According to a recent report released by video game watchdog group Mediawise, violent video games can cause aggressive behavior in children. Although I do not necessarily agree with this view (for some, it is a release of aggressive feelings, rather than an educator), there are a bunch of studies cited that tend towards this general conclusion.

The holiday buying guide for this year is not surprising. For the XBox 360, The Godfather, Saints Row, Dead Rising, and Just Cause all made the list. Round that out with Scarface, Resevoir Dogs, The Sopranos, Gangs of London, Mortal Kombat, and Gangs of London. Who would have thought that these games are violent, especially since they are all labeled "M" for mature by the ESRB.

I'm personally not a fan of the current rating system. Children under 17 can't buy tickets for movies rated R, so why should they be able to buy games that are rated M? A parent should have to sanction the purchase of either, and educating parents is what this group seems to be about. As video games become more and more realistic, the problems only compound. It just happens that games on the recommended list tend to have a "childish" twist. They do recommend Madden 07, and two E10+ games made the list. Lego Star Wars II is one of these games.

I'll play games from both lists, but most likely more from the mature list. I'm 21, I can do whatever I want. Lego Star Wars still appeals to me, but some of the others on that list are just not that interesting (i.e. Nancy Drew). I wouldn't give Dead Rising to my friend's 10 year old brother, but neither should his parents! Ultimately, the responsibility should fall to the parent. Mediawise misconstrues the problem. The problem isn't violent video games, it is a lack of parenting. If Mommy and Daddy buy their 8 year old the violent video game that has a big M on the front, then they probably need to start worrying about their parenting skills a little more. Mediawise does a good job of giving parents an idea of how to engage the material in games, but ultimately the parent needs to judge whether it is appropriate or not. Even after all of that, Mediawise overlooked some hugely popular, highly rated titles. Why they didn't make the cut, I'm not sure? Maybe the ones that made the list were just the most egregiously mature. That being said, here's a short list of games I would have thought should be on this years warning list:
Gears of War -- Can someone pass me that chainsaw, I have a bit of an itch?
Resistance: Fall of Man -- Anything to do with the end of mankind should probably be on the list, don't you think?
Rainbow Six: Vegas -- Ultra-realistic, and directly linked to current political conditions.
Burnout Revenge -- A violent racing game. We better be careful because those teens who play this might get their licenses some day!
Red Steel -- Why not recommend one from the Wii? After all, it's a more visceral way of experiencing a game.
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 -- How can they overlook wrestling games every year? They are ridiculously violent, and they constantly degrade women.
Hitman: Blood Money -- You play as an assassin... Need I say more?

Just look at the box before you buy a game for a kid. You don't even need to know about the game, just be responsible.

In the meantime, I'm getting Gears of War and Rainbow Six Vegas for Christmas. Sorry kids!