The Pearson Foundation has released a white paper authored by Arizona State University’s Jay Blanchard and Terry Moore which gathers information on how digital media effects learning in children.

The Digital World of Young Children: Emergent Literacy (PDF) examines the impact of cell phones, television, videogames, smart devices and computers, with an emphasis on three to five year old kids in developing and least-developed countries. The report offers that, “digital media is already transforming the language and cultural practices that enable early literacy development, making possible a new kind of personal and global interconnectedness.”

A few excerpts from the section on videogames:

With the exception of a study of video game effects on first- and second-grade children in Chile, there is no research available on the influence of video games on emergent literacy skills development.

However, more and more video games are now tailored for young children, and some are targeted at emergent literacy.

The impact of this increased availability is unclear. It is known that video games can have both negative and positive influences on older children and adolescents. Benefits have been documented in terms of enhanced visual attention and perceptual-motor skills development among older users.

However, negative effects from video game violence and aggression have been a contentious issue, particularly with regard to young children even if they are just watching and listening.

On media that is not “intentionally educational” (i.e. television and videogames):

These types of media activate orienting and selecting processes as direct responses to the visual and auditory features of the content. However, it is not until young children engage and sustain their attention that actual encoding, or learning, occurs.

The white paper offers the following conclusion:

… until more empirical research becomes available, it is only possible to speculate about the effects based mostly on what the research has taught us about television and computer-based learning with older children, adolescents, and adults in developed nations. Factors that may be affected include attention, information processing speed, social collaboration, attitudes and digital literacy.

A columnist for a local Minnesota paper recently detailed her ability to overcome an aversion for videogames.

Maggie Modjeski, a writer for the Winona Daily News of Winona, Minnesota, was given a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit for Christmas. The console remained boxed for sometime after the holidays as Modjeski wrestled with the fact that the game machine was “against everything I had preached for so long to my children.”

After some setup assistance from her kids, the Wii was ready to go. Modjeski noticed that her offspring playing Wii Fit were not only occupied, but “they were active and they were getting tired,” in addition to “burning pent-up energy that comes with a long, cold Minnesota winter.”

Once her weary children went to bed, the author tried her own hand at the Wii, playing Wii Tennis until her “arm was about to fall off.”

Modjeski’s opinion of games changed almost immediately:

Since that day, the Wii has become my friend. However, I don't condone hours of play or use it as a babysitter. I don't believe it is a revolutionary tool that brings families together, nor does the system replace a trip to the YMCA or any other real activity.
 

The Wii isn't going to eradicate childhood obesity, and, to be honest, when I hear about kids using it during their physical education classes, I do get a little irritable.

I have come to the conclusion that, like most everything else, in moderation it's OK.

A little different than the last mom covered around these parts.


|Image from Flickr|

70.0% of parents pay “close” attention to videogame ratings when making a purchase for themselves or their children according to a new study from Activision Publishing and The Harrison Group.

The survey was conducted as part of Activision’s Ratings Are Not a Game initiative, which is designed to educate parents and consumers further on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system.

Additional survey statistics showed that 63.0% of parents with children consider themselves a gamer, with that number increasing to 83.0% for parents 35 years of age and younger. Additionally, 82.0% of gamers indicated awareness of ESRB ratings, as did 75.0% of children.

76.0% of adults surveyed indicated they were comfortable with videogames being a part of their family’s activities.

Gamers also spent an average of 32.0% of their free time on entertainment, with 19.0% of that time spent on videogames.

Mike Griffith, Activision Publishing President and CEO, added:

Parents rely on and value the ESRB ratings in helping them decide which games to allow their children to play. Our 'Ratings Are Not A Game' education initiative underscores our commitment to helping parents better understand and utilize the ratings system as they select age appropriate games and determine the best way for the entire family to enjoy the gaming experience.

Research was culled from 1,201 online surveys of videogamers, and their parents, between the ages of 6 and 44.

PlayStation 3 parental controls are confusing and subpar when compared to the Xbox 360 writes an IGN columnist.

