PETA Fights Animal Cruelty in Video Game

The very passionate group, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is joining forces with some students who are protesting Call of Duty, World of War. Why?  Because there are times in the game when dogs get shot.

In an effort to raise awareness and educate the game developers at Activision Blizzard, PETA is making their “Developing Empathy for Animals” seminar available free of charge.  As an added incentive, they are also sending them a package of the dog-friendly Nintendogs games.

I understand the logic behind PETA’s actions but I do wonder if there is a time when you can draw the line.  I’m not one to play the very violent video games but it’s mostly because I can’t understand the controls and not because I fear the game will turn me into a violent person.

I want to add that some research has even found that these types of games have a cathartic effect and even reduce the prevalence of violence in our real-life society.  These studies point to countries like Japan where violent games are very popular but, despite their large population, crime is relatively low (particularly gun-related crimes).  I’m not disagreeing with PETA but I do think we need to form our own opinion about these types of situations.

Still, it is hard to argue with an organization that is attempting to make a positive difference in the world.  What do you think?  Is video game violence to animals worth protesting?