NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Video game controversy

Video games have been the subject of debate and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes,^[1] consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, or profanity in some games. Critics of video games sometimes include parents' groups, politicians, organized religion groups, and other special interest groups. In recent years, particularly notable controversy was generated with the discovery of a downloadable modification that unlocked a sexually explicit minigame in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Computer and video games redirects here. ... For other uses, see Censor. ... Graphic violence is the depiction of violence in media such as film, television, and video games. ... This article is about sexual practices (i. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... In cartoons, profanity is often depicted by substituting symbols for words, as a form of non-specific censorship. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... A special interest is a person or political organization established to influence governmental policy or legislators in a specific area of policy. ... For other uses, see Mod. ... hot coffee redirects here. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...

"Video game censorship" is defined as use of state or group power to control the playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of video games or computer games based on an evaluation of the game's content. Video game censorship is a polarizing subject, with both proponents and opponents of censorship displaying passion for their views.

Brief history

Historically, this type of controversy and criticism is not unique to video games. The same situation has been applied to comic books; music (particularly, hip hop, heavy metal, jazz), and films. The age of the art medium also plays a role in the level of controversy since the longer an art medium exists the more likely it is to have generated broader public acceptance. In the aforementioned examples, attempts at censorship in the United States were struck down as a violation of First Amendment rights, and they have all gone on to become integrated facets of society. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was a committee formed in 1985 by the wives of several congressmen. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... For the direction right, see left and right or starboard. ...

In June 2007, the American Medical Association considered a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. They recommended that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) consider the change when it revises the next diagnostic manual in 2012.^[2] The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ... Mental disorder or mental illness are terms used to refer psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. ... The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a handbook for mental health professionals that lists different categories of mental disorder and the criteria for diagnosing them, according to the publishing organization the American Psychiatric Association. ... Due to the epidemic of medical errors, readers are cautioned to be aware that the American Psychiatric Association isnt immune to this. ...

History of notable criticism

In 1976, Death Race became one of the first controversial video games; based on the film Death Race 2000, it allowed players to drive around in a car, in order to run down zombies Nevertheless, critics inferred that the game actually simulated vehicular homicide—particularly considering that the game's original title was Pedestrian. Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Death Race was a controversial arcade game, released by Exidy (whose name was a contraction of Excellence in Dynamics) in 1976. ... Death Race 2000 is a cult action film directed by Paul Bartel in 1975. ... In most states in the United States, vehicular homicide is a crime. ...

Causes of controversy

Criticism of crime and violence in video games

Video and computer games are periodically criticized in the media. Examples include Mortal Kombat, Doom, and Grand Theft Auto. Proponents of video game censorship believe that "it is particularly disturbing to some that some video games allow players to act out crimes, and reward them for doing so." A frequently-cited example is the extremely popular Grand Theft Auto III by Rockstar Games, in which a principal game activity is carjacking. It should be noted, however, that any activity of this sort in the game is done completely by choice and players are punished for committing crimes by the police. Considering this game allows one to freely choose, it could also be noted that the game is similar to real life. On the other hand, A later game in the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas goes a step further, with levels that require the gamer to murder corrupt police characters before the game will advance. Mortal Kombat (commonly abbreviated as MK) is a popular series of fighting games made originally by Midway Manufacturing Company. ... Look up doom in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Grand Theft Auto may refer to Motor vehicle theft, a crime in many jurisdictions Grand Theft Auto (film), a film directed by Ron Howard Grand Theft Auto (series), a computer and video game series Grand Theft Auto (video game), the first game in this series Category: ... Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. ... The Rockstar Games logo. ... Carjacking is the crime of stealing a motor vehicle when the vehicle is occupied. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...

The game's immediate prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came under similar criticism, also for implying allegedly racist hate crimes: The game, taking place in "Vice City" (a fictional Miami) in 1986, involves a gang war between Haitians and Cuban refugees, and the player often serves both gangs to plot against one another. Haitian and Cuban anti-defamation groups highly criticized the game for these actions, including using phrases such as "kill the Haitian dickheads" (a phrase used in the game, actually referring to the Haitian gang with which the character is having a shoot-out). After the threat of being sued by the Haitian-American Coalition, Rockstar removed the word "Haitians" from this phrase in the game's subtitles. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... A Jewish cemetery in France after being defaced by Neo-Nazis. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

These concerns have led to voluntary rating systems adopted by the industry, such as the ESRB rating system in the United States and the PEGI rating system in Europe, that are aimed at informing parents about the types of games their children are playing (or are asking to play). Certain game publishers’ decision to have controversial games rated shows that they are not targeted at young children. They are ESRB rated as "Mature" or "Adults Only" in the US, or given BBFC ratings of 15 or 18 in the UK. The packaging notes that these games should not be sold to children. In the US, ESRB ratings are not legally binding, but many retailers take it upon themselves to refuse the sale of these games to minors. In the UK, the BBFC ratings are backed up by law, so it is actually illegal to sell the game to anyone under the indicated age, and many UK retailers go beyond that and also enforce the PEGI ratings, which are not backed up by law. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... The ESRBs logo. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ...

Lt. Col. David Grossman, a former West Point psychology professor, has written several books that pertain to the subject of violence in the media, including On Killing and Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill. During heights of video game controversy he has been interviewed on the content of his books, and has repeatedly used the term "murder simulator" to describe first-person shooter games. He argues that video game publishers unethically train children in the use of weapons and, more importantly, harden them emotionally to the act of murder by simulating the killing of hundreds or thousands of opponents in a single typical video game. Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman is an author who has specialized in the study of the psychology of killing. ... USMA redirects here. ... This article is about video games. ...

Most studies, however, reach the conclusion that violence in video games is not causally linked with aggressive tendencies. This was the conclusion of a 1999 study by the U.S. government, prompting Surgeon General David Satcher to say, "We clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the science is."^[3] A meta-analysis by psychologist Jonathan Freedman, who reviewed over 200 published studies and found that the majority did not find a causal link, also reached this conclusion.^[4] Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Surgeon General can have several different meanings. ... David Satcher David Satcher (b. ... A meta-analysis is a statistical practice of combining the results of a number of studies. ... A psychologist is an expert in psychology, the systematic investigation of the human body, including behavior, cognition, and affect. ...

