Violent video games under the gun from lawmakers

NEW YORK -- In video games these days, you can strangle someone with a garrote ("Manhunt"), pop an enemy's head off in a shower of gore with a sniper shot ("Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy"), and direct a teenage girl to shotgun a demon dog ("Silent Hill 3").

Not to mention beat up prostitutes, run down pedestrians, bathe in the blood of your enemies and curse like a lobster boat captain who's stubbed his toe.

The video game industry seems to delight in pushing the envelope -- and the bounds of good taste -- with ever-gorier content. That has put it under renewed attack from legislators and activists who claim some titles must be kept out of children's hands, though courts have repeatedly granted games First Amendment protections.

The opponents cite new research that they say suggests strong links between violent games and aggressive behavior. They are disturbed by games' cultural ubiquity and the always-improving technology that makes virtual gore more realistic than ever.

"Pediatricians and psychologists have been warning us that violent video games are harmful to children," said Mary Lou Dickerson, a Democratic legislator in Washington state who wrote a law now being challenged in federal court -- banning the sale of some violent games to kids. "I'm optimistic that the courts will heed their warnings."

Lawmakers in at least seven states proposed bills during the most recent legislative session that would restrict the sale of games, part of a wave that began when the 1999 Columbine High School shootings sparked an outcry over games and violence. None of the measures that passed have survived legal challenge.

Difference in perceptionThe game industry says legislating ultra-violent games out of the hands of children would deal a severe blow to free speech. Game companies point to the industry-imposed ratings system that gives detailed descriptions of violence in a game and labels some titles as "mature" or "adults only."

"Does it make any rational sense to you that we're going to pass a law someplace that says we're not going to prevent minors from buying 'Passion of the Christ' or 'Kill Bill' or 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' in a local store but you can't buy 'Resident Evil?"' said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, referring to three violent movies and a popular horror-action game.

The debate reflects a divide in the way people perceive games. Are games harmless, perhaps even cathartic, as believe many people who grew up playing them? Or are they teaching children to be more aggressive and, in extreme cases, to kill?

To game opponents -- many of whom admit they don't play video games -- it's the latter. They point to new studies that purport to show a stronger link between violent games and aggressive behavior than ever.

"On average, there is a significant tendency for the studies to yield an increase in aggression by those who have played the violent games," said Craig Anderson, an Iowa State University professor and leading researcher on the effects of media violence.

The next 12 months could see a flurry of new scrutiny of violent games because three controversial franchises are due to release sequels. They include "Doom," notorious as a favorite of the Columbine killers; "Mortal Kombat," with its calls for a player to "finish" opponents in myriad gruesome ways; and "Grand Theft Auto," which exhorted players in its latest iteration to start a Cuban-Haitian race war.

Meanwhile, we're in the midst of a gaming explosion. Deloitte & Touche predicts the worldwide number of "game compliant devices" other than PCs -- mobile phones, consoles, and handheld computers, for example -- will see a six-fold rise by 2010, from 415 million now to 2.6 billion.

Call to armsFor some legislators, that's a call to arms. Some want the violence in some games declared obscene.

"You can carve out some exceptions to the First Amendment when it is determined that these things we are talking about -- like pornography, like alcohol, like tobacco, and so on -- have harmful effects to children," said Leland Yee, a Democrat in the California Legislature.

Past efforts have failed, often because of challenges from the Entertainment Software Association.

A St. Louis County law that would have limited children's access to video games was rejected in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A bill by Yee that sought to restrict the sale of games died in committee.

Nationally, proposed legislation by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., would penalize retailers who rent or sell games with violent, sexual or other "harmful" content to minors. A version was killed in 2002, but a revised draft is making its way through the Judiciary Committee, with 43 co-sponsors.

Game makers have been largely silent on the issue. Rockstar and several major publishers refused to comment.

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," the best-selling game of 2002, was the only mature-rated game among the top 10 for 2003, according to NPD Fungroup, at No. 6.

"Vice City" trailed the top title, "Madden NFL 2004," as well as two Pokemon games and "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker," a Nintendo Co. tale featuring a child in a green outfit who travels by talking boat and pals around with an excitable fairy named Tingle.