Lieberman, Clinton Team Up with ESRB

Increasingly, politicians have been at odds with the games industry over how games and game sales should be regulated, and the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which assigns ratings and content descriptors to games in North America, is a frequent focal point for debate. US Senators Hilary Clinton (D-NY) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) have been two of the most prominent names in the ongoing debate; Lieberman in particular has for years been one of the industry's most outspoken critics. Earlier this year, Clinton and Lieberman, as part of a nonpartisan group of four US senators, backed a five year study to determine the effects of media such as video games on children. This week, the two senators have made a move that demonstrates a degree of solidarity with the ESRB, joining the organization's president Patricia Vance on Capitol Hill to launch a new series of public service announcements aiming to inform parents about the existence and importance of ESRB age and content ratings. Showing retailer support for the initiative, Best Buy president Brian Dunn and GameStop president Steve Morgan will appear in the PSAs. "I continue to be concerned about the impact on minors of playing violent video games intended for older players." said Lieberman. "I have long said that the ESRB ratings are the most comprehensive in the media industry. There are many age-appropriate games that are clever and entertaining." Clinton had similar remarks, stating, "We all share in the responsibility of making sure our children play age-appropriate video games, and I'm pleased that the ESRB and retailers are working together to educate parents about the video game ratings and make sure they are enforced." An Activision-commissioned study released earlier this week claims that parents are already educated about the effectiveness of ESRB ratings. The survey, conducted by The Harrison Group, found that 84% of parents of video game players "very familiar with the ESRB ratings system." Almost 79% said they pay close attention to the ratings, while 68% said the ESRB ratings are a factor in determining a game's appropriateness and 56% said the ratings are the single biggest factor in determining a game's appropriateness. Interestingly, 74% of parents surveyed stated that they are satisfied with the role of video games in their families' lives, and 58% admitted to playing games themselves.