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yep, now they need a game titled "War War War!"

Banana:
Now I get where you're coming from, and it makes total sense. The problem arises when the positive second definition of war you provided intermingles with the first one. "The War on Drugs" as an example. The illegal Drug trade is a bloody topic, but nobody is tackling the root of the problem, just the traffickers.
Perhaps war should have never gotten a positive connotation.

I think the basis for our disagreement is that you have a much more optimistic outlook for the human race than I do. I think that "War on Poverty" and starvation, and even AIDS is negating the basic survival instincts of an animal, being that these things run their course allowing others to thrive. To me it is futile to combat these things because they're heavily ingrained in culture, and its not something that an "outsider" could fix. If there's anything that we can take from our successes is that change has to come from the inside. It could be that our civilization's growing compassion will be our undoing, and that we will fall to others less compassionate.

Jesse: You seem to be creating the very point Sean wrote this blog in the first place. To wage discussion on this topic, which is quite enjoyable to have well thought out discussion. Thank you for that.

Animals do fight with each other, that is definitely true. And because humans do not have the capacity to decipher how animals communicate, it is impossible to determine the thought process behind that waring nature. With Humans, we have the advantage of having books dedicated to understanding the human psyche and the purpose war holds in a person's life. War does not evolve solely from hostility. It can arise from lack of knowledge, misunderstanding, poverty, uprising... the possibilities are endless. With the ability for war to start from so many different origins within oneself the interpretations of what that war may mean to the individual are endless.

You bring up the point that if we didn't war we would not exist as we are today. I think this is a valid point, but also has to do with the interpretation war has as well. War can be waged on many different levels and in many different ways against many different platforms. War does not always have to incorporate loss of life, hostile weaponry... Instead war can continue to serve its purpose in a less threatening manner. For instance: the war on poverty. There are no guns involved in that war. Instead the goal is to reduce the amount of people struggling to survive who have inadequate food supplies and shelter. If we redefined the connotation of war, that would also change as we exist as the human race today.

As I have said, war can have many causes and many interpretations... so it is no surprise to me that war could be caused by something such as a mugging, however a mugging of opposable thumbs... we that may shock me just a bit.... I think it would be more surprising, tho, if war was still as prevalent as it is now if we lived in a more peaceful society.

What makes me more nervous is that as you said, war is just fighting with one another, and so many of us do that in our day to day lives. The fact that we need so many video games to capitalize on that concept complete w/ blood, gore, death, and violence. I feel that video games are a fantastic outlet for aggression, but at what point is it excessive. I agree with Sarah, I would totally play "Gears of Peace" or something like it.

Luckily, while the video game market is flooded with games involving war, there are also numerous games with much different storylines. As you said Mario and Bratz... are everywhere. What it ultimately comes down to is: different strokes for different folks.

Food for thought: I have included a definition of war in this post. Notice the first revolves around the typical connotation of war and the second is less about striving towards ending an ideal (not as seemingly physical)

Definition of war
1. a. A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties.
b. The period of such conflict.
c. The techniques and procedures of war; military science.

2. a. A condition of active antagonism or contention: a war of words; a price war.
b. A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious: the war against acid rain.

My point is that Animals fight with each other, over territory, food, mates, etc. The human animal is no different. I'm not saying its a good thing or a bad thing. Its just a thing. Its like how we breath air. Its a fact. If we didn't war, we wouldn't exist as we are. Again, subjective whether that's good or bad...

I personally like having opposable thumbs.

Here are some looks through different cultures to spur creative thought:

1. According to the Bible, the reason there is religious turmoil is because one brother inherited more than another.
IMO: Its a family tearing itself apart from the inside, the greatest metaphor for the human race.

2. Quality of life is subjective. A tribal person digging through the dirt with their nails will find a tasteless turnip and may think they've got it the best in the world at that moment.

3. According to the Koran, war on a personal level is just fighting with one another.
IMO: Its what we do. We're doing it right now, on some level.

If you think you're bettering the world by rehabilitating people, Banana, be prepared to accept that something as small as a mugging could spur a war.

Looks like I'm late in this game, and I don't think I have anything to contribute that hasn't been said already. Two comments, though.

1- Note that while this list seems long, it is nothing in comparison to all the games out there. It just happens that we notice these games more than others.

2- loltim: " If there's no conflict, no struggle, nothing on the line, then where's the game?"
Be careful what you say. You give me the impression that you don't think Tetris is a game.

Sorry, FemJesse, but to take your argument seriously and have a true discussion you would have to open your mind as well. Yes. Humans have evolved from animals (according to Darwin), and that is in part due to their use of tools. But to make the statements you have made, make it seem like charlie may not be the one you should be pointing the finger at.