Controversy of speeding and evading the authority in racing games has surfaced when a copy of Need for Speed: Most Wanted found on one of the street racer's car in Toronto in January 19, 2006, when two street, named Alexander Ryazanov and Wang-Piao Dumani Rossracers, both aged 18 were involved in an accident resulting in a taxi-driver's death, named Tahir Khan. Nevertheless, the police did not find any connection between the game and the incident.^[5] is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Criticism related to psychology and children's social development

Over two hundred studies have been published which examine the effects of violence in entertainment media and which at least partially focus on violence in video games in particular. Some psychological studies^[6] have shown a correlation between children playing violent video games and suffering psychological effects, though the vast majority stop short of claiming behavioral causation. Critics to these argue that many of the studies involved fail to use standardized and reliable measures of aggression, and many selectively discuss findings that support their hypothesized link between video games and aggression, and fail to discuss findings that disconfirm this link.^{[citation needed]} Positive linear correlations between 1000 pairs of numbers. ... Causality or causation denotes the relationship between one event (called cause) and another event (called effect) which is the consequence (result) of the first. ...

The American Psychological Association summarizes the issue as "Psychological research confirms that violent video games can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative effects."^[7] Craig A. Anderson has testified before the U.S. Senate on the issue, and his meta-analysis of these studies has shown five consistent effects: "increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behavior".^[8] Nevertheless, some studies explicitly deny that such a connection exists, most notably Anderson and Ford (1986), Winkel et al. (1987), Scott (1995), Ballard and Lineberger (1999), and Jonathan Freedman (2002).^[9] More recently, Block and Crain (2007) claim that in a critical paper by Anderson (and his co-author, Bushman), data was improperly calculated and produced fallacious results.^[10] The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization representing psychology in the US. It has around 150,000 members and an annual budget of around $70m. ... A meta-analysis is a statistical practice of combining the results of a number of studies. ...

On March 6, 2005, the American television news program 60 Minutes took on the case of an 18-year old murderer (named Devin Moore), wherein plaintiffs have argued Grand Theft Auto: Vice City inspired him to kill three police officers that came to arrest him for stealing a car. This episode of 60 Minutes has been criticized by the video game community.^{[citation needed]} In October 2005, a judge sentenced the convicted killer to death by lethal injection. is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the CBS news magazine. ... Devin Moore (born 1985) is a criminal from Alabama who sparked a large controversy over the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when he committed three acts of first-degree murder against three people in the Fayette, Alabama police station in 2003. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ... This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ...

Some psychologists^{[citation needed]} and parents' groups have criticized video games because they believe they cause children to sit alone in the television room for many hours in a row, interacting with a machine (although chatting can be considered a more socially open environment) rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve their social skills by playing with other children instead of taking it upon themselves, as parents, to limit the time their kids play and making them go outside and play with other children. They claim that video games can be even more addictive to children than TV^{[citation needed]}, and therefore more likely to isolate them socially in this way. Some studies have purported that there is a correlation between depression and playing computer games.^{[citation needed]} A psychologist is an expert in psychology, the systematic investigation of the human body, including behavior, cognition, and affect. ... This article is about the concept of addiction. ... TV redirects here. ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ...

Criticism from religious organizations

Such content found in video games are often criticized by religious groups of specific denominations. Games such as Breath of Fire II, La Pucelle Tactics, Xenogears / Xenosaga, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy X, Castlevania,^[11] Tales of Symphonia, and Grandia II contain religious themes that some might find offensive. Often, RPGs in particular make use of a corrupt and powerful church as the game’s antagonist. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... La Pucelle: Tactics Categories: Computer and video game stubs | Tactical role-playing games | Fantasy computer games | PlayStation 2 games ... Xenogears ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... It has been suggested that List of Xenosaga cast members be merged into this article or section. ... Final Fantasy Tactics ) is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console. ... Final Fantasy X ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the tenth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series; it was released in 2001, and is the first numbered Final Fantasy game for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. ... This article is about the entire video game series. ... Tales of Symphonia ) is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. ... Grandia II ) is a video game in the Grandia series made by Game Arts. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... For other uses, see Antagonist (disambiguation). ...

In response to potential criticism, religious content has been censored in some Western releases of Japanese-origin video games. Nintendo in particular censored many of its U.S. releases back in the NES and SNES era. Castlevania, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and other games containing such references as crosses, the words "holy," "monk," and names of biblical figures were censored for their U.S. release. One trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tamagon, was locked out of the U.S. release of the game, possibly due to religious reference and the title of the game in which he originally appeared (Devil World). The trophy can be obtained via hacking, but the name of the game has been changed to "Demon World" in the description. For other uses, see Censor. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... â€œNESâ€ redirects here. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... This article is about the entire video game series. ... Dragon Quest logo Dragon Quest ), published as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, is a series of role-playing games produced by Enix (now Square Enix). ... This article is about the Final Fantasy franchise. ... Super Smash Bros. ... Devil World ) is an NES game developed by Nintendo, and released in Japan on October 5, 1984, and later released in Europe. ...

In 2002, the Xbox fighting game Kakuto Chojin offended many Muslims with the use of religious chanting in background music. The Saudi Arabian government made a formal protest, and Microsoft pulled the game internationally in early 2003.^[12] For the Xboxs successor, see Xbox 360. ... Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal is a versus fighting game exclusively made for Microsofts Xbox gaming console published in 2002 by Microsoft Game Studios. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. ...

Many Muslims were also offended by the Nintendo 64 game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In one of the game's dungeons, Muslim chanting can be heard in the background music. This was changed by Nintendo in later versions of the game, with the older versions being discontinued.^[13] A prominent symbol in the game was the star and crescent, which is usually interpreted as a symbol of Islam. This was also replaced in later versions of the game, with a different symbol. The Nintendo 64, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a video game released in 1998, and the first Zelda game for the Nintendo 64. ...

Uninteresting/Uncreative games

Some critics of film and literature look down on video gaming as an inferior form of entertainment.^[14] The majority of criticism of video games from within the video-gaming community also relates to quality. This may stem from early early video games, which tended to have had either simple or entirely linear story structures with little regard to plot development. A frequent counterargument is that this is like complaining that a game of football does not contain much plot or character development, and that although most video games contain a narrative, it serves only to propel the player's actions in and against a virtual world, which is not primarily based upon passively seeing and hearing. Another point of view compares video games to the movies, which during the silent era were also considered mere entertainment. In literature, a plot is all the events in a story particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect. ... A narrative is a construct created in a suitable medium (speech, writing, images) that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events. ... This article is about the simulation technology. ...

Other criticisms include unrealistic aspects of graphics or gameplay, games that are simply not fun to play, a perceived lack of games that appeal to women and girls, and a strong and increasing tendency of video game publishers to avoid risks and originality by only funding games which have clear promise to succeed financially. For example, the use of violence in games is sometimes seen as a crutch for creativity by critics; it is alleged that if a developer cannot invent an original, fun activity for the player, he will end up giving the player the time-honored task of shooting a monster. In particular, there has been a perceived increase in: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the video game subculture, an enhanced remake (also called updated classics) is an updated version of a video or computer game that was originally developed for a less advanced system. ... To licence or grant licence is to give permission. ... For the 2006 film, see Intellectual Property (film). ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... â€œ(TM)â€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ... Grand Theft Auto may refer to Motor vehicle theft, a crime in many jurisdictions Grand Theft Auto (film), a film directed by Ron Howard Grand Theft Auto (series), a computer and video game series Grand Theft Auto (video game), the first game in this series Category: ... GTA clone is a term used by video game critics and players to refer to the many titles released following the massive success of Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III) in 2001, which emulated, or at least attempted to, the gameplay functions of GTA III or other later games from...

