An EU report claims Video Games swill not rot your brain.
Contrary to fears about the violent reputation of some games, there is no firm proof that playing them has an automatic negative impact on children’s behaviour, for example by causing aggression, said the report from the committee on the internal market and consumer protection.
Instead, “video games can stimulate learning of facts and skills such as strategic thinking, creativity, cooperation and innovative thinking, which are important skills in the information society.”
It’s about time that games (and serious games) were taken seriously. In Northern Ireland we have various discrete pockets of technologists who do digital animation, games, serious games, e-learning and other content without realising that through collaboration, they could create a real industry for these skills in the province.
The European parliament conceded that “violence in video games can in certain situations stimulate violent behaviour,” but said there was no need for Europe-wide legislation. It called for a Europe-wide approach to prevent the sale to children of games intended for adults and urged the introduction of stricter identity checks at the point of sale and a wider application of the age-rating system that currently applies to computer games in many European countries.
It might be more honest to admit that someone who commits a videogame-inspired crime was probably already doing it or thinking about it. This is an old argument. People don’t kill people due to videogames, they kill people for money or land, for abuse or betrayal, for their colour or creed or simply because they’re mentally ill.
If someone is already unbalanced enough that they’re going to be influenced by a game, then it’s hardly the fault of the game. The game itself becomes a scapegoat.