A new survey has revealed that gaming is fast becoming a family activity as more and more technology aware parents engage with their children in their favorite pass time. Critics demanding more regulation of the gaming industry however, insist that there are still reasons for concern.
An online survey of 1,014 U.S. children and their parents, commissioned by Activision and conducted by the Harrison Group, has found that 58 per cent of parents said they play video games and during over half of this time they play with their children. This clearly shows that parents who play video games also seek to engage with their children in this activity suggesting that they do not believe video gaming to be inherently dangerous.
This survey is published as the two fiercest critics of the gaming industry attempt to join forces with it for an educational TV campaign. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joe Lieberman have taken this step as a sign of conciliation between the industry and the senate.
There is, of course, a bias in online studies as they are more likely to be completed by technology savvy individuals and the results may well not represent the overall situation in the U.S. It is however clear that as the industry matures so will the first gamers who are bound to introduce their offspring to their hobby. The recent release of retro game titles by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft for their new consoles suggests that they are eager to cash in on parents as they introduce their children to games which shaped their own childhood.
It is possible that as more and more gamers have families, regulation of the gaming industry may, rightfully, fall on the shoulders of the parents themselves. This will be a great help to the senators as they have had a hard time coming up with solid evidence linking violent games with real-world violent behavior.