Publicized incidents

Several incidents speculated to be caused by video games in recent decades have helped fuel controversy.

is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Heath High School shooting occurred at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, United States, on Monday December 1, 1997. ... The Heath High School shooting occurred at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, United States, on Monday December 1, 1997 when 14-year old Michael Carneal opened fire on a group of praying students that left 3 people dead and 5 injured. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Logo for Quake 4. ... Castle Wolfenstein is a computer game by Muse Software for the Apple II. It was released in 1981 and later ported to the PC for DOS, to the Atari 8-bit family, and to the Commodore 64. ... Redneck Rampage is a 1997 first-person shooter game designed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay. ... Nightmare Creatures is a 3D action/adventure video game released for the Sony PlayStation and PC in 1997, and Nintendo 64 in 1998. ... MechWarrior is the title of a number of games set in the fictional universe created for the tabletop wargame BattleTech. ... This article is about the video game series. ... The Basketball Diaries is a 1978 book written by American author Jim Carroll, in which he chronicles the decline of a promising young, white basketball player in New York City in the 1960s. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Eric Harris (left) and Dylan Klebold (right) Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 â€“ April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (September 11, 1981 â€“ April 20, 1999) were the high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. ... The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado (the CDP of Columbine) near Denver and Littleton. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. ... For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... This article is about the year. ... Shawn Woolley (1980 - November 22, 2001) was an avid player of the computer game EverQuest, an MMORPG, who had been diagnosed with epilepsy, depression and schizoid personality disorder, and committed suicide at the age of 21. ... EverQuest, often called EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was released on March 16, 1999. ... A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Lee Boyd Malvo (alias John Lee Malvo or Malik Malvo) (born February 18, 1985), is a Jamaican-born American convicted mass murderer. ... John Allen Muhammad (b. ... Locations of the 15 sniper attacks numbered chronologically. ... Halo: Combat Evolved, or simply Halo, is a video game in the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, created by the Microsoft-owned Bungie Studios. ... For other uses, see February (disambiguation). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Devin Moore (born 1985) is a criminal from Alabama who sparked a large controversy over the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when he committed three acts of first-degree murder against three people in the Fayette, Alabama police station in 2003. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (abbreviated I-40) is a major west-east interstate highway in the United States. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article discusses Leicester in England. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Warren Leblanc (b. ... Clawhammer is a method of playing the five-string banjo. ... This article is about the tool. ... This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cody Posey Cody Posey (born October 9, 1989) is a New Mexico teenager who confessed to killing his father, stepmother, and stepsister on July 5, 2004, when he was 14 years old. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... The Legend of Mir 3 (Korean: ë¯¸ë¥´ì˜ ì „ì„¤ 3) is a sprite based isometric 3-D massively multiplayer online role-playing game, developed by Wemade Entertainment. ... For Korea as a whole, see Korea. ... World of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated as WoW) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth game in the Warcraft series, excluding expansion packs and the cancelled Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. ... It has been suggested that PC bang be merged into this article or section. ... Lee Seung Seop was an industrial boiler repairman in Taego South Korea. ... â€œStarcraftâ€ redirects here. ... CITIC Plaza Guangzhou (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; jyutping : GwongÂ²zauÂ¹) is the capital and a sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the Peoples Republic of China. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Cho Korean pronunciation (IPA) : English pronunciation: IPA: [1] Seung-Hui Cho[2] (January 18, 1984 â€“ April 16, 2007) was a student at Virginia Tech who committed mass murder of 32 people and wounded 25 others in the shooting rampage which has... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne (Korean: ë¦¬ë‹ˆì§€ 2) is a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for the PC, and a prequel set 150 years before [2] Lineage. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Counter-Strike (commonly abbreviated to CS) is a tactical first-person shooter video game which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh Gooseman Le and Jess Cliffe Cliffe. ...

Counter-criticism by proponents of video games

The most common argument against video games is that they promote violence. A counter-argument commonly expressed in the video game community is that playing these games does not motivate players to actually commit acts of violence in reality; playing a first person shooter does not cause most people to commit murder. A US Secret Service study found that only 12 percent of those involved in school shootings were attracted to violent video games, while 24 percent read violent books and 27 percent were attracted to violent films.^[25] An Australian study found that only children already predisposed to violence were affected by violent games.^[26]

Many gamers accuse critics of overreacting and imagining effects. As with Fredric Wertham's widely publicized crusade against comic books in the 1950s, the association of video gaming with youth crime can be at best seen as a correlation; because a very high percentage of adolescents and young adults play video games (analogous to youth readership of comic books in the 1950s), it would not be surprising that these video games show up in the possession of young violent criminals as well. Dr. Fredric Wertham (March 20, 1895 â€“ November 18, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of mass mediaâ€”comic books in particularâ€”on the development of children. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ...

Within the video game industry itself, there is not much self-criticism about excessive sexuality or violence, as it is generally agreed that video games are for a wide range of ages, as with films and books, and are not always toys for children. In fact, there is considerable evidence that children actually represent a minority market, and the vast majority of players are adults, whose much greater disposable income represents a vastly more attractive market to game developers.^{[citation needed]} The industry also argues that video game publishers have as much right to explore adult-oriented, mature themes as do movie studios or book publishers. Some developers and publishers find some of this type of content distasteful and do not produce it, but in general there is not much agitation to set limits on adult content for the industry as a whole. Nolan Bushnell once said in a documentary that violent video games, for the video game industry, are similar to what porn films represent for the film industry. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A movie studio (aka film studio) is a controlled environment for the making of a motion picture. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Nolan K. Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) is an American electrical engineer and entrepreneur who founded both Atari and the Chuck E. Cheeses Pizza-Time Theaters chain. ... Pac-Man is one of the most recognizable video games ever created. ... Porn redirects here. ... Cinema admissions in 1995 The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i. ...

A tongue-in-cheek parody of a GTA clone was featured on a sketch on popular Adult Swim stop-motion sketch show Robot Chicken. The sketch, which is set out in the form of an ad, points out some exaggerated features that are commonly associated with violent video games, such as the ability for the protagonist to shoot his parents, urinate on homeless people, run people over with a school bus, and date-rape an intellectually disabled person. But at the end of the ad, a voice says, "Rated E for Everyone". Adult Swim is the name for an adult-oriented television programming network. ... A stop motion animation of a moving coin. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Robot Chicken is an Emmy award-winning American stop motion animated television series produced by Stoopid Monkey, ShadowMachine Films, Williams Street, and Sony Pictures Digital, currently airing in the US as a part of Cartoon Networks Adult Swim line-up, in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of...

