Video Game Voters Network

The on-again, off-again debate over “violent”video games has been a daily news headline since the deadly December shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Media professionals and political names on both sides of the aisle have been putting the debate center stage. Among them is Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy, who stated on Thursday, Jan. 24 that theSandy Hook gunman was given a “false sense of courage” from violent video games.

The Video Game Voters Network aims to give the gamers a voice in this debate.

“The Video Game Voters Network (VGVN) is a place for American gamers to organize and defend against threats to video games and to help promote the many positive aspects of this most creative of entertainment forms,” said Rich Taylor, spokesperson for the Entertainment Software Association.

According to Taylor, the information given in the media fails to reflect the actual nature of the video game industry, including the fact that no scientific evidence exists proving the link between violent media and violent acts and the fact that the age of the average video game consumer is in their thirties. These missing facts, he says, often brings forth attempts at legislation aimed toward the video game industry.

“With so much misinformation about video games in the media and in some political circles, it is important that gamers have a strong, unified voice against the unfair laws that are routinely proposed to regulate the industry,” he said.

Among recently proposed legislation regarding “violent video games” is a tax proposal from Missouri Representative Diane Franklin which would add a tax to any video games rated T for Teen and up by the ESRB Ratings System, stating the raised revenue would go toward “mental health conditions associated with exposure to violent video games.”

A similar tax proposal was quickly killed in Oklahoma last year after a flood of e-mail against it.

Gamers and supporters of the video game industry can learn more about the VGVN and sign up atVideoGameVoters.org.

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