iOS & Android Beating up on Nintendo & Sony in Gaming

Flurry Analytics, a mobile analytics company, has come out with a report showing the shift in mobile gaming from traditional console providers such as Sony and Nintendo towards mobile systems such as iOS and Android.

iOS and Andriods leads the charge with a large bank of free and inexpensive games. Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and any other potential portable gaming platform requires a consumer to spend over a $100 dollars for the gaming device alone then another $30-40 for each game. With the coming of the iPhone, the iTouch, and now multiple Android based smartphones, there is no longer a need to purchase a separate gaming device. Also many games can be had for free or for a mere dollar or two.

Nintendo DS no longer the Big Boy of Portable Gaming

In 2009, Nintendo DS accounted for 70% of all game software revenue. iOS & Android was at 19%. 2011 thus far estimated will see Nintendo drop to 36% while iOS and Android will eat up 58% of the gaming market revenue. This is out of a total portable game revenue pie of $3.3 billion dollars. The days of paying $40 a game seems to be numbered as many games are taking on freemium models where gamers get the game free and has the option to purchase more levels, features, or additional add-ons as they desire.

Let's Go Beat up Nintendo Together!

Nintendo will be facing it’s first fiscal year loss since it first started reporting profits in 1981. With both Apple and Google looking to enter into the TV space, it won’t be long before these games take over the living room as well.

• Does any of this surprise you?
• What is the last cartridge game you bought?
• How many mobile games do you own?

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All the Things a Child Needs?

Did you know your kids may be able to buy M Rated Games?

Did You Know: Selling of video games is self-regulated. This means video game merchants can decide to check ID, not check ID, or just sell any rated video game to any age group. Based on a Federal Trade Commission study, about 20% of minors were able to purcahse mature video games on a national average. One nationwide chain was high as 50%.

US Supreme Court Rules – No Restrictions

Couple months ago, US Supreme Court ruled that, YES, game merchants should be allowed to sell violent games to kids. The US Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association formerly Schwarzenegger v. EMA) deciding that the 2005 California law that prohibited sale of violent games to minors as unconstitutional. The SCOTUS ruled in a 7-2 vote. The original California Law was enacted to limit the sale of violent games to minors.

California Law of 2005 Law Banning the Sale of Violent Games to Minor

California Senator Leland Yee introduced the original law banning the sale of violent games to minors in 2005. It held a $1,000 fine for any infractions by retailers. He wanted to regulate the video game industry due to various connections between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children. Similar laws passed in other states. This law was challenged numerous times and eventually show down on June 2011.

Why Rule Against Restricting Minors from Buying Violent Games?

One reason the Supreme Court ruled against this previous California law was the consideration that the definition of “violence” was too vague. The video gaming industry defended themselves by proclaiming that even Super Mario Brothers could be considered “violent” and so how is anyone to deem what is violent? On the opposite end of the spectrum was discussions over games such as “Postal 2″ where the player can urinate on non-player characters then set them on fire.

Other reasons that were considered was whether the state government should have any rights to implement such restrictions and whether it conflicted with the first amendment.

Are We on a Slippery Slope? Standards Changing?

Ques: If we are allowed to sell M rated Games to kids, why stop there and sell M Rated Movies?

Outside of the ruling here is a question. Are we going down a slippery slope?

Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen the definition of “PG-13″ change dramatically over that short period. Standards change over time, little by little.

Forget the arguments about first amendments or the rights of the government for a moment. If we don’t place boundaries on limiting what a minor can purchase, are we heading down a slippery slope? If selling R rated video games is ok, why not R rated movies? Something will have to eventually give. If M rated video games are ok, why not adult movies? How can we say yes to one and not the other? If someone demands these things, how can we argue? Who has the right to determine where the line needs to be drawn? Why?

In the movie industry, we’ve already seen that “line” shift dramatically. There was once a time PG-13 would be completely safe to take your children. Not anymore. Standards have changed over time. Plus who is to say where the line is? It’s concerning when the video game industry seems to have the most say. Is this a subjective matter?

• What is your opinion on this?
• What are your thoughts on the continual changing of our standards in media?