A similar parody was in season 8, episode 16 of MADtv, with a "Grand Theft Auto" game show, exaggerating all of the controversial features: Frequent killing (two of the contestants, portrayed by Bobby Lee and Paul Vogt get "killed"), drugs, and prostitutes (though there was only one on the show), ending with an apology for the excessive violence in the sketch, and a reminder to go buy "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City". For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... Quiz show redirects here. ... This article is about the comedian. ... Paul Vogt (born December 16, 1964, in Buffalo, New York) was, from 2002 to 2005, one of the lead actors on the comedy sketch-show MADtv. ...

Currently, some educators have begun to address "the controversy over the effects of violent gameplay on gamers" and have also discussed ways in which teachers might incorporate video games into their classrooms, as is the subject of the book Playing to Learn: Video Games in the Classroom written by a Ph.D. at Brock University.^[27]

Video game legislation around the world

Argentina

In Argentina, federal legislation (Law No. 26.043) states that Manufacturers and/or importers of video games are required to display the warning "Overexposure is harmful to health" on the packaging in which such products are marketed. The rating "Suitable for all ages", "Suitable for persons aged 13 or over" or "Suitable for persons aged 18 or over", as applicable, must also be displayed.

Australia

In Australia video games are rated by the Office of Film and Literature Classification, which also rates other media. Unlike movies however, no R18+ or X18+ category exists for video games, and as such if they do not fit into the MA15+ category (suitable for 15 year olds and over), they are refused classification and effectively banned, because video games can not be sold in Australia without a rating from the OFLC, unless that video game applies for, and receives, exemption from being rated.^[28] This fact means that games deemed unsuitable for 15 year olds are banned entirely from sale and distribution within the country, even for use by adults. This situation has been a point of much debate for many years now, as the video gaming community view this as restrictive and archaic. Recently the Victorian government has announced plans to try and get an R18+ category introduced.^{[citation needed]} A comprehensive list of games that have been banned in Australia can be found at Refused-Classification. The "argument for" states that adults are allowed to see and hear whatever they like. Much of the problem seems to be caused by the outdated perception that video games are only targeted at children. The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th) - Land 227,416 km² - Water 10,213 km² (4. ...

In 1996, Duke Nukem 3D was refused classification because of the presence of minor nudity in a section of the game. It was modified so that it was sold with the parental lock on, removing the nudity, but a mix-up meant that the unlocked content was sold on the game's disc. This led to the majority of the Australian player base gaining access to, and playing, the banned version of the game. The OFLC attempted to have the game recalled, since the version that was being sold was functionally the version that was refused classification. The OFLC was unsuccessful, however, because the distributor had notified them that the uncensored content was on the disc when the modified version was classified. Six months later, the unmodified version of the game was officially reclassified as MA15+, and was allowed for sale throughout Australia. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by Apogee Software. ...

In 2002, Australia banned Grand Theft Auto III for allowing certain actions against virtual prostitutes; the game was later reinstated when this action was removed. Specifically, the player could solicit services from a virtual prostitute, and then kill her. The ability to solicit sex from prostitutes in the game was the action that was removed, but the player could still violently murder them. The sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was also modified for the same reasons, and in the same way for release in the Australian market. Similarly, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was banned in July 2005 following the revelation that sex scenes were included in the content files on the game's disk. Ordinarily, one could not access these scenes, but third party modification, known as the Hot Coffee mod, allowed the player to access these scenes within the game itself. The inclusion of the scenes on the game disk took the game outside the MA15+ category. The MA15+ rating was re-instated after a modified version was released by Rockstar Games, omitting the content files for the sex scenes. In 2005 the game 50 Cent: Bulletproof was banned for encouraging gang violence (a version without the game's Arcade Mode and excessive gore, and with an automatic Game Over for killing innocents was later submitted and given an MA15+ rating), and Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure was also banned for glorifying illegal graffiti tagging. Reservoir Dogs was banned because the Australian government disliked the fact that the player was able to shoot the heads off of hostages during a bank heist. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Ongoing events â€¢ 2005 Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes â€¢ 2005 Maharashtra floods â€¢ 2005 Gujarat Flood â€¢ Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan â€¢ Fuel prices â€¢ Gomery Comm. ... hot coffee redirects here. ... The Rockstar Games logo. ... Marc Ecko (born Marc Milecofsky[1] on 1972 in Lakewood, New Jersey) is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. ... Reservoir Dogs is a video game based on the Quentin Tarantino film of the same name. ...

Two other games banned in Australia are the highly violent (and controversial) Postal and Postal² from Running With Scissors. Postal is an ultraviolent and controversial computer game made by Running With Scissors and published by Ripcord Games in 1997. ... PostalÂ² is a 2003 computer game by Running With Scissors (RWS). ... RWS logo Running With Scissors, Inc. ...

It was recently announced that an R18+ rating for video games was in the works,^[29] though South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has stated he will fight against this plan. Atkinson is solely responsible for maintaining Austalia's status of being the only developed democracy without an adults only rating for video games, despite overwhelming demand for such a rating. Hon. ...

Brazil

Around the 1990s, Brazil did not have a video game rating system, such as ESRB, but some games such as Carmageddon, Postal and Grand Theft Auto were banned in the whole Brazilian territory via juridical decision.^[30] Due to a gunman's rampage through a movie theatre in Brazil,^[31] Duke Nukem 3D was also banned in that country along with Quake, Doom and several other violent first-person shooters. The Brazil rampage (named Mateus da Costa Meira) was allegedly inspired by Duke Nukem 3D's opening level "Hollywood Holocaust" (Episode 1, Mission 1), where a firefight with aliens takes place inside a cinema. Despite this ban, Duke Nukem 3D was subsequently being published in a computer magazine (Revista Senha), and other titles such as Quake and Doom are still sold openly in Brazil. The ESRBs logo. ... Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent driving-oriented video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi. ... Postal is an ultraviolent and controversial computer game made by Running With Scissors and published by Ripcord Games in 1997. ... This article is about the videogame. ... Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by Apogee Software. ... For an overview of the Quake game franchise go to Quake series. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ...

On January 18, 2008, the Brazilian justice banned the games Counter-Strike and Everquest. Counter-Strike was banned due to cs_rio — a map which simulates a favela in Rio de Janeiro.^[30]^[32] is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... EverQuest, often called EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was released on March 16, 1999. ... Look up favela in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ipanema beach A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil. ...

