A new play has opened in San Francisco's "Playhouse" theatre titled, "First Person Shooter." According to the two reviews I read, it follows a group of friends who have a killer app video game, a violent video game, and form a start up in Silicon Valley.

Soon after they release the game, a school shooting occurs which eerily resembles their game. Both sides get lawyered up and friendships begin to disintegrate as various moral issues are explored.

Obvioulsy, I haven't seen the play, so I can't comment on it. However, I can comment on the fact that video games are increasingly becoming part of the cultural landscape of America. It's good that "art", in the form of a play, is taking on issues surrounding violent games. Nonetheless, I feel that the audience seeing the play (patrons of the arts...not patrons of video games) is going in with the preconception that violent video games equal school shootings.

Are plays like this more damaging than good? Is any discussion about violent games a good thing even if that discussion is predisposed to assume that games equal violence?

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