Chapter 1015: Games and Essays
Hu Yue smiled and said, "Alright, just now we heard from our guests and also listened to the opinions of the audience here. But it seems we've strayed a bit off-topic. Actually, the focus of this discussion is on GTA, yet our guests initially seemed to target 'games' as a whole."
"To avoid collateral damage, let's steer the conversation back to GTA. What are your thoughts on this game, esteemed guests? Brother Mu Gang."
The "well-known blogger" Yuan Mugang cleared his throat: "Fine, let's talk about GTA. Obviously, this game contains a large amount of murder, violence, and criminal content—no one disputes that, right? Does it pose a risk?"
Standing on Chen Mo's side, the "senior media professional" Zhang Zhibin shook his head: "I think taking a blanket approach like that is unwise. Cars also pose risks—thousands of people die in car accidents every year. Should we boycott cars too?"
"How can you compare the two?" Yuan Mugang raised his voice. "Cars are a necessity in our lives. Are games?"
Zhang Zhibin was momentarily stunned.
Chen Mo smiled: "I'm not sure how Mr. Yuan defines 'necessity.' Let me ask in return: Are movies a necessity? Are TV shows a necessity? By your logic, banning all forms of entertainment wouldn't affect our normal lives, since we wouldn't starve to death. But humans don't live by material needs alone—just not starving isn't enough. We need to fulfill our spiritual needs. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, spiritual needs are a higher-level requirement above material ones."
"You think games aren't a necessity in life, but that's just your opinion. It's like seeing someone smoke or drink and, because you don't consider those necessities, demanding they quit. That doesn't make sense, does it?"
Professor Xu immediately jumped in: "You mentioned spiritual needs, but I believe the spiritual needs you're talking about are false and harmful! Getting too immersed in virtual game worlds makes people unable to distinguish between games and reality. If they commit crimes often in games, they might do the same in real life!"
Chen Mo spread his hands: "I think Professor Xu is doubting the intelligence of these adults. Our country's law considers individuals aged 18 and above with sound mental faculties to have full civil capacity. 'Full civil capacity' means they can take responsibility for their own actions, without society or others presuming to criticize their behavior. Professor Xu, your mindset is a 'parental mentality,' and you want to act as a parent to all adults nationwide. That attitude is very inappropriate."
Hu Yue said, "Alright, Mr. Chen Mo's point is that since they are adults, they have the right to enjoy entertainment. I think that's very correct. Most of us here are adults, and we certainly wouldn't want to engage in lawful entertainment activities only to be told we can't."
"Of course, I also understand Professor Xu's meaning—if a game poses a social threat, we can't just sit idly by. Without getting into whether we should 'sit idly by,' let's first discuss whether GTA is actually harmful. Brother Mu Gang mentioned earlier that the game contains a lot of violent and criminal content. Mr. Chen Mo, do you agree?"
Chen Mo nodded: "Of course."
Hu Yue continued: "So, you believe that this violent and criminal content won't have a negative impact on players, correct?"
Chen Mo said, "Not only will it not have a negative impact, but it can also have a positive, constructive effect."
"Tiger Dad" Chen Baiyou snorted coldly: "Nonsense! How can violence and crime have a positive effect? Just because you're the designer of this game and want to make money from it, don't twist the truth!"
Chen Mo wasn't angered: "Mr. Chen Baiyou, since you're very proud of your parenting methods, let me ask: Have you noticed that some essays selected in Chinese textbooks are included in the curriculum?"
Chen Baiyou nodded: "Of course."
Chen Mo: "Among these essays, there are works like 'The True Story of Ah Q' and 'The New Year's Sacrifice.' The former depicts the muddled, spiritually victorious life of a wandering farm laborer, while the latter portrays a laboring woman who buys a threshold donation and loses her mind. Do these articles have a positive, constructive effect?"
Chen Baiyou answered confidently: "Of course they do! They are a ruthless exposure of the old society, reflecting profound social realities! They vividly depict the feudal, conservative, vulgar, and corrupt characteristics of that society, revealing the harsh lives of people in those times. They are cultural treasures."
Chen Mo nodded: "Yes, GTA is the same."
Chen Baiyou was stunned: "?"
Professor Xu was trembling with anger: "You dare compare a game to essays? Please explain how these two are the same!"
The atmosphere had been tense, but when Chen Mo made this claim, everyone stopped arguing and stared at him, waiting to hear what he would say.
The opposing guests felt they had caught Chen Mo in a trap, ready to pounce the moment he said something wrong.
Chen Mo looked at the crowd: "How many of you here have actually played GTA? Please raise your hands."
Host Hu Yue and Zhang Zhibin, who was on Chen Mo's side, raised their hands. Some audience members also raised theirs, but none of the three opposing guests did.
Chen Mo continued: "How many of you have watched the entire story of GTA through live streams or video sites?"
This time, noticeably more hands went up, but the three opposing guests still didn't raise theirs.
The situation was a bit awkward. In truth, these three weren't unwilling to raise their hands—they simply hadn't watched the full story. They didn't dare lie either, because if Chen Mo asked a random question and stumped them, it would be even more embarrassing.
"Tiger Dad" Chen Baiyou protested: "I only watched the beginning, the criminal part, and felt very uncomfortable, so I didn't finish it. I don't think that should be a criterion for judgment. To judge a game's quality, just watching a segment is enough—you don't need to see it all."
Chen Mo smiled: "Don't rush. Let me finish. I'm not trying to question everyone's understanding of this game, but without investigation, there's no right to speak. If everyone hasn't even finished the story, then naturally, you wouldn't know the details I've embedded in the game, right?"
"So, I think it's a pity that everyone misunderstands the game's intent. This time, I hope to show everyone some of the details already hidden in the game, to help us better understand its deeper meaning."
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