In April 10, 2008, the game Bully ^[33] was also banned by brazilian justice claiming "The aggravating factor is that everything in Bully takes place inside a school.". is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit (Latin for dog eat dog) for the PAL PlayStation 2 version,[5] is a third person action-adventure video game released by Rockstar Vancouver for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006 in the United States, and October 25, 2006 in the United...

Canada

Canada (including French-speaking Quebec) uses the same ESRB rating system as the United States. However, in British Columbia and Ontario, their respective provincial governments re-rated the video games Soldier of Fortune and Manhunt as R (Canadian film rating), which unlike the United States' R rating, these games are restricted to those 18 and over for their depictions of graphic violence.^[34] French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area Ranked 5th Total 944... This article is about the Canadian province. ... This article concerns the first-person shooter. ... This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... Motion picture ratings in Canada are mostly a provincial responsibility, and each province has its own legislation regarding exhibition and admission. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... Graphic violence is the depiction of violence in media such as film, television, and video games. ...

China

Through new laws the Chinese government has said it plans to restrict gamers to three hours of consecutive play, using a “fatigue technique” in games. Children and teenagers are strongly encouraged to play online games no more than 3 hours per day through this method. After 3 hours their character abilities will be limited. Gamers who spend more than five hours will have the abilities of their in-game character severely limited. Players will be forced to take a five-hour break before they can return to a game with the character back to full capacity. In some cases further playing is locked down through their IP identification number or account with the online game vendor. The operators face little choice as they need government approval to offer online gaming.^[35] Video games in the Peoples Republic of China is a massive industry and pastime in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) that includes the production, sales, import and export, and playing of video games. ... An IP address (or Internet Protocol address) is a unique address that certain electronic devices use in order to identify and communicate with each other on a computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol standard (IP)â€”in simpler terms, a computer address. ...

The MMO genre of games is big business in China since subscription based games avoid software piracy, and most gamers use Internet cafes as they do not own a personal computer. The company that runs the popular World of Warcraft in China, The9, is listed on the NASDAQ market exchange so they must release an annual report which includes much information on how MMORPGs work in China. Abbreviated versions of the sources have been published.^[36]^[37] MMO redirects here. ... The subscription business model is a business model that has long been used by magazines and record clubs, but the application of this model is spreading. ... The copyright infringement of software (also known as software piracy) refers to several practices when done without the permission of the copyright holder: Creating a copy and/or selling it. ... It has been suggested that PC bang be merged into this article or section. ... World of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated as WoW) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth game in the Warcraft series, excluding expansion packs and the cancelled Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. ... The9 is a Shanghai-based online game operator with the exclusive license to operate and distribute World of Warcraft in mainland China. ... NASDAQ in Times Square, New York City. ... An annual report is a document which a company presents at its Annual General Meeting for approval by its shareholders. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ...

China has also banned certain video games for their content. Foreign Internet games are subject to content examinations by the Ministry of Culture before being allowed to enter the Chinese market. Games such as Hearts of Iron, I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike,^[38] and Command & Conquer have all been banned for offenses such as "distorting history and damaging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "smearing the image of China and the Chinese army".^[39] â€œHOIâ€ redirects here. ... Command & Conquer is the original title in Westwood Studios Command & Conquer franchise of real-time strategy video games. ...

Germany

In Germany, video games, as with other media, are subject to censorship, or "decency standards", that are strict by the standards of other European nations. For video games there is the index, which is a list of video games, films and other media considered a bad influence on children and therefore unsuited for anyone under 18. Articles not suited for anyone under 18 cannot be easily sold through mail order in Germany. There are a few specialized companies that sell such games, but require a photocopy of the buyers' ID card as age verification, and the package is only handed over to the buyer personally. Certain institutions can request that a game be examined by the BPjM (Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien). In some cases it is then placed on the index, usually because it is deemed to glorify violence, at which point it becomes illegal to advertise the games or even review them in an age-unrestricted medium, display them on store shelves, or sell them to anyone under 18. This dramatically affects sales, so most video game companies selling games in Germany elect to create a special German version that narrowly avoids the index by changing the graphics. Instead of red blood, green blood is shown, implying that aliens are being killed and not humans; or gears and springs are shown coming out of the wound, implying that the victims are robots. For example, the Contra series, known as Probotector in Europe, repeatedly replaced the heroes and many enemies throughout the series with robots. In Half-Life, the marines that are fought by the player are replaced by robots. The scientists also cannot be killed in Half-Life, they just sit down and shake their heads. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... For other uses, see Censor. ... This article has been translated, and needs attention from someone approaching dual fluency. ... // Advert redirects here. ... Contra ) is an arcade game released in 1987 by the Konami corporation. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ...

The problem with the index is that games cannot be examined by the BPjM prior to their release, even if requested by the manufacturers, as that would be considered censorship by German standards, which is illegal under the German constitution.^[40] However, this has led to many publishers thinking with "scissors in their hands" and removing more content than would have been necessary.

Recently, the index has become a little redundant regarding video games, as the USK's (unabhängige Selbstkontrolle - independent Selfcontrol) ratings have been made obligatory and only games that did not receive a rating can be placed on the index. Before 2003-04-01 these ratings had been merely suggestions for gamers and the index was the only way to control sales. Now violent games which received an 18+ rating can be sold openly in stores, but the stores are responsible for checking the buyers' age. The self-censorship described above has also decreased because of that. Companies still employ it because a 16+ rating can improve sales, but it is not as excessive as it used to be. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Moreover, because of Germany's law banning public displays of Nazism and the swastika,^[41] some games have been banned for using these symbols, even though the rationale behind their use is clearly critical of the Nazi philosophy. Games such as Wolfenstein 3D or Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, which involve Allied soldiers on missions to kill Nazi soldiers, are banned. Although a censored version of Return to Castle Wolfenstein was released in Germany, the original Wolfenstein 3D remains illegal. It should be noted that confiscations of video games based on this law are not common, and most of the confiscated games are openly racist homebrews like KZ Manager. Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... This article is about the symbol. ... Wolfenstein 3D (commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is the computer game that started the first person shooter genre on the PC. It was created by id Software and published by Apogee Software on May 5, 1992. ... Promotional artwork for the Commandos series. ... KZ Manager is a name shared by many similar resource management computer games putting the player in the role of a Nazi concentration camp manager, where the resources to be managed include, depending on the version of the game, prisoners (either Jews, Turks or Gypsies), poison gas supplies, normal money...

The display of Nazi symbols in an accurate historical context is permitted. This applies especially to World War II films, which are classified as art and thus exempt from this ban. Video games however are denied being art. There are few World War II video games that are deemed to be historically accurate, but the backgrounds of titles such as Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Call of Duty and Commandos: Beyond The Call of Duty do operate on a historically true background, even if the stories central to the games are exaggerated or fictional. Nonetheless, the symbols were removed, although all other references to the Nazis were kept. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (MoH:AA) is a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game by Electronic Arts. ... CoD redirects here. ... Promotional artwork for the Commandos series. ...

