violent video games
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Gaming cooperatively makes you more sociable, say scientists
Gaming has well known dark sides, but it can also improve spatial skills, reduce stress and even bring families together. Two new studies may further confuse you about the benefits, with one concluding that gaming makes you friendlier in the real world, and another implying it could ruin your brain. First the plus side: Texas Tech researchers think that cooperative gameplay, whether in violent or non-violent games, makes people nicer. "We found that playing with a helpful partner increases the expectation of others to reciprocate that pro-social behavior," said author John Velez. He added that teaming up even makes you "nicer to the other team... that just tried to beat you."
UK schools threaten to report parents who let their kids play 18+ games
If your child is playing 18-rated games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, you could be reported to the police and social services. That's the message being sent to parents by a group of primary and secondary schools in Cheshire. In a letter, the Nantwich Education Partnership has warned parents about the levels of violence and sexual content that are prevalent in mature games. It says regular exposure could lead to "early sexualised behaviour" and leave children "vulnerable to sexual exploitation or extreme violence." Some parents have already voiced their disapproval, but headteachers say they're merely following the guidance set by their local authority: "If your child is allowed to have inappropriate access to any game or associated product that is designated 18+, we are advised to contact the police and children's social care as this is deemed neglectful."
Report: Anti-games Sen. Leland Yee arrested on bribery, corruption charges
California State Senator Leland Yee, noted anti-video games official, was arrested this morning on charges of bribery and corruption, SF Weekly reported. The FBI conducted a raid of San Francisco's Chinatown district, and KCRA reported that agents took "computers and other documents" from Yee's office in the state capitol. Yee previously urged the Supreme Court to review the violent games bill AB-1179 his office authored in 2005, which failed at the Circuit Court level before being pushed through by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' ruling, deeming the law a violation of First Amendment rights. Yee responded to the decision, declaring that it "put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children" and that the games industry continued to profit "at the expense of our kids' mental health and the safety of our community." The news of Yee's arrest brings to mind anti-violent games attorney Jack Thompson's disbarment by the state of Florida in September 2008. Thompson's body of work included multiple failed Utah games bills. [Image: Leland Yee]
Activision Blizzard to take a stand on violent video game research
We may not know just what political stance Activision Blizzard has decided to take on the issue of S.134: The Violent Content Research Act of 2013, but we do know the company has hired lobbying firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to lobby the Senate over it. The bill calls for the National Academy of Sciences to study the correlation between children playing violent video games or watching violent video content and violent behavior -- and could be a stepping stone towards more legislation aimed at restricting game sales. There have already been studies on video games and violent behavior, but the results have been mixed: ask a dozen experts and you'll get a dozen different opinions on how violent content might affect violent behavior. To this end, the bill also calls for study to identify gaps in current research. However, it's questionable whether more research will give us a real answer or just more mixed signals. In the meanwhile, game-makers are definitely edgy about how this could impact their bottom line... which is probably why Activision Blizzard has jumped on the lobbying bandwagon.
CT senator proposes bill to ban minors using fake guns in arcades
Connecticut State Senator Toni Harp proposed a bill in January that would ban anyone younger than 18 from playing "violent point-and-shoot" video games in arcades or other public establishments. The bill defined "violent point-and-shoot" games as any entertainment device that used the "facsimile of a firearm as an essential component of play," which would include games such as House of the Dead, Area 51 and Duck Hunt.The bill also called for research into the effects of violent video games on young minds, through a committee called the Violent Video Game Task Force within the Department of Children and Families. The task force would advise the Governor and General assembly on state programs that "may reduce the effects of violent video games on youth behavior," suggesting before the research was done that violent video games have an effect on children's actions.The bill's Statement of Purpose offered a clear position on violent video games' impact on young minds, again presented before any research began: "To prevent minors from using violent point-and-shoot video games in public arcades and to create a task force to study the effects of violent video games on youth behavior."This bill joined an influx of attention on video games in relation to real-world gun violence, following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Senator Harp's suggestions mimicked and magnified President Obama's proposal to research violent video games and enact other forms of potential gun-violence prevention.[Thanks, Seth.]
