becoming the best-selling album of 1998, and the fastest-certified soundtrack album ever.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: The soundtrack also hit number-one in at least 14 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The soundtrack was certified 5× Platinum by the ARIA in Australia for 350,000 copies shipped. It was certified 3× Platinum in the United Kingdom for over 900,000 copies shipped; and was certified diamond by the CRIA in Canada for 1 million copies shipped. The soundtrack is the best-selling non-Chinese CD album in Taiwan, selling 1.1 million copies.


title: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture

text: The soundtrack's success led to the release of a second volume, called "Back to Titanic" which contained a mixture of previously unreleased soundtrack recordings and newly recorded performances of some of the songs in the film, including one track recorded by Clannad (of which Enya is an ex-member) singer, Máire Brennan. "Back to Titanic" was certified platinum by the RIAA.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: The Jeep Liberty is a four door unibody compact SUV four-door manufactured and marketed by Jeep for model years 2002–2012 over two generations, internally designed the KJ (2002-2007) and KK (2008-2012), respectively. Both generations were marketed globally, including as the Jeep Cherokee outside North America.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: Introduced as a replacement for the Cherokee (XJ), the Liberty was priced between the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee and was the smallest of the 4-door Jeep SUVs until the car based 4-door Compass and Patriot arrived for 2007. Both generations were assembled at the Toledo North Assembly Plant in the United States and other countries including Egypt and Venezuela. The KK generation was manufactured alongside the closely related Dodge Nitro. Production ended in August, 2012.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: Inspired by styling from the "Dakar" and "Jeepster" concept vehicles, the Liberty replaced the discontinued Jeep Cherokee.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: The Liberty was the first Jeep vehicle to use rack and pinion steering, and was the first Jeep to use the two then-new "PowerTech" engines; the 2.4 L straight-4, which was discontinued in 2006, and the 3.7 L V6, as well as a short-lived 2.8 L VM Motori turbo diesel (2005-2006 only). The Liberty was also the first Jeep vehicle to use an independent front suspension since the 1963-1965 Jeep Wagoneer.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: Three trim levels were initially offered; "Limited", "Renegade" and the base "Sport". All were made available with either 2WD or 4WD. In 2005, all models received a minor facelift. The 2005, 2006 "Renegade" and 2005 "Rocky Mountain Edition" Liberties received an exclusive flat hood and taller grille. In 2007, the "Renegade" trim level was replaced with the "Latitude" and lost the "Renegade" trim's unique hood and grill. The Liberty was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2002, though safety recalls persisted.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: The Jeep Liberty received a complete redesign for the 2008 model year and was marketed along with the closely related Dodge Nitro. The 2008 Liberty debuted at the 2007 New York International Auto Show.


title: Jeep Liberty

text: With the smaller Patriot and Compass crossover SUVs now available to cater to economy conscious buyers, the four-cylinder engine was dropped from the Liberty's offerings. The iron-block, aluminum-head V6 was the only engine available for 2008. Towing capacity was . Jeep discontinued the Liberty CRD for the American market because it could not meet tougher 2007 emissions standards for diesel engines. Transmission choices were both carry-overs: a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Standard equipment included electronic stability control with roll mitigation, traction control, and anti-lock brakes with brake assist. Jeep offered a rare 2WD version on the "Jet" model. New Features included standard side airbags. Optional features are rain-sensing wipers, Sirius Satellite Radio, Bluetooth, a navigation system, and the MyGig entertainment system complete with a 30GB hard drive.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Joseph Francis Alaskey III (April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016) was an American actor, voice actor, broadcaster, impressionist and stand-up comedian.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Alaskey was one of Mel Blanc's successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his death. He alternated with Jeff Bergman, Greg Burson, Bob Bergen, and Billy West in voicing Warner Bros. cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote and Taz, among many others. He also voiced Plucky Duck on "Tiny Toon Adventures" from 1990 to 1995. Alaskey was the second actor to voice Grandpa Lou Pickles on the Nickelodeon cartoon "Rugrats" (taking over after David Doyle's death in 1997). He voiced Lou again in the "Rugrats" spin-off series "All Grown Up!".