In September 2006, due to its graphic violence, the USK has refused to rate the Xbox 360 game Dead Rising. Microsoft does not allow unrated games to be published for the Xbox 360, effectively halting the production of a German version of the game. The game is available as an import to players of legal age. The same fate occurred to Gears of War as well as Crackdown.^[42] It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Dead Rising is an action adventure video game exclusive for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. ... Gears of War is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games (the creators of the Unreal series) using Unreal Engine 3. ... This article is about the 2007 video game. ...

Greece

In July 2002, the Greek Parliament passed Greek Law Number 3037, entirely outlawing electronic gaming. This controversial law has been frowned upon, not only in Greece, but elsewhere in Europe and in the United States, and petitions were made against it. In December 2003 it was restricted to only affect Internet cafes in accordance with a letter from the European Union. July 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December // See also: Timeline of the War in Afghanistan (July 2002) A Russian Tupolev Tu-154 airliner and a Boeing 757 operated by DHL collide at 35,000ft over Uberlingen, due to failure of correct communication from... In 2002 Greece, in an attempt to fight illegal gambling, passed the ambiguous and controversial law 3037/2002 which seem by many to ban all electronic games, including those running on home computers. ... December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - â†’ Events December 31, 2003 In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian signs a law that allows referendums to be held. ... It has been suggested that PC bang be merged into this article or section. ...

Italy

In Italy some sporadic attempts at video game censorship have been made. The game Carmageddon was censored when first released, showing zombies instead of people and green blood. This censorship was not applied to the sequels, and apparently even the first game was re-released into its original form after some time; When Resident Evil 2 was released in 1998, it was banned from stores after a protest made by a group of conservative mothers, but it reappeared after few days following the ruling of a judge. In November 2006 Italian politicians inaccurately attacked Rule of Rose for alleged violence against children perpetrated by the player.^[43] Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent driving-oriented video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi. ... This article is about the living dead. ... Resident Evil 2, known in Japan as Biohazard 2 ), is a survival horror game by Capcom originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... 67 die and about 300,000 people are affected by floods in Ethiopias Somali Region of Ogaden after the Shabelle River bursts its banks. ... Rule of Rose is a survival horror game for the PlayStation 2. ...

Japan

Violent games are tolerated, as demonstrated in the Japanese born game series Biohazard (known as Resident Evil outside of Japan), Devil May Cry, God Hand, Samurai Spirits (also known as Samurai Shodown, which was censored in the US), and Dead Rising (Though Dead Rising was made with US audiences in mind). However, games in which depictions of violence and gore are deemed unnecessary, extravagant, and unethical are censored, such as Mortal Kombat. Consequently, Japanese critics tend to focus instead on pornography found in some adult Japanese computer games, which have generally not been released outside of Japan. Since 2002, a non-governmental organization, CERO, is reviewing games and issuing an age recommendation for all products that have been submitted. This article is about the video game series. ... This article is about the first game in the series. ... God Hand is a video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. ... Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan), or SS for short, is the name of a fighting game series by SNK. It is considered to be the premier 2D weapons fighter, and is one of the best-known video games created by SNK. This series also started SNKs reputation for... Dead Rising is an action adventure video game exclusive for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. ... For other uses, see Mortal Kombat. ... Porn redirects here. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ...

Violently pornographic games came to national attention in Japan in 1986 with the release by dB-soft of 177, a game where the player takes the role of a rapist. (The game's title originates from the number of the Japanese law criminalizing rape.) 177 was not the first game designed around this premise, but it was unusually explicit for that time. The game caused debate in the Japanese parliament and was eventually recalled and re-released with the most controversial scenes removed. The controversy was ignited again in late 1991, when a junior high school student stole Saori: the House of Beautiful Girls. The game included scenes of abduction, incest and homosexuality. In 1992 the pornographic game industry formed the "Ethics Organization for Computer Software", setting industry guidelines for acceptable content and packaging. Those games deemed inappropriate by this organization for minors are released only to people 18 years or older. 177 is a BishÅjo game released in Japan in 1986 by dB-soft in which players take the role of a rapist. ... Look up abduction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In logic, abduction is a method of reasoning; see abductive reasoning. ... Incest is defined as sexual relations between closely related persons (often within the immediate family) such that it is either illegal or socially taboo. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ...

A bishōjo game (J. 美少女ゲーム bishōjo gēmu; often spelled bishoujo game), also known as a girl game/gal game is a type of Japanese video game centered around interactions with attractive anime-style girls. ... An H game is a Japanese video or computer game that features pornographic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. ...

New Zealand

Objectionable publications can be seized any time by an Inspector from the Department of Internal Affairs, a Customs officer or a member of the police,^[45] and mere possession is an offense, punishable with up to five years imprisonment for an individual.^[46] Supply, distribution, display, or exhibition to any other person, or possession for this purpose, can be punished with up to ten years in jail under certain conditions.^[47]

Manhunt, Reservoir Dogs, Postal and Postal² were dubbed "objectionable" under this law. This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... Reservoir Dogs is a video game based on the Quentin Tarantino film of the same name. ... Postal is an ultraviolent and controversial computer game made by Running With Scissors and published by Ripcord Games in 1997. ... PostalÂ² is a 2003 computer game by Running With Scissors (RWS). ...

Oman

The games Call Of Duty 4 and Assassin's Creed are banned in Oman.^{[citation needed]} Call of Duty 4 is the rumored upcoming fourth title in the Call of Duty series of video games. ... Assassins Creed is a video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. ...

Poland

Poland uses the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system. In early 2006, it was announced that there will be a rating system unique to Poland.^[48] Law project probably will be presented with the end of 2007.^[49] Additionally, former Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych stated that his “No tolerance for violence in school” ("Zero tolerancji dla przemocy w szkole") project will also apply as a ban on distributing violent video games.^[50] The project has been suspended by his successor, Ryszard Legutko, on August 14, 2007. PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roman Giertych Roman Giertych, (IPA: [], born 27 February 1971 in Åšrem, Poland) is a Polish politician, Deputy Prime Minister and, since May 5, 2006, Minister of Education. ... Ryszard Legutko (1949-present) - Polish professor of philosophy, writer and politician. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

South Korea

Video game violence is controversial in South Korea, and "no blood" regulations apply. South Korea also regularly bans games that depict North Korea and South Korea at war, or that demonize North Koreans. Ghost Recon 2 and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction have been banned for these reasons (Crysis ????) . Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was also banned in South Korea due to the destruction of the South Korean capital Seoul in the game; however, the ban was recently lifted in late 2006. The South Korean government banned Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Manhunt for cruelty and violence. Tom Clancys Ghost Recon 2 Categories: 2004 computer and video games | Xbox games | PlayStation 2 games | GameCube games | First-person shooters | Ubisoft Entertainment games | Computer and video game stubs ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... Look up manhunt in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, with launch of the Game Rating Board (Oct. 2007), tolerance for violence in games has been improved significantly. (Prior to GRB, Korea Media Rating Board, an organization responsible for rating various media such as theatrical movies and videos was in charge of rating video games.) With GRB in place, Korea is seeing lots of controversial games released with 18+ ratings. For example, PS2 and PC versions of GTA series were banned (by KMRB), but GTA games for PSP were released with 18+ rating (approved by GRB).

