Many adults and parental figured rally around the war cry that video games are responsible for the increasing violence in today's society and that video games are too violent.
I myself agree that on the whole, video games are generally too violent. Many video games out there I would even call disturbing. But just because the majority of movies produced or books written contain excessive sex and violence does not mean that good, enjoyable, and downright excellent books and movies do not exist.
The same is true of video games. Many are of poor quality but there are some that are worthwhile. I wish to give a couple of examples of games that meet my own personal criteria for excellence.
The first is Guitar Hero (and Guitar Hero II). Here are games based completely around music. They contain zero violence. If anything, it could be argued they teach rhythm and provide a stepping stone into other musical pursuits. In fact, I began taking guitar lessons because of playing Guitar Hero II! Very quickly, to those who say video games are a waste of time, I only ask, are video games any more of a waste of time than TV? Video games are interactive, whereas TV is strictly one way.
The second game is Viva Pinata. Viva Pinata is a children's game filled with bright colors, fluffy pinatas and happy music. Viva Pinata is geared toward younger children and shows a softer and fluffier side of gaming.
Now I wish to cross into dangerous territory. My last example of the good of video games is Halo 3, a well-known "shooting" game. The reason I give Halo 3 as an example is to show that perhaps those who rally should reexamine their stance against games in general and some shooting games. So what makes Halo 3 a "good" shooter? Because shooting isn't the focus. Just like great movies aren't great because of special effects, Halo 3 is not good because you shoot. Halo 3 is good because it is social. It connects people in ways that e-mail and phones can't connect people. Halo 3 is about playing with friends and socializing while playing a game. It is not about playing a game while socializing. I won't go into the nitty gritty of how Halo 3 makes this happen, but only that Halo 3 is about playing with friends and not about shooting.
I make these arguments only to help people see the good in video games. Again, I don't deny it, the majority of video games are too violent, but instead of plucking out all the bad apples, let's just enjoy the good ones.
You make some good points. I'll agree that there are some worthwhile things about xbox...used in moderation.
In regard to your praise of Viva Pinata, I offer this (paraphrased) quote from Demetri Martin:
"I like parties, but I don't like pinatas. They send a bad message to our children; they promote violence against flamboyant animals. 'Hey, there's a donkey with some pizazz; let's beat it up!'"
Guitar Hero III will rule. So will will Rock Band.