Rockstar Games recently released what is said to be the most violent video game on the market today: “Manhunt 2,” follow-up to the hit game “Manhunt.”

Child advocacy groups have been urging parents not to purchase the game “Manhunt 2,” due to the incredible amount of violence.

But what these groups forget is that, in the video game industry, violence sells. The reaction on campus, however, was mixed.

Gayle Luze, assistant professor of human development and family studies, isn’t familiar with “Manhunt 2” but is informed of early development in children and how repeated exposure to violence can increase a child’s expectation of violence in their world, which may result in them acting out accordingly.

“For young children, we [child development] encourage them to actively play with real and actual objects [like blocks] instead of virtual reality simulators that may skew their sense of reality,” Luze said. “There may be research that indicates benefits of media usage, but I’m not familiar with them.”

Video games seem to be sending mixed messages to their consumers. James Tabiri, senior in economics, stressed that even though virtual game play has a tendency to get consumers thinking on their feet and managing time [within the game], there is a major downside.

“The whole killing others for points [whether it’s destroying evil] skews their sense of reality,” Tabiri said.

These video games may help develop creative and abstract thinking in youth, but the introduction of violence into this virtual reality poses a real problem in the mind of Lindsay Allen, sophomore in kinesiology and health.

“It desensitizes children to violence and they may think that violent acts are not harmful or have any repercussions,” Allen said.