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JANUARY 26, 2001

An industry watchgroup on Thursday issued their report card on computer and video games, hoping parents will use it to make informed choices on the some of the most popular products on the market today.

The report comes after the entertainment industry last fall faced harsh criticism from lawmakers who said movies, books, websites and other materials not meant for children were instead aggressively marketed to them. The picture painted by the National Institute on Media and the Family yesterday wasn't much different and the group said aggressive behavior in children and young adults is tied directly to violence in video games.

The research behind that conclusion won't be presented until April. For now, the group has graded the video game industry as well as individual games for several game-playing systems.

With the exception of industry response to their past recommendations and accuracy of a ratings system on games, the report gave barely passing grades in ratings enforcement, ratings education, and marketing and advertising. Overall, the industry was given a grade of "C."

The group also graded a number of popular games which were released in November in anticipation of the holiday season. Games for Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Sony Playstation, as well as computer CD-ROM titles were all considered.

CD-ROM games received the most favorable reviews for children of all ages by the report. "Barney Magical Music," "Sim City 2000," "LEGO: Alpha Team," and "Pajama Sam" were among the positively rated games. In general, most CD-ROM products were adventure, sports, simulation, or children's games.

In contrast, many games released last holiday season for Sony Playstation were of the "shoot-em-up" and "battle" variety. As a result, most received ratings which cautioned parents to consider their violent content. "Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes," a game where the male character saves a planet of women from an alien invasion, received the worst rating in all categories including Sexual Content and Nudity. Products in the "Duke Nukem" series are designed for play by "Mature" audiences.

Games for Sony Playstation 2, Dreamcast, and Nintendo 64 received mixed ratings due to a wide range of products available. Sports games for hard-to-find Playstation 2 received positive marks, while shooting games for Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 received mixed positive and negative ratings.

Get the Report (Caution: Parts are slow to load):
5th Annual Video and Computer Game Report Card (National Institute on Media and the Family January 2001)

Relevant Links:
National Institute on Media and the Family - www.mediafamily.org
Duke Nukem - www.duke-nukem.com

Related Stories:
Violence in entertainment targeted (The Medicine Wheel 09/12)