Nancy Pelosi says violent media research should be 'comprehensive'
Democratic Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, spoke with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace about President Barack Obama's proposal to research the link between media and violent acts. Pelosi presented a comprehensive approach to research and reform, noting that current evidence didn't suggest violent video games equate violent people."I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother, but the evidence says that in Japan, for example, they have the most violent games than the rest and the lowest mortality from guns," Pelosi said. "I don't know what the explanation is for that except that they might have good gun laws."Wallace challenged Pelosi, suggesting that it was obvious violent video games had malicious consequences, behind a slide of Black Ops 2 and Grand Theft Auto footage."We don't need another study, respectfully," Wallace said. "We know that these video games where people have their heads splattered, these movies, these TV shows – why don't you go to your friends in Hollywood and challenge them, shame them, and say, 'knock it off.'"Pelosi stepped away from anecdotal evidence and said she wanted hard facts and evidence about violent media, as well as mental health care and assault weapons reform."I think we have to do it all, and that's why we included in there we have to take a look at what these games are," Pelosi said. "I don't think we should do anything anecdotally. We have a saying here, 'the plural of anecdote is not data.' So we want to know, what is the evidence, what will really make a difference here? And I think it has to be comprehensive."Wallace and Pelosi began discussing media and gun violence at the 9:55 mark in the linked Fox News video.
Vice President Biden reiterates need to research violent video games
On January 16, President Obama asked Congress to approve a $500 million plan with the goal of suppressing gun violence, including measures to limit magazines for military-style assault weapons to 10 rounds, making universal background checks mandatory for gun buyers and adding resource officers to schools that want them. Obama asked for $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control and other agencies to research the causes of gun violence, specifying "research into the effects that violent video games have on young minds."On January 24, Vice President Joe Biden held a "Fireside Hangout" to field questions about the proposal, noting again that there was no relevant research into the effects of violent video games on human behavior."There is no hard data as to whether or not these excessively violent video games in fact cause people to engage in behavior that is antisocial, including using guns," Biden said. He mentioned a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics that concluded that children watching three to six hours of video games can lead to aggressive behavior – the study didn't extrapolate to violent behavior, however."So I recommended to the President that we do significant research," Biden said. "Let CDC, let the National Institute of Health, let these people go out and look at the pathology that's behind this, if there is a pathology related to gun violence. We shouldn't be afraid of the facts."
The Think Tank: Should the government regulate video game content?
While government regulation is welcomed in some corners of our lives, it's not always welcomed everywhere. After recent gun violence has been making headlines more than ever, U.S. President Barack Obama set out to "find the cause" through new funding for 23 executive orders that pertain to the origins of gun violence. Vice President Joe Biden then met with experts in the video game industry to discuss the possibility that video games themselves are the cause. And probably that rock 'n' roll music, too. Darn kids! Certainly we here at Massively have our own opinion on this matter, as video game violence legislation would affect us all. Read on past the cut to see what we have to say about government regulation for our favorite hobby.
Don't panic: Missouri lawmaker proposes violent game tax
State Representative Diane Franklin (R) of Camdenton, Missouri, is proposing a 1 percent sales tax on violent video games. The AP reports the tax is in response to the school shootings in Connecticut and is designed to support mental health programs, along with law enforcement measures to prevent more mass shootings.For its part, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which fought a similar California law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, told us, "The U.S. Supreme Court ruled only 18 months ago that laws penalizing video games are unconstitutional. Taxing First Amendment protected speech based on its content is not only wrong, but will end up costing Missouri taxpayers."That isn't even a veiled threat. The ESA has a habit of recouping lawyer costs. California paid out nearly $2 million for its unconstitutional attempts, but it hasn't been the only state.Oklahoma also tried a similar violent game bill last year that was killed before it got too far.We've reached out to Rep. Franklin's office to find out if she's still looking to pursue the bill.
Oklahoma's tax on violent games killed
The Oklahoma bill that would have placed a 1 percent tax on "violent" video games was viciously murdered by the state's House Revenue and Tax Subcommittee on February 20. The bill, submitted by Representative Will Fourkiller, would have placed the tax on Teen, Mature and Adults Only-rated titles. Rep. Fourkiller tried to compromise with the "Oklahoma Task Force on Video Games' Relationship to Obesity and Aggression"... it also failed.Taxpayers in Oklahoma should probably burst out into song and thank their lucky stars. Similar legislation has been defeated in other states, with the ESA recouping costs on lawyers fees. California has paid out nearly $2 million for its unconstitutional attempts to pass laws on the matter.