While the 360 uses ESRB and MPAA ratings to restrict videogames and movies (Ed: confirmed by looking on Xbox.com), the author writes that doing so on the PS3 is confusing, because Sony implemented a number system, “Over on the PlayStation 3, you assign a number. What does the number mean? Who the hell knows.”

Well, while it is confusing, the PS3 manual features a chart that correlates numbers with ESRB ratings: parental control level 2 corresponds with the ESRB’s Early Childhood (EC) rating, 3 with Everyone (E), 4 with Everyone +10 (E10+), 5 with Teen (T), 9 with Mature (M) and 10 with Adults Only (AO).

Limiting Blu-Ray disc playback is a little easier. From the manual: "When playing a BD with parental control settings, restrict playback based on the age you have set."

The author agrees that this is rather straight forward, “For Blu-ray discs, you can set a number anywhere between 0 and what seems to effectively equate to infinity. It sounds like you can just treat this as someone's age, which at least sort of makes sense, but that doesn't apply to games.”

Regular DVD restriction is a little more confusing. Says the IGN author, “DVDs have had this same confusing system for a while now, where you can choose a number between 1 and 8, but on its games front, Sony has gone with a system that spans from 1 to 11.”

We would have to agree that having two different numbering systems is a bit confusing. In both cases however, the lower the number, the tighter the restrictions.

GP: Having little reason to enact parental controls, this was all relatively new territory. Obviously the IGN editor did not take the time to read the manual, but this is common among consumers.

Did Sony make their parental controls too difficult for the average person to understand?

Any parents out there have similar problems or confusion limiting PS3 content?

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) is taking children’s TV network Nickelodeon to task for linking to “naughty” online games from its Nick.com and NickJR.com websites.

CCFC claims Nickelodeon is promoting “sexualized and violent video games to children as young as preschoolers” by cross-linking to its sister-website, AddictingGames.com.

Among the titles to raise CCFC’s ire are Naughty Classroom (Hot for teacher?...Here's your chance to fulfill your ultimate childhood fantasy), Foxy Sniper (Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. Fear me, because I am a crack shot!) and Dark Cut 2 (More macho surgery! No anesthetic. No antiseptics. Just rusty knives, corn whiskey, and lots of blood!).

Nick had apparently pulled some games from the site after it received complaints toward the end of last year, but this was not enough to appease CCFC, who said that, “Nickelodeon was clearly more concerned about protecting its reputation than protecting children.”

AddictingGames.com does have a rudimentary warning system in place for games that “may be a little “edgy.” Such titles are flagged on the site with a picture of a small bomb. A short Parent’s Guide to the site is offered as well.

Concerned parents are urged to take action on the CCFC website, where they can submit a form letter to Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President, Digital, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group.

The refusal of a 14-year old to turn off his videogame system in the wee hours of the night resulted in his mother calling 911.

The Boston Herald has the story, which begins with 49-year old Angela Mejia noticing a light on in her son’s room around 2:30 AM on Saturday, hours after she apparently told him to go sleep. Finding him playing a videogame, she called 911 rather than simply turning off the videogame console. Police responded, told the boy to “Chill out” and to “Go to Bed,” which the boy then did.

The boy was playing a version of Grand Theft Auto, which the mother, further demonstrating her lack of prowess in the parental arena, rightfully disapproved of. Mejia said she has no problem with sports videogames, but said about GTA, ““I would never buy that kind of video. No way.”

Grand Theft Childhood co-author Lawrence Kutner even weighed in a quote for the piece, saying, “Clearly, it’s a very, very rare situation for someone to call the cops. That she went to the extreme of calling the police tells me more about her level of frustration than anything else.”

|Image via FailBlog|

A UK-gamer has interviewed his own personal videogame “gate keeper,” (his mother) for a wonderful piece examining the roles of parents in ensuring that inappropriate titles are kept out of the hands of younger users.