Related posts:

1. Congressman Joe Baca wants Warning Labels on Games
2. EA’s Medal of Honor – Play as the Taliban
3. Girl Starves to Death as Parents Raise Virtual Child

Congressmen Joe Baca wants Warning Labels on Games

Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto, CA.) introduced a bill that calls for “all video games with an Electronics Software Ratings Board rating of Teen or higher” must include a health warning label stating:

“WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

This new bill co-signed by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) called “The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2011″ and would create a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products… They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.”

Parents Must be Warned of Potential Harm!

“We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play… I am proud to introduce the Video Game Health Labeling Act, and am hopeful this legislation can work to stop the growing influence of violent media on America’s children and youth.”

- Congressman Joe Baca

Representative Baca cites several scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University that showed a “neurological link between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers.”

“Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents – and children — about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior,” co-signer Rep Wolf said. “As a parent and grandparent, I think it is important people know everything they can about the extremely violent nature of some of these games.”

First Take

My take? It may pass, it may not, but it won’t do much in terms of raising awareness among the masses. People in the blogosphere, especially gamers will make rant at it, but ultimately it won’t get much attention or affect sales.

In terms of violent games affect on people: my opinion is YES it does have an effect. I am not saying playing violent games will lead people to commit massive murder or kill their parents (though that does happen…), but it does affect our sensitivity towards violence, changing our standards in terms of how we view different levels of violence. Don’t tell me a child who grows up never watching violent movies, playing games that has to do with shooting people, or games that glorify stealing cars and robbing people will have the same perception of violence as someone who grows up not viewing such things. Perhaps they may not be inclined to do those things, but when such pressures or occasions come, perhaps out of their control, how we grew up and what we are exposed to definitely has an impact in the worldview we have towards such things.

Feel free to agree or disagree, but that is my first take.

What are your thoughts?

• What do you think?
• Will it be helpful? Will it not work?
• Is this too much? or the right idea?
• Do you believe violent games may influence and encourage bad behavior?

Related posts:

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Lovely Town of Atami full of Virtual Couples?

OMG: This was my reaction to this:

The recently released version of the game “Love Plus, players can visit 13 real, physical locations with their.. virtual girlfriends? Wait.. what?

A beach resort in the seaside town of Atami about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo, started to target young men who play the game Love Plus. What is Love Plus? It is a virtual sims game where you play as a high school boy in a relationship with a high school girl. The point of the game is maintain and build the relationship. The game became big news when a 27 year old Japanese became so engaged (pun fully, and sadly intended) staged a full on wedding watched by thousands of people online with his virtual fiancée.

Blending the Virtual with Reality

So what is the OMG for? The recently released version had a new feature. In a partnership with the city of Atami, the players can visit 13 real, physical locations and find 2D barcodes where they can scan to signify taking their virtual girlfriends to these location.

It’s creative idea and it does help the local businesses but… it is a creepy step into blending the virtual with reality. Think about the couple who had neglected their real child while raising a virtual one. Where one starts, the other ends.

The game Love Plus, created by Konami Digital Entertainment, released last September has sold nearly 430,000 copies. More than 2,000 players have already visited Atami since the campaign launched in July.

• … so what are your thoughts?
• do you think engaging in these games will have any effect on the person’s management of real life relationships?

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EA’s Medal of Honor – Play as the Taliban

EA’s Medal of Honor is one of the most successful and well known first-person shooters available. In October 12, the latest rendition is due to be released but with a twist – it takes place in Afghanistan and in multiplayer mode, you are allowed to play as the Taliban.

• Wait, what kind of video game allows you to play as the Taliban and shoot U.S. Soldiers?
• Don’t we still have soldiers still in Afghanistan?

Hope I Don't get a Mask Tan..

Playing as the Enemy in Video Games

Playing as the enemy is nothing new in video games. Playing as part of the mob, or in games like grand theft auto – playing as criminals killing cops and innocent civilians. Playing as the enemy in war games is also nothing new.

Point of Contention – It’s an On-going Conflict

The point of contention with this game is that it is being released while US Soldiers are still in Afghanistan. It is an on-going conflict with many families who have loved ones still still serving overseas. No one argues against games placed in WWII or other long passed wars, but the fact that this game takes place in a current war, has stirred quite a bit of controversy.

Question: Bad Form or Fair Game?

