In recent interviews, the creators of several popular interactive video games gave their views on the links between games and violence. Following are selected comments from Robert Atkins and Mark Dochtermann of Ritual Entertainment, publisher of the games Sin and Heavy Metal; Brett Combs, vice president of Terminal Reality; Matt Hooper of Third Law Interactive, publisher of KISS Psycho Circus and Nocturne; and Mike Wilson, formerly of Id Software (publisher of Doom) and now with game distributor Gathering of Developers.

"Violent games do not breed violent people."

"As a parent, I'm the gatekeeper of what my kids see. How many times do you have to see the Kosovo crisis before you don't feel anything anymore? I've had it crammed down my throat so much, it no longer causes any feeling. We're desensitized to the point where it means nothing."

"We are desensitized. And it depends on us as individuals and the moral fiber we raise our kids with. Today's kids don't have to deal with the consequences of their actions."

--Brett Combs, Terminal Reality

"Are kids more exposed to violence nowadays? I'd say definitely yes." "As far as video games are concerned, it's almost a non-issue to me. We see graphic violence more and more--but I don't see any influence." "I do agree that violent media in general desensitizes people," he says. "I won't let my kids watch cop shows."

--Matt Hooper, Third Law Interactive

"The development community is a lot like the film community. If you want to be respected by your peers, you have to introduce new elements, story lines, graphics, and impress the core gaming crowd. It's not that violence sells. People may say it looks real, but to us it's very cartoony."

"Right now, all the good games are for sci-fi, geeky, Star Trekkie guys. We all want the satisfaction of being a hero."

--Mike Wilson, Gathering of Developers

"We make these games for ourselves. We're all about creating worlds, about creating a story you can interact with. It's like a cognizant dream where you're in control of your fantasies."

"We all grew up with Heavy Metal magazine. We loved the animated violence, the sexual content. We thought it would make a good game because it syncs well with our target audience, the 18-to-35 crowd."

"After Columbine, I wasn't all that surprised, but I was shocked that the gaming industry was fingered as a main culprit. It was funny to us."

"I was more like those kids [Littleton shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold] than not. I was a definite nerd. High school was one of the most stressful, hardest times of life. You're coming to terms with sexuality, adulthood--and kids can be mean. ... people picked fights with me. I'm a very nonviolent person. When I do get angry, I just can't control the adrenaline. I just shake a lot, like I'm ready to explode, but don't have a way to. One of my favorite activities is to play video games. That's a definite release. I un-stress myself by playing those games."

[Video games are the same] as organized sports or action movies. They tap into our aggressive tendencies. People are turned on by the portrayal of violence. There is a need for some sort of simulated, virtual violence which allows us to tap into our aggressive fantasies without acting on them."

"Those kids in Littleton had personal issues. The environment they survived in, I can definitely visualize and sympathize with the things that happened to them."

"I feel I'm in the right place at the right time. We created something out of nothing. We're continuing to grow, not dying down."

--Mark Dochtermann, Ritual Entertainment

"Most of the guys in this industry stopped maturing at age 13. Which is good because we can appreciate what guys at that age enjoy."

"It's not real. Those are polygon models that I saw someone create. That's an illusion--this is a key point. There are sick people out there who maybe can't make the distinction. That's unfortunate. But I just think it's entertainment."

"Our industry is the ultimate revenge of the nerds," he says. "I can only imagine the types of beatings Bill Gates took as a kid."

"All we can do is rate these games 'mature.' Other than making it illegal, what can the industry do? I don't think that content will be curbed because of this."

"In a perfect world, we could say, 'Okay, we'll stop feeding this hunger people have for violent stuff.' But it isn't going to happen. Hollywood will continue to make this stuff, and video gamers will continue. We're going to continue to make the games we want to play."

--Robert Atkins, Ritual Entertainment