Penned by Nathan Miller, who is an Assistant Community Manager at Face, the piece appears in the company’s blog. Miller, who came of age in the early 1990s, began by asking his mother about how she managed his early fascination with games :

I had heard stories of addiction on the radio, alongside those more extreme stories of children getting violent through not being able to differentiate between fantasy and reality and re-enacting the games that you had, but ultimately I didn’t censor you beyond the extremely violent and gore-filled games as I had faith both in my parenting ability by correlation your own ability to distinguish fantasy and reality.

Miller’s mum refused to buy Grand Theft Auto for him, even in light of every child’s number one rallying cry—that all his friends owned the game. He wrote that, “I suppose the early censorship my Mum had instilled had worked as I don’t really remember having a large desire to get GTA.”

The Miller-family matron would typically examine the cover of a game to decide suitability for her son and was not averse to playing games herself. She enjoyed Golden Axe, but fell for Streets of Rage after some initial distaste:

And Streets of Rage, I was iffy about the violence on the cover but I let you convince me slightly and I wanted to experience it myself to see whether it was bad or not, and in the end I ended up really enjoying it! The girl character became a fantasy me!

I think I ended up playing it through wanting to experience how violent it was for myself and also you asking me to play with you when you didn’t have friends round.

As her son is now a grown-up and capable of making his own decisions, Miller’s mother has had little reason to keep abreast of the latest in videogames. To bring her up to speed, Miller decided to show her the “No Russian” scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Her reaction:

I’m shocked at the realness of it! I’m not sure I would’ve bought you the beat-em up games if they’d been this real!

…the wanton destruction of this game disgusts me. It made me shudder and dragged my emotions into it despite it being a game. If you were younger, I wouldn’t be buying that for you if you!

Miller ends the piece with a bit of insight, “My discussion with my own Mum also suggests that it is possible to find a middle road, where both parents and children can enjoy games together, where censoring can become more of a behind-the-scenes issues rather than a confrontational one.”


|Image Via Tumblr|

Vision Audio Inc. has developed a PC game designed to provide assistance for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by teaching them to cope with noise while improving sensory processing.

EASe Funhouse Treasure Hunt combines therapeutic music with several different types of interactive immersion “designed to stimulate, but not over-stimulate, a child who is challenged by sensory processing and organization.”

Bill Mueller, president of Vision Audio explained, “Our goal is to balance the child’s sensory experiences. Too much stimulation can result in fight-or-flight responses. Too little stimulation and we won't get past the child's existing sensory defense mechanisms."

Those afflicted with ASD have difficulty filtering information from their environment, which can result in overstimulation, “A touch may feel like a burn, lights may be blinding, sounds deafening, smells repugnant.”

The game, recommended for kids ages six and up, is on sale for $39.00 on the EaseCD website. A demo is also available for download.

The effect of videogames and media on children is a polarizing topic and one that’s not so simple to nail down writes researcher Neils Clark in a column on The Escapist.

Entitled Developmental Stage Select, the piece begins with Clark cautioning against pigeonholing:

Though two kids may be the same age, they could be in vastly different places developmentally. Each one is a different combination of genetics, environment and age - what's potentially harmful to one specific child in one developmental stage can be innocuous to another in a different stage.

Clark then cycles through the different age ranges of kids, while examining the type of activities that might best match the stage of their development.

Dr. Hilarie Cash, of the ReStart gaming addiction center, recommends no “screens” before age 7 and is  quoted in the article cautioning parents, “… to not associate the internet with entertainment ... I think it's analogous to parents handing their kids a joint.”

Cash’s remark drew a split response from Clark:

Games aren't chemical substances. THC, the active compound in marijuana, mimics the body's native cannabinoids, in effect raising the body's natural dopamine dam. Rhetoric referencing cocaine, pot, booze, or any other physical substance is inappropriate.

But just as importantly, accessible and rewarding behaviors can release dopamine to the point where one can form a behavioral addiction. In such an addiction, a person chooses the singular behavior they love over the many they'll need to survive. And the natural defenses to this are always going to be weaker in humans who are not fully developed.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has released an iPhone application that allows users to search the ESRB for videogame information.

In addition to showing a game’s rating, the app also details rating descriptors and provides a full explanation of the content in the title. Game summaries date back to July 1, 2008.