• Is EA in bad form to try to take advantage of current history to sell games or do you feel it is completely fair game (pun intended)?

A Gold Star Mother Meredith came on Fox & Friends to express how she and many other people have with this title. She
how it is disrespectful especially to families who are losing their children in the war. Meredith herself lost her son in Afghanistan.

“We’ve just come off of the worst month of causalties in the whole war… and this game is going to be released in October. So families who are going to be burying their children are going to be seeing this… I just don’t see that a video game based on a current war makes any sense at all. It’s disrespectful.”

Even the British Defense Secretary Liam Fox had a lot to add to this controversy.

“[It is] shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers.”

“At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.”

“It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”

[Note that no British Soldiers are actually explicitly in the game. Dr Fox is alluding to attacking ISAF troops in the area of central Helmand where British troops are operating"]

Current Conflicts vs. Old Conflicts

I still remember vividly the tragedy of 9/11. I still remember how horrible and painful it felt to witness such an horrific event. I also remember in a moment of random thought how long it would be before people started to pump out movies on this matter. Movies on WWII are abundant but they all came out years after the wars have long passed. The images from “Saving Private Ryan” or even movies like “Pearl Harbor” would have been excruciating for anyone remotely connected to the war or those who were in it. No one would dare make a movie on 9/11 right away, but how can you know when it is ok? Several movies came out later depicting the conflict but since some time of healing had passed no one flinched.

So the question again is..

• Is EA in bad form to try to take advantage of current history to sell games or do you feel it is completely fair game (pun again! gag me,)?

What are your thoughts on this matter?
Please do not just say “it’s just a game” or “so and so is a retard” or “if you don’t like it don’t play it”. These are not arguments, it’s a bit of a cop-out and often demeaning.

The question is whether the timing of this game (clearly for the sake of profit) is in bad form or if it’s legit.

An even deeper question if you dare:

• Why is it that we aren’t all that offended at video games in which the purpose is to go around shooting down other human beings?
• What does our desensitization to violence and games such as these, speak about our culture?

I think the answer to these questions are more disturbing than any of the debate over this game.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related posts:

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2. Did You Know Your Children Can Buy M Rated Video Games?
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South Korea is easily the video game capital of the world. With the fastest connections and a huge base of gamers young and old, it is no surprises that the idea of playing games is so integrated into their psyche.

Unfortunately, this also means there are more cases of video games resulting in harmful consequences. Recently a Korean couple, Kim Yoo-chul and Choi Mi-sun, was arrested for the neglect of their 3 month old child as they devoted themselves to hours of playing a computer game which involved of all things, raising a virtual child.

Neglected Infant Dies as Parents Raise a Virtual Child

Anima Prius Online Screenshot

The 41-year-old man and 25-year-old woman, who they themselves originally met through a chat site, had left their infant unattended for long periods of time as they went to internet cafes to raise their virtual child. They only stopped by to feed their child powdered milk. They arrived home after playing for 12 hours at the local internet cafe to find their infant daughter dead. The police suspected neglect due to the baby’s malnourished body which was later confirmed by an autopsy.

Up until two weeks before the death on Sept 24, 2009, the baby had been taken care of by Kim’s parents as the couple was finding it difficult to take care of their premature baby. As Kim’s mother was ill, the baby was given to the couple for care. After the funeral the couple disappeared for months until they were found on March 2, 2010 at the wife’s parents home in Yangju, Gyeonggi province.

The game is called “Prius Online”. It is a very popular role playing game where you can create a virtual life in a virtual world. You create your character and traverse through life as you interact with other users, find jobs, build a family and so on.

Chung Jin-Won, a police offer said “The couple seemed to have lost their will to live a normal life because they didn’t have jobs and gave birth to a premature baby… they indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby.”

The case has shocked South Korea once again highlighting obsessive behavior related to the internet.

Other Incidents due to Video Game Obsessions

This is not the first of such incidents involving the obsession over video games.

In 2005, a man died in a internet cafe in Taegu after playing Starcraft for nearly 50 hours straight. He suffered cardiac arrest after not eating or drinking during that time.

In September of 2009, a young man murdered his mother for nagging him about playing too much video games. He then went to a local internet cafe and just continued to play games as if nothing had happened.

