While many are perplexed by the "graying of the hobby", our main concern should focus on the "darkening" of the gaming art as it relates to random violence, sex and trappings of the darker side of humanity which has begun to appear in our general culture. In fact, this lure of the "darkening" phenomenon may explain the turning away of our younger generation to these types of games. One must have the broad perspective to see where we have been in the last thirty years as we have come from simple board games and chess like figures to miniatures covered in skulls practicing magic spells on a tabletop, from miniature soldiers simulating ancient battles to non-focused, thoughtless violence; and from smartly painted Napoleonic troops to unclad female figures on the tabletop and in seductive gaming ads. Possibly those responsible for the youth have not filtered out the more debase aspects of gaming which have drawn our impressionable and eager young ones away or stood in the way of questionable game designers. Today, people in the world discuss Columbine and the many acts of violence from youth and lay blame on the violence introduced from Hollywood, bloody computer games and a lack of nurturing of adolescents. These issues are difficult to define and control, but yet those elements in school shootings are identified as common threads among the young murderers by mainstream psychologists and seem to exist in small ways as perpetuated by "dark" tabletop game systems. It is a fact that some parents have steered their children away from fantasy role playing games and the more recent influx of miniature games centered around demonic appearing figures where even the "good guys" look like gothic chainsaw murderers clad in black leather. Unfortunately, not enough people have refused to buy these game systems and figures, and hence have traded off all the positive aspects of learning history and developing the ability to design and carry forward a tactical plan on the battlefield. Several have even suggested that these games can lead young people to real gaming and simulation when in reality these dark game systems desensitize kids to random violence and introduce kids to soft porn. Later, these same young ones loose interest in gaming as a result of these hollow games to leave gaming altogether while retaining these dark images and having played out acts in their minds which may influence actions in the future as some psychologists have suggested. What the youth are intrigued by in this "dark" gaming is the chance to extend their power and control over an enemy though violence; mentally explore unrealistic, lusty females in scanty combat attire; dabble in the mockery of organized religion while toying with vestiges of the occult. Certainly these are areas most moral adults would not want their children involved in or be involved themselves. As a moral, responsible gaming community, we should not allow the youth to be charmed away by dark, depraved game systems and squander their innocence on the fake offering of "having a little harmless fun that is just a game". We do this by not buying "dark" games, preventing the play of these game systems at cons as some are doing, and taking the responsibility and leadership of keeping it out of our homes. Suffice it to say, "Well Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore". Back to MWAN #104 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com