To back the launch of the application, the ESRB has also debuted a new Public Service Announcement.

ESRB president Patricia Vance added, “This new rating search app puts all this information at parents’ fingertips when they need it most, right at the store.  It’s a powerful tool that will help assure parents that the games they give as gifts are not only fun but also appropriate for their children.”

A Buffalo Grove, Illinois boy called 911 after his parents took away his Xbox console as punishment.

The boy hung up, reports The Chicago Tribune, but as a matter of routine, an officer was dispatched to the home just in case. The boy apparently admitted to making the call and asked a cop whether his parents were within their rights taking away his game system. A police officer assured him that they were.

A Police Commander told the paper that he did not know why the boy was being punished. Police further advised the boy to listen to his parents.

Activision Publishing Inc. has linked up with Dr. Cheryl Olson in a bid to enable parents and teachers to “optimize” children’s videogame experience.

Dr. Olson, no stranger to this site, is co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games.

The partnership will result in a series of seven videos posted on Activision’s Ratings Are Not a Game website. The first two are already up:  Using Videogames to Teach Problem Solving and Planning and How Can I Tell if a Game is Appropriate for My Child and How Do I Set Play Limits.

Dr. Olson stated, “These videos give practical research-based advice on how to help your kids--and your family--get more out of video games, and how to watch for and limit electronic game play.”

In related news, Dr. Olson’s husband and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, has been appointed Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

Research from Nielsen indicates that the average time spent in front of the boob tube by American children is on the rise.

The usage, which includes viewing DVR, DVD and VCR content, in addition to videogames, rose to an average of over 32 hours a week for kids ages 2-5 and to over 28 hours for kids between the ages of 6-11.

Average videogame usage per week was measured at one hour and 12 minutes for the 2-5 age group and more than doubled—at two hours and 23 minutes—in the 6-11 year old range.

The report also noted that children in the two-five year old age group were more likely to watch commercials than any other group, including adults.

As part of a policy statement on media violence, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlines steps pediatricians can take to evaluate potential heavy media use by children.

Beginning with the claim that “the evidence is now clear and convincing: media violence is 1 of the causal factors of real-life violence and aggression,” the AAP paper encourages pediatricians to ask at least two media-related questions per each adolescent visit: How much entertainment media per day is the child watching? and Is there a TV or Internet connection in the child’s bedroom?

The AAP recommends that parents remove televisions, Internet and videogames from their kid’s rooms and limit screen time to one to two hours per day, totally avoiding violent games. Parents are also encouraged to co-view any material in order to screen it for appropriateness.

The AAP had recommendations targeted at the entertainment industry as well, including these specific videogame-related topics:

• Video games should not use human or other living targets or award points for killing, because this teaches children to associate pleasure and success with their ability to cause pain and suffering to others.
• Play of violent video games should be restricted to age-limited areas of gaming arcades; the distribution of videos and video games and the exhibition of movies should be limited to appropriate age groups.

An article on The Escapist traces the origins of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) from an institution initially created in order to avoid government regulation to where it is today.

While noting that the ESRB has made huge advances in connecting with its primary clientele (parents) and has even won over The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), the article begins to detail “unaddressed challenges” from today’s videogame market that “pose serious threats to the ESRB's newfound relevance.”

Among these challenges is the ESRB’s current disinclination to rate online interactions (i.e. Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB):

The organization is missing out on a great opportunity to provide parents and children with a resource that enables informed choices beyond the enforced restriction of filters, a noble cause given that children play more online games than any other format.

A shift from brick and mortar retail outlets to digital distribution also poses “an immediate threat to ESRB compliance rates” says the piece’s author, Sara Grimes, who worries that this means that “the ESRB must rely on console manufacturers and mobile service providers to act as the system's new wardens.”

In summation, Grimes writes that “it’s almost as if the Board is orchestrating its own obsolescence.” She continued:

It's abstaining from involvement in significant game trends, failing to provide guidance where it is arguably needed most and handing over key governance responsibilities to certain members of the game industry while leaving others to fend for themselves.

