Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Report: Here's How President Trump's Meeting With The Video Game Industry Transpired
Today, President Donald Trump met up with several politicians and video game industry leaders to discuss the impact of violent games on children and whether it is connected to gun violence. This roundtable discussion included company representatives from Bethesda, Take-Two, Rockstar, and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), as well as vocal critics of violent media like founder of the Parents Television Council Brent Bozell, and Representative Vicky Hartzler, a Republican Congresswoman from Missouri.
According to Rolling Stone, the hour-long meeting began with Trump demonstrating a 88-second video reel to the group. These clips depicted violent scenes from game franchises like Call of Duty, Sniper Elite, and Fallout. The videos were "so violent it shocked some in the group to silence," writes Rolling Stone. Following these clips, Trump asked all in attendance for their thoughts. Attendees say the meeting was more of a listening session than anything else. Future meetings are a possibility.
"They started by showing some violent video games and [Trump] was pointing out how violent those scenes were. I think for many of us there, there was a shocked silence," says Parents Television Council spokesperson Melissa Henson, in a press call after the session. "Those from the video game industry were quick to defend [the video games] saying they were meant for a mature audience and that they weren't intended for kids to see."
Rolling Stone reports that The Parents Television Council was quick to say early in the meeting that there is in fact a correlation between real-life violence and violent video games. That claim comes despite numerous studies that expressly defy that conclusion, along with clear statements from the ESA stating that there is no proven connection.
It's unclear if Trump has further plans to discuss or address the issue.
[Source: Rolling Stone]
Our Take
For many game players, the concept of a real-world connection between gun violence and video games is a tired and well-trod argument with very little evidence to back it up, and no relation to our own experience of socializing and enjoying the hobby. It’s easy to feel exasperated and frustrated by the attempts to politicize an entertainment medium that feels like it has no place in the broader conversation about violence in society.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
