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As computer games are a fast evolving medium in its aesthetics, interactivity and subject matter, it is believed that members of older, computer game uninitiated generations are unable to subjectively viewing computer games as an initiated youth would. The Economist.com (2005) suggests that digital natives who have played video games since childhood already regard them as a form of entertainment on a par with films and music. While current youths value computer games as a legitimate form of leisure and social interaction, an objective and impartial analysis would find contemporary computer games to be needlessly violent activity, which encourages similarly violent and obsessive behaviour in children. Jessen in Smith (1999) provides that the pedagogues don't perceive the computer as an appropriate activity for children, but is rather viewed as passive entertainment, which may make the children antisocial, reduce the scope of their imagination and have destructive effects on playing.
Whilst these generational perceptions on computer gaming exist, computer gaming culture has permeated to a broader cachet of society, garnering a more diverse and notably older demographic. Jenkins (2005) supports this belief in his statement, "while most American kids do play video games, the centre of the video game market has shifted older as the first generation of gamers continues to play into adulthood." This suggests progressing older users of videogames, which results in the blurring of generational attitudes. In fact, already 62 percent of the console market and 66 percent of the PC market is age 18 or older, with more games catering to adult tastes (Jenkins, 2005). In addition, the Economist.com (2005) provides that “older digital natives now have children of their own and enjoy playing video games with them.�?
While it may be that the amount of adult gamers is increasing, Jenkins (2005) also suggests that a large amount of parents ignore ESBR game ratings because of the belief that computer games are harmless entertainment for children. Although, as the Federal Trade Commission in Jenkins (2005) states, 83 percent of game purchases for underage consumers are made by parents or by parents and children together, it could be viewed that the adult misconceptions of computer games as childsplay could lead to harmful exposure of children to adult themes.
Despite the implementation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s rating system, it is remains apparent that a quarter of children in America aged 11 to 16 identify an M-Rated (Mature Content) game as among their favourites (Jenkins, 2005). While regulators appear to struggle to keep adult targeted games from children, the gaming industry is addressing the adult spectrum of the generational divide by designing games to appeal to adult non-gamers and encouraging casual gamers, who may occasionally play games on mobile phones, or simple web-based games, to play more (The Economist, 2005). However, designing games to appeal to an adult market does not inevitably entail computer game violence, sex and other adult themes. The Economist (2005) states that this adult targeting has led to the development of computer games with a wider appeal, entailing novel input devices such as microphones, cameras, and faux musical instruments. Furthermore, the gaming industry has designed computer games aimed at women, with social simulation games such as The Sims and its many variants.
http://newmediawiki.ci.qut.edu.au/index.php/Computer_Games_-_Effects_on_Children
Smith, J. H. 1999. The Forgotten Medium. Game Research. Retrieved October 12, 2005, from http://www.game-research.com/art_the_forgotten_medium.asp.
Jenkins, H. 2005. Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked. Retrieved September 7, 2005, from http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html.
Economist.com. 2005. Chasing the dream. Retrieved September 7, 2005, from http://economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=4246109.
--Matthew Hsu 11:29, 28 Oct 2005 (EST)