The Federal Communications Commission will evaluate the potential for a single content rating system that would span various forms of media, including video games, movies, TV and music.

Bloomberg reports that the FCC will study the issue at the direction of Congress:

The FCC action follows congressional queries into whether children are harmed by inappropriate content, such as sex, violence and obscenity. Senators want to know whether revisions are needed to the law to protect children, said Senator Jay Rockefeller...

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski told Congress in July he was “hopeful that the evolving media landscape” will enhance parents’ power “to pick and choose” what their child sees and hears.

Not surprisingly, game publishers lobbying group ESA is opposed to the idea. Kotaku has comment from ESA VP RichTaylor:

The ESA appreciates the FCC and its important role. However, the ESRB rating system is considered by parents, family advocates, the Federal Trade Commission, and elected officials as the gold standard in providing caregivers with the information they need to make the right choices for their families. Universal ratings will, in the end, only serve to confuse consumers, violate the Constitution's first amendment, and are a solution in search of a problem.

Last Sunday morning, a Utah police officer chased a car that blew through stop signs and narrowly missed a pedestrian.  Imagine the pursuing cop’s surprise when the car came to a stop and out popped a 7-year-old boy.

On Thursday, Captain Klint Anderson of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office spoke of the incident to Fox News.  Young Preston Scarbrough told police he had taken the family car because he didn’t want to go to church that morning (he later told his mom he just wanted to give driving a go).

Fox News: “How did he even learn how to [drive]?”

Anderson: “Well, we’re not exactly sure except that his father has grounded him from one of his video games which involves operating vehicles so…”

Fox News: “Something like a Grand Theft Auto, something like that?”

Anderson: “I have no idea.  I didn’t ask the father what game it was but some of those video games are pretty realistic.”

The following day, the Scarbrough family appeared on NBC's Today Show.  Preston’s father, who initially thought the police sirens outside were coming from one of his boy’s video games, confirmed that the little lawbreaker had been grounded for four days with no TV or games.

We’re going to throw away those driving video games for sure.

Preston, for his part, explained how he learned to drive.

Watched my mom. Watched my sister.

Video of the Today Show segment can be seen here and here.

-Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics Correspondent Andrew Eisen…

Beleagured British Prime Minister Gordon Brown plans to spend part of his upcoming holiday enjoying games with his two young sons, reports the Mirror:

The workaholic PM is determined to enjoy his holiday in the Lake District with wife Sarah and his sons, five-year-old John and three-year old Fraser.

He is well aware - partly because his Church of Scotland minister father had long absences overseas on missionary work - of the need to spend quality time with his boys. "I think for all fathers the challenge is finding the time to spend with your children," he admits...

He plans to do more "re-winning" of their interest as he watches the boys' favourite TV shows and plays computer games over the next few weeks at the couple's home in Scotland and on their holiday.

No particular games or systems were specified in the report, but last year Brown admitted that his son - then four - beat him at Wii Sports Tennis.

Partially Via: MCVUK

Alabama Attorney General Troy King (R) has become the latest high-ranking state official to endorse the video game industry's content rating system.

In a press release issued yesterday, King announced a public service ad campaign designed to raise parental awareness of the ESRB rating system. The PSAs featuring King will air on radio and TV.

The A.G. commented on the campaign in yesterday's press release:

I know parents face tough decisions these days about the media they allow into their homes. There’s simply no substitute, though, for parental involvement and responsibility, and it’s important that parents play an active role in choosing games for their children. ESRB ratings are an effective and informative resource that allows parents to decide if the video game their child wants is appropriate, and rating summaries provide even more insight into exactly what a parent would want to know about in a game. I’m proud to be educating parents in our state about the tools at their disposal.

As GamePolitics has noted in the past, such campaigns are a sweet deal for the politicians involved. The ESRB picks up the cost of production for the spots and elected officials get a chance to show voters that they are concerned about children.

Readers can see King's PSA (as well as those made by other political figures) at the ESRB website.

