James Delahunty
8 Jan 2007 15:37
We reported yesterday about how Boris Johnson, an outspoken Tory MP, had blasted videogames and placed the blame for falling literacy rates in youths almost completely on them. Paul Jackson of the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), has responded to the criticism, saying that while he respects Johnson's opinions, he fears the MP is "painting his picture with too broad a brush".
"The games industry is often a scapegoat for many problems society encounters with youths. But instead of placing blame where it should not lie, we need to educate parents and carers of the 21st Century child," he said. He continued to say games are a "great source of education in their own right" and gave examples such as how the Civilization and Total War series offer historical lessons.
As another example, he pointed out Nintendo's Brain Training game for the Nintendo DS handheld saying it provides "mental stimulation, memory and reaction improvement, and entertainment and enjoyment in equal doses". He also denied that games lead children to become speechless, motionless "blinking lizards". "A large quantity of games that children play require a huge amount of movement and social interaction," he said.
In conclusion, Jackson stated: "Rather than criticizing the medium as a whole, we'd encourage Mr. Johnson to maybe take a closer look at how modern games differ from the age-old stereotypes. We would be more than happy to show Mr Johnson examples of the types of games I am referring to and we think he would have a lot of fun finding out more."
Source:
GamesIndustry.biz