Last week, the White House released an 88-second clip of context-free video game violence. It showed a disturbing series of gruesome acts intended to appeal to viewers’ emotions and create a link between video game violence and real life violence that science has thus far been unable to prove.
In response, Games for Change has put together its own 88-second clip, seen above, highlighting moments of beauty, artistry and connection in games. The featured games include Abzû, Minecraft, Breath of the Wild, Celeste, Life Is Strange and many others — including some violent titles like The Last of Us, Overwatch and Fortnite.
Here’s what Games for Change has to say about the video:
After seeing that the White House produced a video depicting video games as ultra-violent, we felt compelled to share a different view of games. Video games, their innovative creators and the vast community of players are so much more than what is depicted in the White House’s video. We wanted to create our own version, at the same length, to challenge the White House’s misdirected blame being placed upon video games. We urge you to join us in celebrating the multifaceted features of video games: the beauty, creativity and joy that is inherent in this medium. To all you game developers and players who create and use games to connect with friends, to relax, to share experiences, to learn about new things, to inspire, to explore the unknown – this is for you!
While it’s important to remember that there’s no proven link between video games and violence, Games for Change also wants to remind us that even violent games have beauty in them. The games highlighted in this video are created with love by real people in a diverse industry — just like every game we enjoy, violent or otherwise.