A poll finds that 60% of consumers believe the US government should directly regulate the sale of “violent” videogames. Fifty-one percent want the government to regulate game content, according to a poll by New York based PR firm Hill & Knowlton.
In other news, 51% of Americans have never heard of the First Amendment.
The Entertainment Software Association released a statement criticizing both the findings, and the timing of the statement during the Christmas shopping season.
Hill & Knowlton’s decision to release these findings was both unprofessional and unethical and its timing is questionable. We understand that parents have concerns about mature content getting into the hands of children and we are working to help make sure that does not happen. Continued…
The media-generated controversy over violent content in Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 is spurring a cabal of U.S. senators to call for a stronger videogame ratings system, as well as an examination of the “robustness” of the current system.
In particular the senators, led by Evan Bayh (D-Indiana), want the ESRB ratings system to take into account the “psychological impact” of acting out actions in a game. This concern is based on the Wii motion controls for Manhunt 2. Continued…
“The USA Today,” as Stephen Colbert likes to call it, has an irresponsible story excoriating Nintendo for allowing Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 to be produced for the Wii. The author tries to sensationalize the issue in a manner reminiscent of Jack Thompson’s worst hyperbole.
Entertainment writer Mike Snider is welcome to his opinion, that playing Manhunt 2 on the Wii will corrupt little minds. But I take exception to the factual misstatements.
From the article: Continued…
