"Video
games have become an integral part of modern society, and have come
under scrutiny time and time again for their content. Some time ago,
video games were seen as a toy for children, something immature and
not fit for anyone other than the youth of our society. But the
industry has changed, and so have our consumers. Only 26% of gamers
today are under the age of 18, and companies are now marketing
towards those 20-somethings that have grown up with the gaming
industry. The argument of violence in games affecting growth is
largely moot at this point, as the majority of games are no longer
marketed towards younger people. Despite this, the ESA reported that
only 14% of all games released in 2014 received a Mature rating,
meaning that regardless of the change in demographic Mature content
is still only a small part of what we produce. For every study
attempting to prove a connection between gaming and increased violent
behavior, there have been just as many proving more positive effects
of gaming. Games have been proven to increase hand-eye coordination,
improve problem solving abilities, and increase social, teamwork and
leadership skills. There is very conclusive evidence as to the
positives of these experiences, and those are truly what should be
focused on, how video games can improve our lives.”
- Good Games Inc.
Johnny Gamer Replies: "You're absolutely right that the gaming demographic has shifted dramatically in the past decade, but that doesn't mean that the industry can ignore the fact that children do still play games. And even if developers aren't marketing these games to children, they need to address the fact that they may still wind up in the hands of minors. This is a reality that developers need to consider, and they have a responsibility to make sure that their product doesn't have a negative effect on the consumer. Maybe they don't need to put that scene in Grand Theft Auto where you shoot a hooker, maybe the industry doesn't need more games about shooting innocent people, even if that's what makes money. I think, as a whole, the industry needs to pay more attention to the morality of the content of their games, and less to what makes money."
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