Game On?

Games like Manhunt 2 caused so much upset we are now asking ourselves: Is it still Game On or Game Over for the UK's games industry?

As a successful part of the UK's creative industries sector, employing nearly 30,000 people and contributing over £2 billion per year to the economy, the UK computer games industry is obviously a vitally important part of the economy. The Government needs to do all it can to support the video games sector and allow it to flourish, however the recent screams of 'ban violent games' by the media have forced politicians to re-think their position.

The Government is launching a new review of the relationship between violent videogames and children's' behaviour. The review is headed up by Dr. Tanya Byron and is expected to last approximately 6 months.

Dr Byron states: "The study will be about what industry is doing already to protect children and what more could be done to ensure they have a positive experience on the internet and with games."

A review such as this has clearly come from the high command. Gordon Brown issued a statement during a press conference this morning, part of which related specifically to gaming.

The Prime Minister commented: "Where there is pornographic or violent material any parent is going to be concerned about the impact; and any parent wants the reassurance that we are doing everything in our power. We have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved and the whole purpose of this review would be to draw on the advice of all sources so that we can look at this in a sensible way'

Meantime, from the opposition, Tory leader David Cameron proposes a ban on violent gaming.

The Conservatives are apparently putting together a mini-Manifesto and one of their many weapons in their battle for law and order amongst the young seems to be the abolition of violent video games.

"We are never going to deal with crime unless we look at the broader context and say 'Yes, tough laws, strong action on the police, but also action to strengthen our society'," said Cameron. "And that includes, I think, video games and things like that where we do need to think of the context in which people are growing up."