President Barack Obama's admonition to parents to "put away the Xbox" has drawn a response from Microsoft.

Obama made the remarks on Thursday evening during a speech he delivered at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. Here's what the President said:

To parents, we can’t tell our kids to do well in school and fail to support them when they get home. For our kids to excel, we must accept our own responsibilities. That means putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences, reading to our kids, and helping them with their homework...

...and here is Microsoft's response, as reported by the Associated Press:

We agree with President Obama that it’s a time for families to work together so that kids use media in ways that are safe, healthy and balanced. Xbox 360 is the only console gaming system that has a timer feature allowing parents to set time limits for their kids, as well as parent controls to enable parents to set limits on what their kids are playing and watching.

President Barack Obama has - yet again - referenced playing video games as a metaphor for underachievement.

[GP: click here for other recent examples, although Obama has made similar comments going back to at least 2006.]

In a speech in New York last night marking the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, Obama said:

We have to say to our children, Yes, if you’re African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that someone in a wealthy suburb does not. But that’s not a reason to get bad grades, that’s not a reason to cut class, that’s not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands - and don’t you forget that.

To parents, we can’t tell our kids to do well in school and fail to support them when they get home. For our kids to excel, we must accept our own responsibilities. That means putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences, reading to our kids, and helping them with their homework...

 

It also means pushing our kids to set their sights higher. They might think they’ve got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can’t all aspire to be the next LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be President of the United States.

BlackPoliticsontheWeb has the full text of Obama's speech. The Washington Post has coverage of the event, which it termed a "tough love message for [Obama's] fellow African-Americans." The New York Times called Obama's speech "a fiery sermon."

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal took notice of our coverage - and of some comments by GP readers...

A device that allows parents to limit their children's console gaming time has gotten a lot of attention around the Net over the past few days.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune kicked off the coverage with a Saturday article which decribed the GameDr (pronounced: "Game Doctor") and its 79-year-old inventor, John Morrissey. For the newspaper, the angle seemed primarily local, since Morrissey lives in Edina, Minnesota.

Such devices are not new, however. GamePolitics has reported on a few over the years.

Aside from being easily defeated by simply using a spare power cord, we have to wonder: If a parent can't say no to their child about their gaming time in the first place, how do they plan to say no when the kid protests the use of this device?

While President Obama has never expressed a specific anti-video game sentiment that we're aware of, he does often refer to games as something to put aside in order to do something more worthy.

To wit; on Father's Day Obama urged dads to swap their kids' video games for books. In a recent speech to the American Medical Association, Obama said that children should "step away from the video games and spend more time playing outside." In early June Obama suggested that Chinese and Indian children were pulling ahead of American youth because they watch less T.V., play fewer video games and spend more time on their schoolwork.

Video games came up again yesterday as the President and Mrs. Obama spoke at a United We Serve event at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. eNews Park Forest has a transcript, including the President's comment on video games:

On Monday, we launched "United We Serve," our summer service initiative.  It's going to run all the way through our National Day of Service on September 11th.  We want to ask every American to take some time out this summer to do something for others. 

 

Parents, take your kids -- they're going to have fun, they're going to be in sports camps, they're going to be watching TV and playing video games.  Once a week, take them down -- whether it's to a soup kitchen or to volunteer on a community project -- teach them what it means to be a real citizen.  You'll find that actually the kids love it, and it's going to make a lasting impression on them. 

Repeating a theme that he frequently touched upon during his 2008 election campaign, President Barack Obama has once again referenced video games as a metaphor for academic underachievement.

In a Father's Day message published in Parade, Obama writes:

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done... We need to tell our sons, Those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in our house, we find glory in achievement, self-respect, and hard work.

Interestingly, the Parade feature is Obama's third mention of video games in the last 10 days. On June 11th he told an audience in Wisconsin:

The world has gotten competitive. The Chinese, the Indians, they're coming at us and they're coming at us hard, and they're hungry, and they're really buckling down.

And they watch - their kids watch a lot less TV than our kids do, play a lot fewer video games, they're in the classroom a lot longer.

