Anilrgowda

As if the question of whether violent video games affect children hasn't been asked and answered numerous times before, the UK government has decided to conduct a study on the opinion dividing issue. Not only will this dredge up the tired old question yet again, and allow tabloid newspapers to splash accusatory headlines over their front pages, it could harm sales of PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles as parents again start to worry about what their kids favourite games are doing to their heads. The BBC is reporting that psychologist Dr Tanya Byron is going to launch the extensive review along with Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Culture Secretary James Purnell. The study is going to last at least six months and if it turns up anything we don't already know, I'll eat my hat.
Dr Byron told BBC News 24:

"The study will be about what industry is doing already to protect children and what more could be done to ensure they have a positive experience on the internet and with games."

The games industry straight away went on the offensive, with most agreeing to co-operate with the panel, while on the other hand asking why games were yet again being singled out from other aspects of the media such as films and television programmes.
Paul Jackson, of Elspa (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association) said:

"The industry is too often blamed for everything from obesity to youth violence, it is just not true and it's not appropriate."

I couldn't agree more. The fact is we already have quite a well regulated system here in the UK, as well as most other countries around the world. Every game released is rated by a PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system, and according to Elspa only 2% of games released are rated 18+.
David Braben, of Frontier games, said:

"A review might be useful but it should not just look at one media, especially when media are intersecting,"
"Historically there has always been in government a Luddite sentiment - whatever the new industry is tends to take the blame of the latest ailment of society."
"We do tend to be the people who get the blame first at the moment. And that is a tragedy - because this industry is one of the most interesting media."

All of this comes in the week that Manhunt 2 was refused a license for the second time. Even though makers Rockstar games had edited the game and cut out some of the more blatant violence, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) still deemed it too sick to be sold to adults in the UK. A ludicrous decision and one which makes me wonder how many freedoms I have left as I sit here wanting to be able to live my own life.
So what does this all mean for the current gaming generation? Well there's no doubt that all of these headline grabbing (yet totally pointless) studies in to the effects of video games violence stokes up parents fears. It's only going to take the government to come out and so playing these games could turn your child in to a killer (I'm paraphrasing), and the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii will almost instantly be wiped off a lot of Christmas lists at a stroke.
This study could affect games sales quite badly. Let's just hope most people see sense and realise that governments have to be seen to be doing something, no matter how utterly diabolical it may in reality be.

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