Of course these incidents are unique just to Korea as the child that killed his mother over the game of halo was well publicized here in the United States.

As these incidents continue to arise, there has been some movement to battle these dangerous and upsetting trends. Lee Joung-sun, an MP from the ruling Grand National party of South Korea has submitted a bill restricting the hours of online gamers. There are several such bills pending in the national assembly with varied proposals of how to limit teenagers’ time at internet cafes and limits to online game.

What is the Impact of Addictive Video Games on People?

These kind of incidences highlight the uneasy notion how these addictive games, as well as the general increase in internet use, has had a direct impact on the way we live our lives and relate to others. It is easy to point at these perpetrators in shock and blame them for being “neglectful” or “dumb” or even “crazy” while brushing off how the internet as a whole has had some negative impact in society as a whole.

Children from an early age sit in their rooms playing games hours into the night rather than developing their social skills by playing outside with their friends. The negative effects of media usage on children are well documented. As they children consume 7.5 hours of media a day, their worldview in terms of how to understand themselves, understand others, and understand the world are defined by what they see on the screen. Even adults spend hours and hours watching online videos or playing online games as soon as they come home from work. An average American watches 153 hours of TV a month while going online 68 hours a month!

Yes, the perpetrators are at fault and are completely responsible for what they did. However, it really say something about the our ever-pervasive dependence on media as well the status of our culture that these kind of horrible incidences can even occur.

• What is your reaction to this horrible news?
• Do you think people will reconsider their behavior due to this incident or brush it off saying it is different?
• Is it a valid statement that the addictive nature of some video games causes social harm?

Follow Clean Cut Media @CleanCutMedia Twitter!

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The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came out with a study this week that suggests that gaming habits developed as a youth carries with them into adulthood. Specifically those who played video games as a child or a teenager have a trend to become inactive and have more health issues.

The study included 552 adults between 19 and 90 in the Washington State area. Gaming once was considered a children centric activity but in this study, 50% of gamers were found to be within the 18 to 49 age while 25% were 50 and older. Those in the younger age between 8 to 34 showed many signs of addiction.

Men and Video Gaming: Health Problems

The findings show that men who play video games tend to be more overweight, have a higher BMI and spend more time online then those who did not engage in video game activities.

Women and Video Gaming: Coping Mechanism

Women on the other hand were more likely to play games as a way to get their minds off of their worries and problems. It is referred to as “digital self-medication” and unfortunately has become a coping mechanism of escape from both dealing with their problems and just dealing with reality. It also leads many to the road of game addiction.

Video Game & Media for Social Dependency

Another trend is that both men and women are showing more dependency on the online world for social engagement and support. Through social sites such as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook, people are more reliant on the Internet than ever for social needs.

Though this study ultimately is simply showing a correlation between video gaming and health, it does give us a picture of how video games and the internet are having a direct impact in the lives of people. Both men and women could be coping with extra time or life difficulties by playing active sports or talking with friends. However media consumption, whether that be video games, movies, or surfing the internet, has become a popular alternative to simply push out worries and not deal with it.

I can readily admit that when life troubles comes my way it is easy to want to ignore it for a while by distracting myself with something to do. Games, Movies, Music all being one click away doesn’t help. How about you?

• How do you cope with downtime?
• How do you cope with life worries?
• Do you know of people or perhaps do you often use media as an escape mechanism?

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3 Latest Viral Videos Floating around the Web

I am not one to be promoting video games. I personally believe video games, though can be fun activities in groups, usually ends up as a huge time sink. This isn’t an issue just with children and teenagers, but adults. In the modern era, even adults spend hours on end playing video games rather than living life in the real world. This is especially a concern for young children who spend so much time in front of the tube that it hinders their general interpersonal development.

I mean, a kid shot his parents over Halo 3 a while ago. I am not claiming the game caused him to do it, but if he wasn’t so obsessed with playing the game, it probably would not have never happened! Games are very addicting.

Having said that, I appreciates graphics, CG, and creativity. The following few videos are trailers and previews that came out of the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo or “E3″ conference. It has been making it’s rounds in the internet world.

What is Microsoft Natal?