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Alaskey was born in Troy, New York, on April 17, 1952 to Joseph Francis Alaskey Jr. and Domenica "Dorothy" De Sorrento De Luca Alaskey. At age 3, he was looking for a pair of sunglasses or people's cigar butts so that he could portray different characters. Alaskey was interested in archeology at the age of ten. After archeology, he was interested in becoming a priest and an English teacher. Alaskey moved to New York City in the 1970s, where he worked in insurance while preparing to become an actor.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: After moving to New York City, Alaskey began his show business career as a stand-up comedian and broadcaster. He was occasionally seen onscreen impersonating Jackie Gleason, with whom he shared a physical resemblance. In the 1980s, Gleason personally chose Alaskey to re-record selected dialogue from the "lost episodes" of "The Honeymooners" found in Gleason's private collection. After Gleason died in 1987, the project was shelved. In 1985, Alaskey provided various voices for "Galtar and the Golden Lance". Alaskey was in several television shows including "Night Court", "Head of the Class", "Back to the Future", and "Spitting Image: The 1987 Movie Awards". His first major film was "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as Yosemite Sam. Alaskey provided a vocal Gleason impersonation in the "Mighty's Wedlock Whimsy" episode of Bakshi-Hyde Ventures' "" in 1988, and a Cary Grant impersonation in "The Bride of Mighty Mouse" episode from the same season.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Although best known for his ability to successfully impersonate "Looney Tunes" characters, Alaskey did voice work for non-Warner Bros. characters as well. He has voiced Grandpa Lou Pickles on "Rugrats" (inheriting the role after David Doyle's death in 1997). He voiced Lou again in the "Rugrats" spin-off series, "All Grown Up!". He also created the voice of Thomas Timberwolf for the internet series "TimberWolf", created by animation legend Chuck Jones. He was heard briefly as a voice-over announcer for the Toon Disney channel (and sometimes Dcom extras on Disney Channel). He was the voice of Curt Connors in the "Spider-Man 2 video game" and Doctor Octopus in "". Alaskey was in the independent film "The Legend of Sasquatch" and voiced Mermaid Man in the video games "" and "". He voiced Stinkie in "Casper" as well as that film's 1996 animated spin-off, "The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper". Alaskey played Beano Froelich in "Out of This World" but left the show early in its final season, making only infrequent appearances in a few episodes. In the 1980s, he worked as the original announcer on the short-lived game show "Couch Potatoes", hosted by Marc Summers. Alaskey made several onscreen appearances, portraying the show's "next door neighbor". For the show's final weeks, he was replaced by Jim McKrell and the "next door neighbor" concept was dropped. During this time, he was also a panelist on "The New Hollywood Squares", hosted by John Davidson.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: In 2003, he took over the roles of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the film "". He also, at times, provided the voices for Sylvester, Tweety, and other Looney Tunes characters. Alaskey was the primary voice for Plucky Duck on "Tiny Toon Adventures".


title: Joe Alaskey

text: In 2008, Alaskey participated in a unique interview conducted by Logan Leistikow and released by TheYellowMic.com. He answered questions and told his story, then went out onto Hollywood Boulevard and talked to people on the street who wanted to hear his famous voices. This was the first time Alaskey had performed in public in this manner.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: In 2014, Alaskey started narrating the television documentary series "Murder Comes to Town", which airs on the Investigation Discovery Network.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Alaskey's only leading role in a live-action film was as lovable loser Ron Douglas in the black comedy "Lucky Stiff", directed by Anthony Perkins and co-starring Donna Dixon and Jeff Kober.


title: Joe Alaskey

text: Alaskey died in Green Island, New York, from cancer on February 3, 2016, at the age of 63. Five days later, his wake was held at St Patricks Cemetery in Watervliet.


