THE EFFECT OF MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES ON AIRSOFT
The Effect of Movies and Video Games on Airsoft Choice
Movies and video games can influence many of the decisions that we make in our
real lives. Even though we cannot achieve or do the things that we see in movies or
do in the virtual world of video games, we sometimes want to experience similar
things in real life.
For example, a lot of people have picked up a certain hobby or a sport after seeing a
movie showcasing it – in a proper way, obviously. It goes without saying that a Tony
Hawk documentary or Eminem’s biographic film surely made some people consider
skateboarding or trying their luck with rap music.
Naturally, the same applies to video games. Given that they cover a broader
spectrum, so to say, and most of them involve the use of firearms, they eventually
affect people and some of their choices.
Violence Caused by Movies and Video Games
First of all, it is worth mentioning that video games and movies do not contribute to
the violent decisions that people make. Several studies have shown that these two
forms of art, so to say, do not contribute to violent behavior or to any other
behavioral changes.
This is to be taken into account, especially that we’re going to talk about the effect of
video games and movies on one’s airsoft choice.
How Do People Get into Airsoft?
Airsoft, as some of you may know, is a sport that pretty much simulates a battlefield
– defenders and attackers make use of firearms in order to capture/defend points or
to get the most eliminations.
Naturally, the guns they use are airsoft guns, non-lethal, and – judging by the many
videos you can find on the Internet – are very fun to play with.
People usually get into this type of sport either via an acquaintance or because they
like adrenaline and/or shooting with guns. For them, the firing range is exciting, but
being able to use a non-lethal replica of a gun properly is certainly amazing!
Naturally, there are also people driven by the movies and video games they play. As
mentioned above, since most of them are packed with action, it goes without saying
why enthusiasts would pick airsoft.
The First Steps
After you see a movie depicting samurais in one of the Japanese eras, for example,
most of you surely consider starting to practice kendo – Japanese sword fighting – or
any other martial art.
The same applies to people that play a lot of video games or watch a lot of movies.
They’ll eventually feel a need to try and hold a gun in their own hands, to practice,
and to see how it feels like.
Then, in order to experience more of that feeling, they look into paintball, laser tag –
eventually reaching airsoft, as it is the most realistic gun game out there. Soon, a
shooter video game player will engage in airsoft weaponry research and, eventually,
buy an airsoft kit.
Choosing the Weapons
Obviously, video games and movies usually showcase the most commonly known
guns. For example, almost everyone out there knows about the Magnum handgun, or
about the Kalashnikov, Makarov, Desert Eagle, and so on.
As such, when the time comes for someone to choose their first airsoft gun, they’ll
look into the famous guns they know first and consider the price afterward.
– For instance, it is believed that the best and most used airsoft pistol in 2020 is
the Glock – to be more specific, the Glock Gen4 G17. Gamers and movie
enthusiasts alike have been familiarized with Glocks for a long time now –
Counter-Strike has them, in terms of video games, and they appear in John
Wick as well.
Related Blog: Umarex-WE-Tokyo Marui Airsoft Glock review(video)
– Then, when it comes to rifles, the preferred airsoft gun is an M4A1 model –
namely, Colt M4A1 13’’ Keymod. Just as the Glock, the M4A1 is well-known by
most, if not all people that have seen any action movie or played a game
casually.
Therefore, most airsoft beginners usually handle a famous weapon, showcased in
most movies or video games, or their favorite weapon from a game, for example.
There are games that provide players with a large selection of guns, attachments, as
well as modifications, thus making players more knowledgeable in this field.
However, there are movies and documentaries that do so as well – John Wick, Die
Hard, El Mariachi, to name a few. These contributed to a whole new wave of airsoft
players that bought guns they were familiar with from movies.
Why Not Paintball/Laser Tag?
As mentioned above, paintball and laser tag could be two of the other sports people
can choose if they want to experience what they see in movies and do in video games.
While the two come with a certain level of realism, they cannot overcome airsoft. For
example, laser tag matches come with almost no physical impact nor realism, given
that you have to wear a special costume. Paintball, on the other hand, comes with a
lot of cleaning and with more pain – in some cases – due to the nature of paintballs.
Then, airsoft comes with all of the features that make action movies and games good.
– Equipment – here you can choose camouflage or army outfits. In fact, as
long as your body is properly protected and you wear a helmet, you can dress
how you want.
– Guns – in airsoft, firearms are built to closely resemble their lethal
counterparts. As such, you have firing pins, magazines, reloading, the gun may
even jam, and so on. In short, it is highly realistic.
– Arena – when it comes to the playground, airsoft can take place almost
everywhere. In unused buildings, forests, and in specially designed arenas.
The latter, however, are still created with realism in mind – but scaled-down,
for faster games.
Related Blog: The Best Airsoft Gun Starter Package
The Bottom Line
In the end, it goes without saying that video games and movies come with a strong
effect in terms of choosing airsoft in the first place and then the weapons to use to
play it.
Moreover, video games impact people’s decisions when it comes to weaponry. That’s
because while playing them, they have the chance to learn more about a particular
gun, its recoil pattern, peculiarities, and so on, especially if the game is very realistic.
Therefore, we can say that the main weapons of choice of airsoft players – or at least
of beginner players – are the ones that appear most on their screens and also impress
them through features and firepower. After all, the Revolver is still very popular,
across all environments, despite it being rather slow and difficult to use!
Written by Jay Chambers
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