For one, conservatives often see games as a waste of time. An escape from the reality around them - offer some of the current day theologians and psychologists. 'It's not productive in any sense' some may even say.
Another issue, is that many conservative see the more audacious, anti-society based games as harmful to society. Go figure. Games like Grand Theft Auto are seen as rewarding thoughts of violence and immoral behavior.
So, with that in mind, why should conservatives care about such an industry?
Games, are more than art. Art is just one possible aspect of a game. Games can be programmed to teach, or improve, a customer's abilities.
The prime example, as a conservative, would be the military has been using flight simulator based games for years to train pilots for flight, as well as combat. In fact, the more advanced in game artificial intelligence get's, the better prepared our combat forces are in predicting their opponent's next move.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg these days. Games have become useful in more than just combat training, but immersion into the environment.
"The training objective is to prepare junior Air Force and Department of Defense (DoD) personnel (median age 30) on the application of basic negotiation principles in a culturally specific context. Interactive, 3-D game-like training scenarios will be scripted to allow students to practice foreign language skills, and to learn the cultural principles that form the basis of the societies where they operate. The solution will also support the use of interpreters to provide airmen exposure to this additional skill set."
Games can also be used during the rehabilitation process, and not just by military personnel.
ICT research scientist Belinda Lange specializes in developing game-based systems for people with neurological or physical injuries. Lange and her team created a state-of-the-art video game called Jewel Mine that leverages 3-D motion sensing technology to provide customized rehabilitation to service members, veterans and civilians. One of the features of the program is modeled on the 80′s pattern game Simon but patients must use their bodies to reach for the objects, rather than just pushing a button.
http://ict.usc.edu/news/video-games-for-rehabilitation/
The list of conditions and studies on such gaming, has been extensive, because it works. And even more than studies, the content of certain games has pushed gamers to be more creative, to think differently, and to deal with real issues such as resource management and micro-economies.
And speaking of economy, the game industry makes billions per year. So the amount of taxes given back to their government bodies is not make believe.
These are real world advantages - to a modern civilization - given to it by having a gaming industry.
But these things are not a given.
The game industry is very much under attack by the same people who have become the loudest voices in the Democratic party these days - social justice warriors. Lead by a company called Feminist Frequency, they have latched onto the idea that women have become second class citizens in the gaming world.
From their Dec. 2nd post :
One of the luxuries of being a member of a privileged group is that the benefits afforded often remain invisible.If this sounds familiar, it's because it's the same vacuous platitude that the Left has said regarding racism and the 'war on women' in the United States. It's invisible racism - you need infra-red goggles to see it. That obviously inane statement is followed up with:
"With that in mind the following is a checklist of some of the concrete benefits that male gamers automatically receive simply for being male gamers."
Of which, those supposedly "concrete" benefits include,
7. when I go to a gaming expo, I will not be harassed, catcalled, because of my gender
If that also sounds familiar, it's probably because of the NYC feminist video from last year. The charge of men being, frankly, men, has become a part of feminism. They don't seem to understand that in our American culture, it's up to the man to generally start the conversation. They instead see even general greetings as aggression and harassment.
These are the feminists, known as anti-GamerGate, who have attacked the industry.
Not only that, but they have chosen to self identify as "GamerGhazi." A mockery of conservatives for continuing to want to investigate the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi. The reason, as any conservative will probably tell you, is the lack of Left wing media curiosity about the event. But the left, ignorant of what has really been going on, see's it as a pointless waste of time. They even quote an incorrect amount of investigations (they say 9, it's been 6). And even those are not complete due to the lack of information (including pictures from the taxpayer funded photographer always with Obama) about what happened to the principals that night of the attack - and why wasn't help sent to save American lives.
In essence, these people couldn't give a damn about America, conservatives or the military.
It's no surprise, that this theme runs through the producer, and co-writer of Feminist Frequency, Jonathon McIntosh's writing.
"I was visiting Jersey City, New Jersey on September 11, 2001. I saw a jumbo jet slam into the World Trade Center. I walked down to the Hudson, eight blocks away, and stared gaping as both towers crumbled before my eyes. From that moment on, I started asking why. I started questioning everything. I started reading desperately seeking answers to explain why the world had suddenly gone crazy that morning. I couldn't seem to find the answers I was looking for in the usual places, so I looked abroad to the press from Britain, France and the Middle East. My own personal Pandora's box opened. Soon I found myself buried beneath a small mountain of books and articles by Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said, Arundhati Roy, Howard Zinn, Robert Fisk, Michael Albert, Gregory Palast, Kalle Lans, and Eric Schlosser."
https://web.archive.org/web/20040803032816/http://www.capedmaskedandarmed.com/about.html
It's practically a list of who's who of left wing socialist anti-Americans and anti-Semites.
You can see how this perverse world view ends up working out:
To have a soft spot for a murderer of American civilians is very Noam Chomsky of him. But the vitriolic hatred of a right leaning atheist? That seems too absurd. Freedom of thought is of more concern to him than the death of a terrorist who killed thousands of innocent American men and women. Clearly, this is someone with a completely upside down view of the world - one that promotes the terrorist "freedom fighter" over independent thinker that may offend.
These are evil, vicious haters of the first order against civilization, righteousness, and liberty. It's no wonder such a person would align with the new found anti-everything possibly male world view of the modern feminist. They align themselves with anything that would cause the downfall of their 'colonial oppressors.' In their own words, they want an end to the patriarchy - which is basically modern western civilization.
And they plan to do this bit by bit. By attempting to couch their propaganda as an end to any type of aggression. Since they define aggression with the lowest threshold possible - everything becomes aggression - at least, so long as it comes from what they believe to be a white male - or anyone who allies with them.
Attacking "aggression against women" in gaming is only the first shot across the bow. I would wager that SJW's will eventually come for any "aggressive" game period. Any game with a gun or military - may be rationally banned because it may "inspire gun use."
Which brings me back to the prime example of games being used in the military. If those games are banned, or those that want to work on them ostracized, does that not create a real world disadvantage to our military? What if we sanitize the world to the point where no one wants to sign up for the military?
These are real considerations that a conservative must weigh - even if they personally want nothing to do with what they see as nothing more than children's games.
