Video watch

The National Institute on Media and the Family issued its 11th annual video game report card at the end of November. The Institute stated:

For the past ten years, we have used this annual report card to challenge the video game industry to improve its record of attending to the welfare of younger players. More recently, we urged retailers to step up to their reponsbility to keep adult games out of the hands of children and youth. This year we acknowledge the strides taken by both sectors of the industry.

In October, the Institute and Iowa State University sponsored the first National Summit on Video Games, Youth and Public Policy at which academics, public health officials, child health advocates and video game industry representatives convened. There the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) pledged additional funding for ratings education for parents. ESRB ratings include E (Everyone) and E10+ (Everyone 10+).

The report noted:

...some video game makers are focusing on kid-friendly games and technologies. The Nintendo DS, for example, has gained a reputation as a "clean console" because of the vast number of E-rated games it supports, and Microsoft is said to be investing heavily in E and E10+ games.

According to its website, the Institute is "the world's leading and most respected research-based organization on the positive and harmful effects of media on children and youth."

11th Annual Video Game Report Card (pdf, 13pp/84kB), November 28, 2006

See related FR post, Minors and violent, sexual video games, Jan. 06