Smoking in games: Bad influence or just a fact of life?

I don't know whether it has a negative impact or not, but I do think that if it's a way to give a game the certain feel that the creators want it to have, then it's fine. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand people smoking anywhere near me. My campus went smoke free this summer, but people still smoke wherever the hell they want. There's nothing I hate more than my nice walk down the street getting ruined by a cloud of smoke. Sorry, I'm ranting. I guess to answer the topic question: fact of life.michellez

Agreed. Like in the Metal Gear Solid games, I feel like they try to capture the true essence of a battle hardened spy, and it seems like that would almost come with the territory. Military personnel have always been notorious smokers, since the days of WW2 where they would ration them out.

Exactly. If they're going to censor smoking because it's a bad influence, they would have to censor killing, too!michellez

That's a fact.

I can't stand smokers either, but in the end, it is just the fact of life. People smoke. And hey, you have to admit, a cigarette between the character's lips just makes him cool, eh?

I don't think that gives a 'negative impact'. Nobody thinks that 'oh hey, that guy in the game smokes, I smoke too.'

I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.jubino

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

[QUOTE="jubino"]I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.PlaWeird

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

I think there are more people ready to blame games for things than there are people who actually learn bad habits in games. It's a tale as old as time. A kid hops in his mom's car and hits a pedestrian, and suddenly there's a public outcry for GTA to be pulled off the shelves. I don't know that this actually happened, but it could. People just don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Just like the McD's lawsuits.

[QUOTE="PlaWeird"]

[QUOTE="jubino"]I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.jubino

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

I think there are more people ready to blame games for things than there are people who actually learn bad habits in games. It's a tale as old as time. A kid hops in his mom's car and hits a pedestrian, and suddenly there's a public outcry for GTA to be pulled off the shelves. I don't know that this actually happened, but it could. People just don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Just like the McD's lawsuits.

You're totally right. People don't want to take responsibility. And for those people that actually see a video game character smoking and need to run out and buy a pack, well those people have much more serious issues than just the smoking.

[QUOTE="jubino"][QUOTE="PlaWeird"]

[QUOTE="jubino"]I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.michellez

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

I think there are more people ready to blame games for things than there are people who actually learn bad habits in games. It's a tale as old as time. A kid hops in his mom's car and hits a pedestrian, and suddenly there's a public outcry for GTA to be pulled off the shelves. I don't know that this actually happened, but it could. People just don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Just like the McD's lawsuits.

You're totally right. People don't want to take responsibility. And for those people that actually see a video game character smoking and need to run out and buy a pack, well those people have much more serious issues than just the smoking.

Yeah, maybe that's that natural selection thing I've always heard so much about :P

[QUOTE="michellez"][QUOTE="jubino"][QUOTE="PlaWeird"]

[QUOTE="jubino"]I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.jubino

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

I think there are more people ready to blame games for things than there are people who actually learn bad habits in games. It's a tale as old as time. A kid hops in his mom's car and hits a pedestrian, and suddenly there's a public outcry for GTA to be pulled off the shelves. I don't know that this actually happened, but it could. People just don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Just like the McD's lawsuits.

You're totally right. People don't want to take responsibility. And for those people that actually see a video game character smoking and need to run out and buy a pack, well those people have much more serious issues than just the smoking.

Yeah, maybe that's that natural selection thing I've always heard so much about :P

I bet so!

It really depends on what they're smoking. Tobacco is an awful toxic plant that should not be smoked by civilized people.

Thankfully there are other smokable plants that are much more worthy of being 'put in my pipe'.

It really depends on what they're smoking. Tobacco is an awful toxic plant that should not be smoked by civilized people.

Thankfully there are other smokable plants that are much more worthy of being 'put in my pipe'.

Ectomy

Care to share? :)

Grim Fandango had a ton so much in the manual hadto apologise on the amount of smoking in the game.

drugs, alcohol, smoking, piercings, tatoo's are all stupid things you can do to prove to everyone else that your not afraid to do stupid things and that your "fun" or "tough". I think if you have to do crap like that to make friends then you are a weak minded loser who probably isnt interesting enough or intelligent enough to have friends otherwise.

[QUOTE="jubino"][QUOTE="michellez"][QUOTE="jubino"][QUOTE="PlaWeird"]

[QUOTE="jubino"]I smoke every now and again, but I've never played MGS and said "I could really use one right now." It's kind of a different story for some people though. There are some weaker willed people who might look at Snake and say "man he looks cool with his smoking and whatnot, maybe I'll try", but those people are very few and far between.michellez

Well, hopefully there is only a few...

I think there are more people ready to blame games for things than there are people who actually learn bad habits in games. It's a tale as old as time. A kid hops in his mom's car and hits a pedestrian, and suddenly there's a public outcry for GTA to be pulled off the shelves. I don't know that this actually happened, but it could. People just don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Just like the McD's lawsuits.

You're totally right. People don't want to take responsibility. And for those people that actually see a video game character smoking and need to run out and buy a pack, well those people have much more serious issues than just the smoking.

Yeah, maybe that's that natural selection thing I've always heard so much about :P

I bet so!

Yeah. And what comes to those McD's lawsuits, I heard that there have been something going on with some of the 'less-fat' products too...

I bet that soon alcoholics will start blaming the beer companies for ruining their lives or something like that....

Yeah I dislike smoking as much as the next person. Seeing it in games, movies etc. to me just means that its a part of everyday life. As much as I dislike it, its another one of those things that is just all over the place. Thankfully in the US at least more and more places are becoming smoke free zones, restaurants, bars etc. And that makes me happy. :)Zarden

It's fine as long as the developers don't try to convince the people to smoke. The ESRB has already started to rate games higher just because of smoking. If an adult is going to smoke then let them be. You can't stop them. They have free will.GamerBoy53

Smoke. Smoke. ARE YOU SMOKING YET!!!!!

[QUOTE="GamerBoy53"]It's fine as long as the developers don't try to convince the people to smoke. The ESRB has already started to rate games higher just because of smoking. If an adult is going to smoke then let them be. You can't stop them. They have free will.gunswordfist

Smoke. Smoke. ARE YOU SMOKING YET!!!!!

Nice! That's an old episode, but that part was hilarious! Didn't they do that during Lassie?

[QUOTE="gunswordfist"]

[QUOTE="GamerBoy53"]It's fine as long as the developers don't try to convince the people to smoke. The ESRB has already started to rate games higher just because of smoking. If an adult is going to smoke then let them be. You can't stop them. They have free will.jubino

Smoke. Smoke. ARE YOU SMOKING YET!!!!!

Nice! That's an old episode, but that part was hilarious! Didn't they do that during Lassie?

I think there needs to more smoking in games. Why not a smoking minigame? The only smokes I can think of are in MGS and the Chronicles of Riddick.aspro73

I'd rather smoke in a virtual life than a real one. Trying to quit smoking again and it atleast feels somewhat decent to be smoking in a game lol.

I'd rather smoke in a virtual life than a real one. Trying to quit smoking again and it atleast feels somewhat decent to be smoking in a game lol.

e3li7e

hell no. don't ban smoking in games! it's already banned practically everywhere 'real life'. it's cool and i enjoy seeing solid snake with a cig in his mouth, puffing away. and this is coming from a non-smoker.