United Kingdom

The introduction of controversial games featuring photo-realistic images, such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, led to calls from the tabloid press for games to fall under the Video Recordings Act. The UK games publisher trade body ELSPA responded by introducing a voluntary age rating system in 1994. The ELSPA ratings were succeeded by the PEGI, in 2003. Nevertheless, although games are generally exempt from the Video Recordings Act, those depicting sexual content, or gross violence towards people or animals, must still be submitted to the BBFC for consideration. BBFC ratings are legally binding, and British law imposes stiff penalties on retailers who sell to under-aged customers. Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous and highly controversial Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... Night Trap is a video game that was released on October 15, 1992. ... The Video Recordings Act is a UK Act of Parliament that was passed into law in 1984. ... The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (or ELSPA) is an organisation set up in 1989 by British software publishers. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ...

Carmageddon, in which the gameplay involved mowing down innocent pedestrians, was the first game to be refused classification in 1997, effectively banning it. The game's publisher, SCI, had a modified version created in which the pedestrians in question were replaced by green-blooded zombies, which completed a successful appeal against the BBFC to overturn their original decision. The uncensored, unmodified version of Carmageddon was later released under an 18-certificate. Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent driving-oriented video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... SCi (originally The Sales Curve and later Sales Curve Interactive) is a [[England|] video game publisher. ... Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent driving-oriented video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi. ...

In 2002 the Io Interactive game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was withdrawn by a number of retailers due to religious sensitivities.^[51] The area in question involved a Sikh sect that were depicted as terrorists involved in arms smuggling and assassination. It also involved a section that many Sikhs believed to closely resemble the 1984 massacre at the Amritsar temple. Also see: 2002 (number). ... IO Interactive is a Danish computer game developer currently owned by Eidos Interactive. ... 47 disguised. ... Religions Sikhism Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib Languages English, Punjabi] A Sikh (English: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... Belligerents Indian Army Sikh militiamen Casualties and losses Military: 83 killed, 248 wounded Militants (including civilians): 492 Killed Operation Blue Star ( à¨¬à¨¿à¨²à¨¯à©‚ à¨¸à¨Ÿà¨¾à¨° , à¤¬à¤¿à¤²à¥à¤¯à¥‚ à¤¸à¥à¤Ÿà¤¾à¤° ) (June 3 to June 6, 1984) was an Indian military operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India,[1] to remove Sikh militants from Golden Temple...

In 2004, the parents of a murdered 14-year-old boy blamed Manhunt as having been "connected" to the murder. It was later found not to be, as the game was found in the victim's home, rather than the killer's.^[52] Leicestershire police "did not uncover any connections to the computer game."^[53] The accusations prompted some retailers to remove the game from their shelves.^[54] Nevertheless, following this incident the sales of the game rose due to the free publicity from newspaper headlines. The sequel, Manhunt 2, released in 2007, was banned in the UK by the BBFC. On appeal to the Video Appeals Committee this ruling was overturned^[55] however the BBFC launched a successful judicial review into the VAC's decision, forcing the VAC to reconsider its judgement.^[56] On 14th March 2008, the VAC again recommended that the game be released, a position to which the BBFC have now agreed. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... Manhunt 2 is a video game developed by Rockstar Games, and the sequel to 2003s Manhunt. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... Judicial review is the power of a court to review the actions of public sector bodies in terms of their legality or constitutionality. ...

In June 2007 the PS3 game Resistance: Fall of Man was criticized for the use of Manchester cathedral as one of the games' backdrops. Sony, the publisher of the game, responded by saying "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the cathedral authorities... and we naturally take the concerns very seriously. Resistance: Fall of Man is a fantasy science fiction game and is not based on reality. We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game." Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... â€œPS3â€ redirects here. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

United States

Until recently, video and computer games were not given First Amendment protection, albeit the case law in that area was initially limited. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ...

The economic crash of the video game industry in the early 1980s, was caused, in large part, by a handful of adult, pornographic video games. When the 8-bit and 16-bit home console industry was revived, both Nintendo of America and Sega of America imposed censorship guidelines upon software publishers. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... 8-bit refers to the number of bits used in the data bus of a computer. ... In computer science, 16-bit is an adjective used to describe integers that are at most two bytes wide, or to describe CPU architectures based on registers, address buses, or data buses of that size. ... Nintendo Corporation, Limited (Japanese: 任天堂; Ninten is translated roughly as leave luck to heaven or in heavens hands, do is a common suffix for names of shops or laboratories; TSE: NTDOY) was originally founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese... Sega (セガ) is a video game software and hardware developer, and a former console manufacturer. ...

However, hardware manufactures never sought to impose such content censorship rules on the creators of computer games. If there was any objectionable content in a computer game, the publisher might put a generic parental advisory label on the game's packaging, while such content was often removed from a video game prior to sale.^{[citation needed]}

In the early 1990s, Sega of America, who had more liberal censorship polices, introduced the Videogames Ratings Council in effort to develop a formal rating system for games sold on its Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD. It was during this era that a second wave of controversy erupted over the content of certain video games (i.e. Doom, Mortal Kombat, Lethal Enforcers, Night Trap and Primal Rage). For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Sega (セガ) is a video game software and hardware developer, and a former console manufacturer. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... The Sega Game Gear was Segas first portable gaming system. ... The Sega Mega-CD (Japanese: ãƒ¡ã‚¬CD) is an add-on device for the Sega Mega Drive released in Europe, Australia, and Japan. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Mortal Kombat (commonly abbreviated as MK) is a popular series of fighting games made originally by Midway Manufacturing Company. ... Lethal Enforcers was created as an arcade shooting video game by Konami in 1992. ... Night Trap is a video game that was released on October 15, 1992. ... Primal Rage is a versus fighting game developed and published by Atari Games. ...

The criticism came from interest groups and politicians, liberals and conservatives alike, who believed that the content of these games was too mature for children, promoted real life threats to public order and morality and, often, proposed greater government oversight of the industry. Senators Joe Lieberman, Herb Kohl and Byron Dorgan held high-profile hearings on the video game industry and instructed the industry to engage in effective self-regulation, or risk federal intervention. Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a United States Senator from Connecticut. ... This article refers to Sen. ... Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. ...