Heard any buzz yet? The first of these is a trailer by Microsoft in regards to new concept technology they are currently developing. With the success of the Wii and it’s movement sensing controller, Microsoft decided to take it further by proclaiming “no controller!”. Basically what they dubbed “Natal” will be able to detect your entire body movements and use your actions for the game. Imagine playing a fighting game actually swinging fists and legs. Imagine racing with an imaginary steering wheel. That is what Natal is trying to do. See the video.

E3 – Microsoft Natal Trailer Video

The next two videos are preview shots of upcoming games Star Wars and Final Fantasy XIV. These previews show mostly CG Rendering and Visual Graphic effects. The graphics are simply spectacular. The battle scene depicted in Star Wars between the Jedi Knights and the Seth empire is truly epic, grander than any of the movies released so far.

New Star Wars Trailer – Epic Battle Scene

Final Fantasy XIV – Preview Trailer

Now don’t be wasting time playing video games! Go out! Play sports! Do something!

The US video game industry continues to grow despite the bad economy. Though spending cuts are prevalent in all parts of life and in all kinds of industry, the video game industry grew 13% from January 2008. The industry now sits at $1.33 billion strong. This growth is well above the the overall consumer spending growth rates.

• Is anyone concerned how gaming spend is going up in a time when spending is being cut elsewhere due to economic troubles?
• What does this say about the culture we live in…

In January 2009, Microsoft Xbox 360 sales increased 34% while Nintendo saw a whopping 148% growth on their Wii consoles (statistics by NPD Group). Sony Playstation 3 saw a third consecutive decrease in Sales. Console and Hardware constituted a 17% growth outpacing Software Games which was up by 10%.

“At this point in the console lifecycle, we would expect to see a greater percentage of total industry sales generated by software sales, but the continued strength in hardware sales is changing that scenario a bit,” NPD analyst Anita Frazier wrote in an e-mail accompanying the monthly stats. “This will have a long-term positive impact on the industry as the user base expands.”

David Dennis, a spokesman for Xbox, said that he attributed the strength in the video game industry to people “cocooning” at home during bad economic times seeking out cheap entertainment rather than going out to social activities. Microsoft had its biggest single month growth game in subscribers to their online gamer community.

Great news for the gaming industry, but it is sad that as economies worsen, people are spending more time at home playing games to either save money or just cope with the economy the way it is.

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Daniel Petric Kills Mother, Wounds Father

Daniel Petric, a teenager from Ohio was charged and found guilty for aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder for killing his mother and wounding his father in Oct 20, 2007 because they wouldn’t let him play Halo 3.

Daniel was 16 when he snuck out of the house to buy Halo 3 after his parents told him he was not allowed to play it. His father, Mark Petric 45, forbade him to play it because it is very violent in nature and sexually explicit. Halo is a violent first person shooter. He was caught with the game on his way back and his father put away the game in a lockbox in their closet. Unfortunately this is the same box they kept their 9mm handgun.

A month later, Daniel took his father’s key and took both the game and the gun. Prosecutors described the situation by saying Daniel Petric then went to his parents room while concealing the weapon and said “Would you close your eyes? I have a surprise for you.”

Mark Petric Cries in Testimony

His father, Mark Petric testified that he was expecting something pleasant but instead went numb. All he remember was that later Daniel was putting the gun into his hands saying “Hey Dad, here’s your gun. Take it”.

His father only survived because his daughter, Heidi Archer and her husband, Andrew, happen to come over to watch a baseball game. Unfortunately Susan Petric, the mother of Daniel, died of the gunshot wound to the head. She was shot in the head, arms and chest.

Heidi and Andrew testified that Daniel told them not to go in because “Mom and Dad had a big argument”. They pushed their way in anyhow and found the elder Petric badly wounded but was able to hear him say that his son had shot him. Daniel in turn tried to blame the father. As Heidi called 911, Daniel picked up the handgun but it was immediately taken away by her husband. Daniel gave it up without much resistance. He then fled the scene. He was picked up by the police with Halo 3 still in his possession.

Petric’s sister, Holly, testified that Daniel had become addicted to video games while stuck at home after getting staph infection due to a snowboarding injury. One of Daniel’s friends, Jonathan Johnson, testified that Daniel was so obsessed with the Halo series that he would come over to play 7-8 hours a day. One weekend, the week before the shootings, he played 16-18 hours a day only pausing to eat, sleep and use the restroom. Mark Petric said that he and his son had a great relationship but that he had to put his foot down when it came to his obsession with this game.

