Anecdotal counterpoint. I believe your aggressiveness is due to the competitiveness, not the "violent" content of the game. The video games I play are generall

Anecdotal counterpoint. I believe your aggressiveness is due to the competitiveness, not the "violent" content of the game. The video games I play are generally shooters (e.g. Halo series) or sports games (e.g. FIFA). I'm not a violent or aggressive person and video games have almost never made me upset. However, I tend to play mostly offline, either by myself or couch co-op with friends. This past year, I started playing FIFA (soccer) online, against others. It's a rush because it's competitive, but for a while (during the learning curve) I was embarrassed and shocked by how much it affected my mood. After a bad session of FIFA, I was angry, short-tempered, aggressive and it easily bled into my actual life. I recognized this negative behavior and was able to stamp it out (which shouldn't be an accomplishment for a 30-something adult). My point being, the trigger for me was not the content of the game (shooting vs. sports), but playing in an ultra-competitive environment against others, where winning comes at all costs (even unsportsmanlike tactics). I imagine that if I went out to play a competitive soccer match (which I do play) and lost a tight game to an obnoxious opponent, I would also come home with higher than normal anger and aggressiveness - that is what competition can do to you, chemically.