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- Violent video games, blamed by many as part of a cultural
malaise that enourages youth violence, are a reality of the Computer Age
that parents no longer can ignore. Recent hearings in Congress have focused
on helping parents understanding new ratings systems designed to keep adult
games out of children,s hands. MSNBC,s Steven Kent will speak Wednesday
about the problem at Sen. Joseph Lieberman,s annual event to highlight
his video game report card and will release the list below of recommended
games. Here is what Kent has to say...
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- While violent games get most of the attention, this year
the games deemed suitable for players of all ages outnumber the games for
mature audiences by a factor of almost 8-to-1.
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- This year, 20th Century Fox released a movie called "Fight
Club. I didn,t take my 7-year-old daughter to see it. Thomas Harris recently
published a new "Hannibal the Cannibal book, but I didn,t read it
to my 3-year-old son as a bedtime story.
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- By the same token, I did not let my children play "Kingpin,
"The House of the Dead 2, or "Resident Evil: Nemesis. These games
were designed for an adult audience, and thanks to the Entertainment Software
Rating Board, they,re clearly labeled with an "M, warning parents
that they are for mature players.
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- Educating Parents
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- The next and most important step - and it,s a perplexing
one - is educating parents so that they know about the ratings and understand
them. This is especially important because, while violent games get most
of the attention, this year the games deemed suitable for players of all
ages outnumber the games for mature audiences by a factor of almost 8-to-1.
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- Educating the public is made all the more difficult by
the indifference some parents have for interactive entertainment. Many
parents who would gladly spend time watching television or a movie with
their children quietly leave the room when their kids play video games.
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- The Interactive Digital Software Association and the
Entertainment Software Rating Board have accepted educating the public
as one of their chief tasks. They recently launched an impressive educational
campaign that includes public service announcements with Tiger Woods, in-store
advertisements, and more.
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- With great games like Crash Team Racing, Sega Sports
NFL 2K, Donkey Kong 64, FIFA Soccer 2000, and Sonic Adventure on the market,
parents do not need to select violent titles for their kids. And with such
mainstream publications as Boys Life, Access Magazine, USA Today, and nearly
every major newspaper running game reviews, there is no reason for parents
to be uninformed.
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