The defense tried to dispute that daniel committed aggravated murder because it requires prior calculation and design. His lawyer, James Kersey, said the shooting was not planned. They pleaded insanity because he was under the influence of “Halo 3″. The prosecutor Tony Cillo argued that Daniel was fully aware of what he was doing and that he had told the forensic psychologist he had plotted this shooting a week before including making it appear like a murder suicide.

Mark Petric, a minister, still frequently visits his son in jail. He said that his son did apologize for what he did has said to him “Dad, I’m so sorry for what I did to Mom, to you and to the family. I’m so glad you are alive.” Mark had testified that his mom’s relationship with Daniel was very close. Since then the family has forgiven him for what he had done and one day hopes to have him return home. THe family did ask Judge Burge to acquit him. During the pronouncement of the sentence, Mark told his son “I love you, Danny”.

Daniel faces up to a life in prison without parole

• What is your initial reaction to the fact that a boy shot his parents over his obsession over a video game?
• Was the Father right to refuse to let his child play a game he found to be inappropriate considering his growing obsession?
• What are your thoughts on the defense pleading “insanity” because of Halo 3?
• Thoughts about the family forgiving him?

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Soon, all online gamers in China must register with real names rather than made up game alias. This is a mandatory program that will be implemented for anti gaming addiction monitoring purposes.

Is online gaming addictive? Numerous studies and tests seem to support this case as massive online multiplayer games are becoming more popular both for children, teens and adults alike. Not only are more people playing, but many are spending countless waking hours building up their online characters.

Game addiction has become a serious problem all over the world. The Chinese government has concluded that this problem has become severe enough that they will soon require those playing massive multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing games must register with their real names when creating new accounts. Users will registers their names along with government issued ID cards. Zhang Yijun, the director of General Administration of Press and Publication’s technology and digital publication department, said personal information would become a requirement for those register for online games.

This new process will not affect game play as it is only to be used to monitor for potential addiction risks. To be clear, this requires users to simply REGISTER with real names not necessarily be identified by their real names in the game itself. Sadly, when this idea first came into public, it was the adults that pushed back because though they liked the idea of control, they didn’t want to be under the same system as youths.

The system will have an inquiry system that is open to the community and allows parents to check on their children game playing time.

Countries such as China, Korea, and Japan all have long histories and horror stories in regards to gaming addictions. China has already taken initiative on several fronts. Several Chinese universities, such as Nanjing University, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University, have implemented rules banning freshmen from bringing computers to campuses due to what is seen as a lack of control and its adverse effects on their studies. Other schools who do not outright ban computers, discourage students from bringing computers. Often these rules are implemented across the board regardless of major even if it is in the computer related field. China has also already classified internet use as a medical disorder

This system is in line with other Chinese government initiatives in development which tracks names with blog comments and other online sharing mediums.

• Do you think this is a good move? Should others follow suit?
• Is this invasion into privacy or is it reasonable considering it is just registrations?
• Do you think this will help with curbing gaming addiction?
• What else can be done?

Share your thoughts

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Dr. David Walsh is the founder of the National Institute for Media and the Family (NIMF). To the public he is a prominent source in regards to game violence.

Below are two blockquotes from the interview he had with gamebyte.

“I played video games, and I’m not violent.”

I think the research on media’s impact on children is a very, very rich body of research. The bulk of that research is not on video games — the bulk has been on television, simply because it’s been around for so long. But there’s a great deal of research showing that media has an impact on kids. There’s actually a lot of research that shows that media has an impact on all of us, but our focus is kids. Now, every study, no matter what field you’re talking about, is an imperfect study. And that’s true whether you’re talking about cancer, whether you’re talking about heart disease, whether you’re talking about video game violence. And so a lot of the critics of the research will point to various studies and if it’s a laboratory research study, an experimental study like the type that Craig Anderson does, then you get the criticism that “this is such an unnatural situation, you can’t extrapolate anything from that.” Then, if you do real-world studies, the criticism is that “There could be this, that and the other variable that you didn’t control for,” which you can control in an experimental setting, but then…
So every study has its flaws, but as you know there’s a statistical procedure where you can actually take a look at a body of research when it gets big enough, and that’s called metaanalysis. And that literally calculates the probability that a body of research is incorrect. So you take these flawed studies, all of these imperfect studies, but enough of them point in the same direction, you can calculate “Well, what’s the probability that they’re all wrong?” The video game research field now is rich enough to do those metaanalytical studies, and the results of those studies show that indeed, these games do affect kids.