The industry's response was to establish the ESRB, which would be charged with giving each video game sold within the United States a content based rating, similar to the MPAA film rating system. Initially computer game companies supported an alternative rating system, but the ESRB ratings would eventually be used for both video and computer games. The ESRBs logo. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ...

A third wave of national controversy erupted over the video game Grand Theft Auto, especially the "Hot Coffee" mod. Once this mod is downloaded it allowed the player to engage in graphic sex with a virtual girlfriend. This was not intended to be available in the game, but the code was not removed. This allowed someone to make a mod that allowed this code to run. The ESRB was not aware that this code existed, and more scrutiny was placed on the industry and its rating system. Grand Theft Auto may refer to Motor vehicle theft, a crime in many jurisdictions Grand Theft Auto (film), a film directed by Ron Howard Grand Theft Auto (series), a computer and video game series Grand Theft Auto (video game), the first game in this series Category: ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Look up mod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Several States are considering, or have already enacted, legislation that would prohibit certain games being sold to minors. The Constitutionality of such legislation remains in dispute, as the courts have yet to decide what, if any, First Amendment protection exists for video and computer games. The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ...

Senator Lieberman stated in 2002 that in his opinion, the video game industry's rating system had become the best rating system of any medium, including the film industry. However, many video game players have criticized him, citing his work as too broad and unaware of the industry as a whole. The ESRB itself has, on numerous occasions, blamed any continued problems with video games on parents. It boasts an extremely high approval rating on its ratings, and claim that the labels are there and are properly used. It says that parents need to be more aware of what their children are buying and what they are buying for their children. Also see: 2002 (number). ...

In December 2004, Hal Hal, the president of the retail trade association announced that all IEMA member companies - which included every major retailer of computer and video games, including such notable names as Wal-Mart - would now have policies to check the identification of young purchasers of games rated "Mature" to ensure that the purchaser is at least 17 years old, as recommended by the "Mature" rating. The association also required its members to post ESRB signage in every store and begin training retail clerks about the ratings system in order to help parents understand the process more thoroughly. â† - 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- â†’ Deaths in December â€¢ 30 Artie Shaw â€¢ 29 Julius Axelrod â€¢ 28 Jacques Dupuis â€¢ 28 Jerry Orbach â€¢ 28 Susan Sontag â€¢ 26 Reggie White â€¢ 26 Sir Angus Ogilvy â€¢ 23 P. V. Narasimha Rao â€¢ 23 Doug Ault â€¢ 19 Renata Tebaldi â€¢ 16... In April 2006, the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association merged with the Video Software Dealers Association into the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA). ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ...

From time to time, local officials attempt to restrict the playing or selling of violent video games. Predictably, the ESA (representing video game publishers) and the IEMA (representing game retailers) oppose the legislation and have been, to-date, victorious in overturning each bill passed. For example, the city of Indianapolis, Indiana in 2000 passed an ordinance barring children from playing arcade games with graphic violence unless parental consent was given. It was generally thought that this law was intended to target the game The House of the Dead, in which players use plastic guns to shoot at the game screen in order to kill zombies that try to kill the player. The ordinance was struck down at the appellate Federal court level, on the grounds that in the United States, video games enjoy some measure of First Amendment free speech protection because they contain real expression of ideas, and children have constitutional rights before the age of 18, and given this, the city did not demonstrate an overriding public interest in passing the ban. Recently, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich passed a law banning the sale of "violent or sexually explicit" video games to minors under the age of 18. The new law would have taken effect on January 1, 2006, but was struck down by District Court judge Matthew Kennelly. As Kennelly so concisely put it: "In this country, the state lacks the authority to ban protected speech on the ground that it affects the listener's or observer's thoughts and attitudes." In doing so, the Judge confirmed yet again that video games are protected under the First Amendment and deserve treatment no different than film and literature. Illinois was forced to pay the ESRB legal fees, approximately 1 million dollars. About three months later, similar laws were passed by Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California law, as California Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793, was sponsored by Leland Yee, the Speaker pro Tem of the Assembly and a child psychologist. The laws were deemed unconstitutional by Judge Ronald Whyte on December 21, 2005; preventing it from going into effect on January 1, 2006. Indianapolis redirects here. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... It has been suggested that Thomas Rogan be merged into this article or section. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... Milorad Blagojevich, commonly known as Rod R. Blagojevich (pronounced , born December 10, 1956) is an American politician from the state of Illinois. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of the boundaries of the United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-born American politician and the current Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe-winning actor, businessman and politician currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... California Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793 were two bills introduced by Speaker pro Tem of the Assembly Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/Daly City). ... Leland Yee (Chinese: ; pinyin: , born 1948 in China) is a California State Senator in District 8 which includes the western half of San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 2005-11-29, Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act to much criticism. The act was intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games. The bill expired without going to a vote. Similar bills introduced at state level were found to be unconstitutional. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ... Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a United States Senator from Connecticut. ... Birch Evans Bayh III (commonly known as Evan Bayh) (pronounced like bye; IPA pronunciation: ) (born December 26, 1955) is an American politician who has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana since 1999 and a former Governor of Indiana. ... The United States Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA) is a bill introduced by Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh on November 29, 2005. ...

It should be noted that a large reason that such legislation described above has never been enforced in the United States is because such legislation has been unanimously ruled unconstitutional in US courts. Judges across the nation agree that, if nothing else, video games are a fine art, and thus are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution's guarantee of freedom of press (press instead of speech because video game files are more long-term than pure oral words). â€œFirst Amendmentâ€ redirects here. ...

Contents

Brief history

History of notable criticism

Causes of controversy

Criticism of crime and violence in video games

Criticism related to psychology and children's social development

Criticism from religious organizations

Uninteresting/Uncreative games

Publicized incidents

Counter-criticism by proponents of video games

Video game legislation around the world

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

Germany

Greece

Italy

Japan

New Zealand

Oman

Poland

South Korea

United Kingdom

United States

See also

References

External links

External links used as references for list of video games considered controversial

Rating systems

Legislation

Viewpoints of the video game controversy

Proponents of video game censorship

Proponents of video game caution, but not censorship

Neutral/Awareness

Opponents of video game censorship

Contents

Brief history GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

History of notable criticism

Causes of controversy

Criticism of crime and violence in video games

Criticism related to psychology and children's social development

Criticism from religious organizations

Uninteresting/Uncreative games

Publicized incidents

Counter-criticism by proponents of video games

Video game legislation around the world

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

Germany

Greece

Italy

Japan

New Zealand

Oman

Poland

South Korea

United Kingdom

United States

See also

References

External links

External links used as references for list of video games considered controversial

Rating systems

Legislation

Viewpoints of the video game controversy

Proponents of video game censorship

Proponents of video game caution, but not censorship

Neutral/Awareness

Opponents of video game censorship

Brief history