Popularity of Nonviolent Video Games is on the Rise

Traditionally, from eating ghosts and blasting aliens to killing realistic images of people, video games have been centered on the violent destruction of the enemy in ever increasing graphic detail. This is all beginning to change. During the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number and popularity of nonviolent video games. Even the gamers who have, in the past, scoffed at such concepts and labeled them as "kiddy" games are now getting in on the action.

Who do we have to thank for this new revolution of fun without violence? The answer is quite simply, Nintendo. Though, they weren't necessarily the first company to produce nonviolent video games, Nintendo is definitely on the forefront. Prime examples of this are games like: Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, Cooking Mama, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, and Electroplankton.

Some might say that it all began with Animal Crossing. First released in 2001 as Doubutsu no Mori on the Nintendo 64 in Japan, Animal Crossing came to the GameCube for North Americans in 2002. It wowed the gaming audience with its open-ended, plot-free, and non-violent nature. In 2005 Nintendo took the experience online with Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Where gamers previously had to use codes to trade items in the GameCube version, they were now given the option of trading and even interacting with one another online.

This current surge in the popularity of nonviolent and in some cases "non-game" games can be traced to the release of the Nintendo DS handheld system. It is through the Nintendo DS that Nintendo Co. Ltd. first began their quest to attract "non-gamers" to video games with games like Nintendogs and it worked. Counting the DS Lite, Nintendo has sold an estimated 40 million DS systems worldwide. With the release of their new console the Nintendo Wii they are continuing this pattern with games like: Elebits, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and Wii Play.

During this refreshing wave of new and innovative game concepts, the other major gaming companies have had a few nonviolent hits as well with games such as Katamari Damaci and Guitar Hero I and II. There are sure to be others in the near future but Nintendo is still obviously leading the way in the area of non-violent games.

While the number of nonviolent video game titles is definitely on the rise, the number of violent games is certainly in no danger of decreasing. Though, there has without a doubt been a rise in the number of games with less violence or milder violence as of late. Games such as Viva Piñata for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the upcoming game slated for release in 2008 for Sony's PS3 entitled LittleBigPlanet are great examples of this phenomenon.

Hopefully, this trend will continue and those of us who enjoy games that are low in violence and high in fun will continue to be pleased for many years to come.