Oklahoma attempts violent-game tax, ESA responds
O-K oy vey -- some States just never learn. Oklahoma State Representative William Fourkiller has proposed a 1 percent tax on Teen, Mature and Adults Only-rated games.Fourkiller says, "Violent video games contribute to some of our societal problems like obesity and bullying, but because they raise a lot of revenue, they can also provide part of the solution." The proposed bill would have half of the money go to a bullying prevention fund and the other to get kids out of the house.You can imagine the Entertainment Software Association, which just last week got the State of California to agree to reimburse it $950,000 in legal fees (on top of another check back in 2008) for fighting Brown v. EMA up to the Supreme Court, has something to say on this subject."We are disappointed that even in the wake of an overwhelming decision in the United States Supreme Court finding proposals such as this to be patently unconstitutional, there are those who still try to attack video game with outdated notions of our industry," the ESA told Joystiq. "Taxing First Amendment protected material based on its content is misguided."California will have paid the ESA more than $1,327,000 to reimburse legal fees, while other states have also had to pay back the industry's lobbying and political arm for fighting similar bills. Turn back now, Oklahoma. Turn back now while you still can!
Report: Game industry best at preventing sale of mature content to minors
The Federal Trade Commission recently conducted an annual undercover shopping survey and found that, of the various consumer entertainment industries, the video game industry was actually best at self-policing and keeping material intended for mature audiences away from children. Following a trend since 2000, the game industry scored very well with only 13 percent of underage shoppers able to buy M-rated games, down from 20 percent last year. Of the various retailers in the survey, Walmart had the worst track record with 20 percent of sales allowed, while Target let only 8 percent of potential shoppers buy games they weren't supposed to. Outside of the game industry, the music industry was the least effective, with 64 percent of the FTC's shoppers able to buy music marked with a Parental Advisory Label. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board responded to the survey through president Patricia Vance, saying it was happy with the results and that retailers have helped. "The strong support that the ESRB ratings have enjoyed from retailers is crucial, underscoring their firm commitment to selling video games responsibly," she said in a statement. The FTC issues this report to Congress every year and says that, despite enforcement improvements across the board, "more needs to be done" to prevent the sale of mature content to young audiences.
Petition helps repeal violent game ban in Germany
German officials have sided with last year's now 73,000-person strong petition signed by citizens against a measure to outright ban violent games in the country. Officials announced that, rather than alter current legislation, the German government will focus on educating citizens about the country's USK game ratings standard, reports GamesIndustry.biz. "The decision of the federal government supports our belief that banning video games is not an efficient way to monitor content," EA senior VP Jen Uwe Intat said of the decision; and he added, "Besides, now we can sell more 'pew-pew' titles in the country, so win-win -- y'know?" Okay, he didn't really say that second part.
Mothers Against Violence discuss GTA, emphasize parental responsibility, on BBC
During a BBC Radio Leeds discussion on violent video games earlier today, a spokesperson for Mothers Against Violence urged parents to take responsibility for their children rather than blame the games themselves. "I'm not directly blaming games, I'm blaming parents. If someone doesn't do something, where does it stop?" Eurogamer transcribed pieces of the discussion, which range from the relatively mild, positive quote above, to the misinformed ("Why is it okay to beat up a prostitute, but not okay to pick up a normal civilian?" -- regarding the Grand Theft Auto series), and even to the legalese ("[Rockstar Games] submits every game to the appropriate ratings body. [GTA is] 18-rated and is entertainment clearly aimed at an adult audience." -- Rockstar's response). The MAV spokesperson reiterated that, while she worries about the effect violent games have on children, the onus is on parents to "study what games are all about." We're just gonna put this out there -- hear, hear!