To believe that we are all primitive monkies, as you say, it is hard for me to then exist according to your logic, since i work for the betterment of elderly quality of life in Philadelphia. I work on the micro scale assessing 6 people a week, which on the mezzo scale helps both the people in need of services get what they need, and also provides the opportunity for these people to gain quality of life and a better stance of independence. On the macro scale that enables people to be rehabilitated to the point where people need less services to be sufficient, which then saves money to be used to benefit others. I think Sean's statement does apply to the macro level- if all humans are at war that we would be closer to erradicating our species as opposed to preserving it.

In the alien invasion, tell me Jesse, would there still be room for social workers like myself who do work towards quality of life?

I agree that war is a necessary evil in our times, and I also feel that with all of the war games out there it has encouraged me to be even more pro-diplomacy to try to settle the multitude of issues plaguing society today. Seeing the amounts of lives lost at the press of an xbox controller in video games is enough to make me realize the worth of human life, as opposed to the opportunity to destroy it.

I feel like the root of all gaming is adversity. Good vs evil. Us vs Them. All the way back to Pong's Left Paddle vs Right Paddle. That's just the nature of gaming. If you're playing something or someone, you intend to beat them. From there, mix in ever-escalating stakes and you'll always end up at all-out-war. There's no conflict more grandiose or glorious than war.

Not that I am condoning war or killing in any way shape or form. But sit down for a minute and play Call of Duty 4: Modern Diplomacy, or Gears of Neutrality... If there's no conflict, no struggle, nothing on the line, then where's the game? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play my new MMO expansion World of Arts'ncrafts: Wreath of the Linens 'n Things.

War always sounds fun when someone else is doing all the dying for you....just remember that. And I bet all the people out there saying war is a healthy thing, would take that back real fast if someone kicked your front door down with an AK47 and proceeded to rape your entire family (including the family dog). There is nothing glorious about war....families are torn apart, friends are lost, and innocent people are caught in the middle of it all. Just my two cents.....

How cool would it be if there was a race of Aliens that pretended to invade Earth to keep us in a constant state of unity. They could send a few ships down every now and then to keep us together.

Please save us, Aliens!

Actually, I stand corrected. You know what it would take to unite the world? A full fledged hostile alien invasion. Then how long after we are or aren't reduced to a pile of dust will there be peace on Earth? I wonder if we're go right back to each other's throats.

Here's another proposition. We de-evolve until we have no concept of crime, war, ownership, blah blah blah... then there can be world peace.

The way things are now, as long as that guy has a coconut and another guy doesn't, you bet someone will be getting his throat cut in his sleep.

Just accept that we're all primitive monkeys incapable of simultaneously preserving peace on an enormous scale, and you'll understand.

Sean, you're thinking on the Micro. We are a part of something much much greater. We can't help it if we're just a bunch of primitive monkies.

Previously Posted: Sorry to burst any bubbles, but humans are nothing but animals that have learned how to use tools. Are you so ready to pronounce what is the best course of action for the betterment of mankind? Didn't know you were a specialist in the goings on of the universe, Charlie...

I'm curious Jess: are you ready to pronounce the best course for humanity? Maybe you're right: war has worked so well for us as a species, let's keep at it!

lol @ femjesse

I'd bet there are 2 games about Ponies for every War game.

"War is actually a healthy expression of the human animal"... yea... tell that to the thousands of iraq vets who suffer from ptsd and are missing limbs.

way too many mario and bratz games fem

Funny, there's probably a hundred more games with "Mario" or "Bratz" in the title.
I'm not contending your argument. War is actually a healthy expression of the human animal. After all, what made homo sapiens smash homo erectus? Leave America out of it, its the nature of the human being. Its not any fault that we recognize and embrace it instead of hiding from it like a bunch of ostriches with our heads in the dirt. Of course, there are other nations of people that embrace it a lot better. Even the Koran recognizes that the most basic form of "war" is a healthy expression. Traditionally peaceful civilizations have fallen to wargoing ones. We just live in a wacky backwards-ass time, and everyone is becoming too pussified to recognize the necessity of war.

@ Sarah: Come to think of it, EndPeace sounds more sinister than EndWar '

America has always been war obsessed, why else would we throw our selves into any war we can get our hands on? It all starts with our management and works its way down the pipeline to us workers. (used business model to describe the american system of those in power and those without) ha...

I think war games themselves are just an easy sell it seems like. A lot of kids growing up, seeing the wars on the news and wanting to have that feeling of war play games to get that. I think it may in part be what makyo said and war being glorified at times.

Though i agree war games have not made me want to join in the military and go fire guns, but it is a nice way to spend some time and frag some newbs