Last Monday the President mentioned games during a speech to the American Medical Association in Chicago:

[Preventive care] starts with each of us taking more responsibility for our health and the health of our children. It means... raising our children to step away from the video games and spend more time playing outside.

After more than a year of consideration, the British Government has selected the Pan-European Game Information system, better known as PEGI, will handle video game content rating chores in the U.K.

The announcement was made a short time ago and is contained in Lord Stephen Carter's Digital Britain report.

The U.K. video game industry is sure to be pleased with the news. British game publishers association ELSPA lobbied hard for PEGI during the 15 months since Dr. Tanya Byron's review recommended that there be a single content rating system for the U.K. ELSPA boss Mike Rawlinson was ebullient over the announcement:

The Government has made absolutely the right decision for child safety. By choosing PEGI as the single classification system in the UK, British children will now get the best possible protection when playing videogames either on a console or on the internet.

Parents can be assured that they will have access to clear, uniform ratings on games and an accurate understanding of game content.

On the other hand - as in the United States where the ESRB handles ratings - some will question whether the video game industry can be relied up to effectively self-regulate.

For its part, the BBFC issued a statement reflecting its disappointment but vowing to support the Government's decision:

The BBFC has always supported PEGI and wished it well, but it continues to believe that it satisfies these requirements better than PEGI. However, it will cooperate fully in the detailed work needed to give effect to the Government's decision. And it must be independent in substance as well as appearance, reaching its decisions and providing information on the basis of its own detailed assessments.

Among the video game community the BBFC is best known for the controversial nationwide ban it imposed on Manhunt 2 in 2007. That edict was later overturned by Britain's High Court.

Via: TechRadar

Rev. James Dobson, the politically influential, conservative evangelical leader of nonprofit group Focus on the Family, has given a green light to some video games while offering warnings about violent an sexual content as well as possible game addiction in regard to others.

Dobson's comments appeared in his newspaper column in response to a question from a parent about their son's video gaming:

Depending on the particular games in question, you may have a valid cause for concern... two University of Michigan researchers concluded in 2007 that violent media, including television, film and video games, pose a significant public health threat...

Furthermore, some video games add unhealthy sexual themes and profanity to the mix, not to mention that the American Medical Association estimates one in 10 video gamers is addicted.

Of course, not all video games are problematic. Certain sports games, for instance, can be loads of fun. Some can even be educational...

I’d advise you to put clear limits on the amount of time your son will be allowed to spend with video games... Insist he avoid the troublesome ones altogether...

GP: Dobson is referring to the 2007 Huesmann-Bushman study.

Who will be in charge of video game ratings in the U.K.?

That long-awaited answer will come next Tuesday, according to MCVUK. As GamePolitics readers know, a pair of entities have been competing for the assignment ever since Dr. Tanya Byron completed her review of the effects of video games and the Internet on British youth in early 2008.

The U.K. game industry has voiced a strong preference for the Pan-European Game Information rating system, better known as PEGI. Some in government, however, are believed to favor the British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC is best known to gamers for banning Rockstar's bloody Manhunt 2 in 2007. That decision was later overruled by the British High Court.

MCVUK reports that industry group ELSPA planned to do some last-ditch lobbying on PEGI's behalf new Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw. ELSPA boss Michael Rawlinson told MCV:

We are encouraged that Ben’s previous work as a BBC news correspondent will mean he has first-hand knowledge, experience and understanding of the problems facing the creative industries sector.

We look forward to meeting with Ben soon and discussing how our industry can continue to work with the Government to ensure games retain their place as a world leader in the sector.

We will, of course, also be explaining the significance and importance of PEGI becoming the single classification system for games in the UK. We wish him well in the post.

Thanks to: GamePolitics correspondent Mark "Beemoh" Kelly...

Is the S-word more prevalent in T-rated (13 and older) games these days? And if so, is it a problem?

What They Play looks at the issue:

We’ve perceived a gradual shift in the "strength" of much of the language used in [T-rated] games’ scripts... our reviewers have described the use of certain words with more frequency; most notably the word "s**t."...

