UK Government Report Takes New Tack on Gaming Violence

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association pronounced itself pleased with the tone of a recently released UK Home Office report that does not pin blame for violence on videogames specifically.

"There are concerns that the way in which violence can be presented in popular culture, for example in music, television, films, videos, computer games and on the internet, may attribute towards a general atmosphere in which violence is tolerated and even glorified," the New Challenges report reads in part.

The ELSPA said it was satisfied to see that video game violence and its possible influence was placed in the general context of popular culture and not unfairly highlighted to the exclusion of other mediums.

"To their credit they appear to have listened to what we have had to say, as while the document does express concern over the way violence can be presented in popular culture, it doesn't single out games and goes on to state that government 'will work with relevant industries and regulators to ensure that any response is proportionate and evidence based,'" an ELSPA statement said.

Source: Gamesindustry.biz

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I think we already established as a community that this would be a no-show. I mean really, despite banning Manhunt and all, the people on these boards do get put into positions of power based on experience, not ignorance. Half of them are gamers themselves, so it isn't as if they would act irrationally, even if something of controversy did 'pop up'. On a related note, I watched a US Congressional Advisory Committee on Internet matters talk for an hour and a half last night about child victimisation on the web. Again, even American politicians (or at least those who tell them what to say, heh) openly admit that any sensationalism is totally unnecessary and the media is just a pile of wank when they overblow (pun intended) these issues. The same is happening here, where (unlike a lot of the games journalist industry makes us believe, cough) people - powerful people - are choosing sense over irrational action. What's that the ELSPA said? 'Response is proportionate and evidence based'? Yeah, that is what we need to hear.

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association pronounced itself pleased with the tone of a recently released UK Home Office report that does not pin blame for violence on videogames specifically.

Well, it was the best we could have hoped for.