Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (RSV2)is the sequel to the very popular tactical shooter game by Tom Clancy. It is rated 'M' for mature on the grounds that it sports blood, gore, and language. Now, from a gamers standpoint, I believe that this game is very well made. Yes, this game is pretty intense, with lots of fire fights and hostage situations.
I think parents should know that these shooters do not turn nnocent children into psycopathic killing machines. However, they do desensitize us to violence. Shooter games demonize the enemy, turning what used to be human beings into "the enemy". These enemies have now become mere figures, which should be shot at. It teaches that its ok to kill people as long as they are the "bad guys". This is true, especially with the game
"America's Army", which was in fact developed by the US Army. These games are almost methods of psycological trainning for the armed forces.
Now, dont get me wrong, I love video games, and am a fan of controversial games like GTA IV and other shooters. However, my parents justifications for their decisions made some sense. For them, it isnt the blood and gore that make a game "bad". It's the over all message that they send. This does not mean that all violent games should be banned. I do not believe that parents should just go by the ESRB rating. You need to know your kid, and decide for your self whether he or she is ready.
There is a book called "On Killing", which is writen by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, which is about the psycology of learning to kill in both war and society