Study links violent games to violent thoughts and behavior
If you're a subscriber to the APA's Psychological Bulletin (and why wouldn't you be?), you'll find something especially relevant to your interests in the March issue. Psychologist Craig Anderson analyzed existing studies of 130,000 people from the U.S., Europe and Japan, and found that exposure to violent video games was associated with aggressive behavior and thought, along with typical accusations of an inability to foster positive social behavior. A rebuttal to the study from another psychologist and ESA chief Michael Gallagher is featured in The Washington Post article on the subject. We're not doctors nor scientists ourselves, so we're not going to try to pick apart Anderson's findings. We, like Gallagher, are just going to point towards the research of two people who don't have such a huge axe to grind (as Anderson so clearly does). As Dr. Cheryl K. Olson and Dr. Lawrence Kutner wrote in their Grand Theft Childhood, "the strong link between video game violence and real world violence, and the conclusion that video games lead to social isolation and poor interpersonal skills, are drawn from bad or irrelevant research, muddleheaded thinking and unfounded, simplistic news reports." Also, we'd ask that Anderson clarify if the tendency toward violent impulses was specifically sparked by playing Modern Warfare 2 online with a bunch of 12-year-old racist homophobes. Because, then dude, yes.
Ron Jeremy: games 'far worse' for kids than porn
We should warn you guys: The subject of this story is ... well, he's a man named Ron Jeremy. We know you guys probably haven't heard of this man before, but ... well, he's an actor. You definitely haven't seen him in anything, because ... he does adult films. Yes, pornography. We're sorry we had to take this post in such a blue direction, but we felt it important for you to be informed. Mr. Jeremy, the pornographic actor, recently appeared on a CES panel which debated the effects of adult entertainment in the Internet era. As a riposte to an attack on his industry, Mr. Jeremy said, "we don't want kids to watch porn, though if they do, there are far worse influences out there - like video games. Studies have found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids." Oh, yeah? Then why is it acceptable to enjoy video games in public venues? Game, set and match, sir.
Germany's Killer Game drive killed by lack of interest
A German advocacy group called Aktionsbündnis Amoklauf Winnenden, which is mostly composed of parents and friends of victims of the tragic Winnenden school shooting from earlier this year, recently attempted to host an event where owners of violent video games would dispose of their aggressive software en masse. The group rented out a sizable dumpster, hoping to fill it to its brim with Mature video games which people had spent their hard-earned money on. We certainly sympathize with the horrible loss this group recently suffered, but even if they choose to vilify video games, asking people to throw their stuff away probably isn't the most effective course of action. The somewhat predictable results of this event can be found in a video after the jump.
California seeks US Supreme Court review of 'violent game ban' [update]
The state of California is asking the United States Supreme Court to review a US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision from February regarding its 2005 "violent video game law," declaring it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. According to GamePolitics. the law would require an additional warning label on games and slap retailers who sell violent games to minors with a $1,000 fine for each offense. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed Assembly Bill 1179 into law, said of today's action, "By prohibiting the sale of violent video games to children under the age of 18 and requiring these games to be clearly labeled, this law would allow parents to make better informed decisions for their kids. I will continue to vigorously defend this law and protect the well-being of California's kids." Update: Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin has weighed in on California's plea to the Supreme Court. His comments can be found after the break.
Jack Thompson responds to Rocca as we Zen on Take Two
After the break we have a video of Jack Thompson responding to IGDA Director Jason Della Rocca's quote about him being a "massacre chaser." Particularly choice moments are when Thompson calls Della Rocca an "idiot" and "jackass" on national television. The anchor concludes the piece, "Clearly on a campaign, we appreciate your sharing, attorney Jack Thompson."Something worth thinking about as this Thompson "jacklash" continues, we sorta passed over a major event this week: Thompson can't mess with Take Two anymore. This was part of a settlement reached between Take Two and Thompson following a string of lawsuits going back to the Bully case. GamePolitics has the terms of the settlement in a handy PDF download. The big question is if Thompson can't go after Take Two's GTA IV or Manhunt 2, the VT Massacre angle isn't quite going his way, then what is there left to go after? Any violent game Thompson could decide to take on would probably pale in comparison to the carnage in either GTA IV or Manhunt, which he legally can't attack anymore.So, take a deep cleansing breath and ponder: Without the ability to go after Take Two anymore -- what can Thompson do?