But it’s the nature of the effect that I think is important to pay attention to. The common thing people say is, “I played video games, and I’m not violent.” Well, of course! That’s not the way risk factors work. That’s the same as the person who says “Well, I eat McDonald’s, and I don’t have a heart condition.” And I think the risk factor interpretation is the one we should be using. What I think we know from the research is that video game violence is a risk factor for aggression for kids, the same way that a high-fat diet is a risk factor for heart disease. Now, if the only risk factor I’ve got is a high-fat diet, then my risk for heart disease is pretty low, but if I drink a lot, high-fat diet, I’m obese, I don’t get any exercise, after a while you’re going to start to say, “Dave, you’re a walking heart attack” — because I have an accumulation of those risk factors. Because violent video games are a risk factor that we can do something about, we have a responsibility to do that, just as a parent has a responsibility to get their kid to eat a healthy diet.

Is Video Game Addiction Real?

I think what’s happening, not just here in the United States but in other countries as well, is that there’s some percentage of gamers—and no one quite knows what the percentage is, different surveys have put it at different percentages—but for some percentage of gamers, it seems to become an obsession. Other things in their life get neglected, sometimes even their health gets neglected, their grades start to suffer, relationships start to suffer, and so it starts to bear all the behavioral hallmarks of an addiction. And so I think that’s why the term has emerged. Of course, the term itself is controversial, because there are some, particularly in academia, who say that addiction signifies something that has to do with a chemical change. A dependency to a chemical. But we do have other behaviors that are recognized as addictions, the most common example to bear would be gambling addiction.

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Gaming Addiction just a Symptom to a Bigger Problem?
I’ve recently read an article that was clearly written by someone who enjoys playing games. It defend gaming by saying that gaming addiction is just a symptom of a bigger issue whether that be depression, isolation or other social anxieties. It is argued that if games like World of WarCraft is given to someone who already has a good balance life, problems would not arise, because gaming addiction is like alcohol addiction where the problem stems from something else.

I think this is true, but that doesn’t mean gaming addiction is any less dangerous or able to affect someone’s life. This article ends by saying that the solution to helping gaming addiction is not taking the game away but figuring out the root problem.

The first commenter says to replace “game” with “drugs” or “alcohol” and see how semi-incorrect the statement truly is. Very insightful. I say take the game away so they CAN deal with the source of the problem.

Of course it’s possible that gaming addiction is a symptom of something deeper. I know many people who played games not just because they might be fun but because they wanted to escape from the troubles and difficulties of reality. But that can also be the case for drug addictions, alcohol addictions, eating disorders and so on. Because some addiction isn’t the root of a problem doesn’t make the addiction any less dangerous and something that needs to be dealt with. Even if it means taking the game away so they can man up and face the realities of life.

The “root” issue is something all people deal with. Not having purpose in life, not having meaning, being lonely, feeling like no one understands you, seeking true love, seeking true peace, and so on. Lot of these addictions are perverse ways of just trying to fill that sense of void. Unfortunately people are setting themselves up for let downs as these are only temporary and brings relief only for but a moment. So they must do it again and again in order to forget, avoid, and not deal with life problems.

Game Addiction is a serious problem because it adversely affects the person in their maturity, character development, dealing with life problems and it affects those around them. I am not going to go into the details of the many harms that come from this, but let’s be clear, video game addiction is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Being nice about it and letting someone waste away hours of their life saying that the problem is somewhere else is not going to help them deal with the issues at had.

• Do you think Game Addiction is a problem?
• What kind of adverse effects can Game Addiction have on a person?
• Are games addicting in themselves or is it the case that there are root issues that cause people to be addicted to games due the way it can help a person escape from reality?

Share your thoughts!

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