title: Google Fiber

text: Google Fiber is part of the Access division of Alphabet Inc. It provides fiber-to-the-premises service in the United States, providing broadband Internet and IPTV to a small and slowly increasing number of locations. In mid-2016, Google Fiber had 68,715 television subscribers and was estimated to have about 453,000 broadband customers.


title: Google Fiber

text: The service was first introduced to the Kansas City metropolitan area, including twenty Kansas City area suburbs within the first three years. Initially proposed as an experimental project, Google Fiber was announced as a viable business model in December 2012, when Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt stated "It's actually not an experiment, we're actually running it as a business", at "The New York Times" DealBook Conference.


title: Google Fiber

text: Google Fiber announced expansion to Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, in April 2013, and subsequent expansions in 2014 and 2015 to Atlanta, Charlotte, the Triangle, Nashville, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio.


title: Google Fiber

text: In August 2015, Google announced its intention to restructure the company, moving less central services and products into a new umbrella corporation, Alphabet Inc. As part of this restructuring plan, Google Fiber would become a subsidiary of Alphabet and may become part of the Access and Energy business unit.


title: Google Fiber

text: In October 2016, all expansion plans were put on hold and some jobs were cut. Google Fiber said it would continue to provide service in the cities where it is already installed.'


title: Google Fiber

text: In March 2022, Google Fiber announced it would bring high speed internet to the Des Moines, Iowa, metro area, making it the first expansion in five years.


title: Google Fiber

text: In August 2022, Google Fiber announced it would expand into 22 metro areas in five states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, and Nevada), including previously announced expansions into Mesa, Arizona, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, based on where it felt speeds were lagging. It also announced additional investment in North Carolina. "CNET" characterized this an example of fast fiber winning the broadband wars.


title: Google Fiber

text: Google Fiber offers five options, depending on location: a free Internet option, a 100 M bit/s option, a 1 G bit/s Internet option, and an option including television service (in addition to the 1 Gbit/s Internet) and an option for home phone. The Gigabit Internet service includes one terabyte of Google Drive service and the television service includes a two-terabyte DVR in addition to the Google Drive. The DVR can record up to eight live television shows simultaneously. In addition, television service will stream live program content on iPad and Android tablet computers.


title: Google Fiber

text: Google also offers free Google Fiber Internet connectivity in each of its markets to select public and affordable housing properties.


title: Google Fiber

text: In February 2020, Google Fiber stopped offering TV service directly to new customers. Instead, during the sign-up process for Google Fiber, customers are presented with promotions for three virtual MVPD services: sister company YouTube TV, as well as FuboTV and (later) Philo. TV service was maintained for existing clients until early 2022.


title: Google Fiber

text: In order to avoid underground cabling complexity for the last mile, Google Fiber relies on aggregators dubbed "Google Fiber Huts".


title: Google Fiber

text: From these Google Fiber Huts, the fiber cables travel along utility poles into neighborhoods and homes, and stop at a "Fiber Jack" (an Optical Network Terminal or ONT) in each home.


title: Google Fiber

text: The estimated cost of wiring a fiber network like Google Fiber into a major American city is $1 billion.


title: Google Fiber

text: The initial location was chosen following a competitive selection process. Over 1,100 communities applied to be the first recipient of the service. Google originally stated that they would announce the winner or winners by the end of 2010; however, in mid-December, Google pushed back the announcement to "early 2011" due to the number of applications.


title: Google Fiber

text: The request form was simple, and, some have argued, too straightforward. This led to various attention-getting behaviors by those hoping to have their town selected. Some examples are given below:


title: Google Fiber

text: In 2011, Google launched a trial in a residential community of Palo Alto, California. On March 30 of the same year, Kansas City, Kansas, was selected as the first city to receive Google Fiber. In 2013, Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, were announced as expansion cities for Google Fiber on April 9 and 17 respectively.