 

Recent Teen-rated games that have used the word include... InFamous on PlayStation 3... Wheelman... Battlefield: Bad Company... Mirror’s Edge... HAWX, and... Tom Clancy’s Endwar.

ESRB President Patricia Vance offered the content rating organization's perspective:

Assigning ratings to language in video games is less straight-forward than many people may realize... how we evaluate language when assigning ratings has remained relatively consistent over the years, with factors like frequency and intensity having always been particularly relevant...

 

There's no question that the average parent is sensitive to the language to which their children are exposed, just as they are to sexual or violent content. That's why one of our 'language' content descriptors will always be assigned to a T-rated game that contains profanity.

What They Play concludes that while sh*t is here to stay, overall the language in T-rated games remains a bit more regulated than that found in PG-13 movies.

GP: The concept of "ratings creep," in which what is acceptable within a rating gradually expands to encompass content once barred, has been found by Harvard researchers in relation to movie ratings. Could the same gradual process be afoot with ESRB categories?

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) warns parents about a variety of potential threats which he says video games pose to children in an editorial for the Hill Country Times.

Abbott, GamePolitics readers may recall, sued GamesRadar in 2007 for allegedly failing to adequately protect the privacy and safety of children who frequent the website. Abbott later withdrew the suit after GameRadar's parent company, Future, Inc., agreed to make appropriate changes.

While online game predators are the primary focus of his editorial, Abbott also reminds parents about parental control features built into console systems as well as the use of ESRB ratings. The A.G. previously partnered with the ESRB on a 2007 campaign to raise awareness of the video game industry's content rating system. In today's editorial Abbott writes:

When we were young, our parents warned us not to talk to strangers... Today, children are more likely to frequent a digital playground that can be even more dangerous. For example, many game systems have evolved dramatically and now have many of the same capabilities as home computers. In particular, these games’ online interfaces allow users to interact with each other using text, voice or even video chat. Parents should beware of the potential for child predators to use these systems to prey upon and contact their children...

 

Parents should also consider participating in their children’s game-playing activities. Hand-held gaming devices also pose potential risks to children. Many of these devices have wireless-communication capabilities and are popular among kids who use them to communicate with others who are within range, usually about 30 feet. Child predators may be able to exploit this feature in certain public settings...

Each year at E3 the Entertainment Software Association distributes Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, a small handbook of facts and figures detailing who its customers are and what they are buying.

It's always an interesting read although we're exactly not sure how they define some terms. What constitutes a "game player," for instance? Is it someone who simply plays Windows Solitaire? At any rate, here are some of the key findings from the ESA report:

Who Plays:

• 68% of Americans play computer or video games
• The average game player age is 35 (again, how is this defined?)
• 25% of game players are under 18
• 25% of game players are over 50
• 60% are male, 40% female
• on average, adult gamers have been playing for 12 years
• 42% of U.S. homes have a game console

Who Buys: 

• Average age of most frequent purchaser is 39
• 52% of purchasers are male, 48% female
• 92% of time a parent is present during purchase
• 83% of time kids receive parental permission before purchasing
• 43% of Americans have purchased or plan to buy one or more games in 2009

Parenting:

• 94% of parents report monitoring their kids' games "always or sometimes"
• 77% of parents believe parental control features in consoles are useful (although the more relevant number might be how many parents are aware of such controls and use them)
• 79% of parents impose time limits on gaming (that's a higher percentage than TV viewing, movie viewing and Internet usage)
• 78% of parents game with kids because it's a good opportunity to socialize with their child
• 63% of parents game in order to monitor content

Content:

• 57% of games sold in 2008 were rated E or E10+
• 16% were rated M (17 and older)
• Among Top 20 best-selling console games of 2008, 6 were rated M (GTA IV 360, GTA IV PS3, CoD WaW, GoW2, CoD4 MW, Fable II)
• Among Top 20 best-selling PC games of 2008, 5 were rated M (Age of Conan, CoD4 MW, Fallout 3, CoD WaW, Crysis)
• 37% of Americans play on wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs