THE BACK TO SCHOOL BALANCING ACT
As the long and relaxing days of summer come to an end and students head back to school, the ESA would like to share a few tips and resources for parents that will help their gamer kids concentrate on their studies and have fun too.
Making Good Choices
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and the national Parent Teacher Association (PTA) make it easy for parents to tell which games are good choices for their kids. The symbols on game packages allow parents to quickly evaluate game content, and parents can search ratings information online through the ESRB's new ratings search "widget." The tool makes it easy to search for ESRB ratings on specific games from a portable mini application that can be placed on computer desktops, embedded in social networking pages or other web sites and can even be shared with friends via email. The widget makes ratings information available for more than 15,000 video games in the ESRB's database. The widget can be downloaded and shared at no cost.
Setting Limits
To help ensure homework is done, parents can utilize the parental control settings on the latest generation of game consoles to manage when and for how long kids play. In addition, the technology available on a variety of platforms also allows parents to restricting games by ESRB rating or level of content and online play. Parents can visit their game console's Web site to find out how to utilize its parental controls, including timing features. There is also a wide variety of console information available on the ESRB Web site.
Learning More
Parents can learn more about all of these topics in a booklet provided by the ESRB and the PTA called "A Parent's Guide to Video Games, Parental Controls and Online Safety." The booklet provides information about computer and video game ratings; a step-by-step guide to setting up the parental controls available on all new video game platforms; as well as information about playing video games online. This booklet is available as a free download in both English and Spanish.
ESA ANNOUNCES NEW GENERAL COUNSEL
Kenneth Doroshow, former executive at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and senior counsel to the United States Department of Justice, will join the Entertainment Software Association as General Counsel this month.
"The ESA continues to attract and recruit the brightest individuals. Ken has remarkable expertise in the protection of intellectual property and an excellent understanding of the increasingly connected, dynamic, and innovative entertainment environment we live in," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA. "The computer and video game industry will be well-protected with Ken's guidance and I know he will help facilitate our growth to even greater heights."
Doroshow served as Senior Vice President, Litigation and Legal Affairs for the RIAA, the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. As the head of the RIAA's litigation department, he led efforts to protect the copyrighted works of recording artists and managed cutting-edge anti-piracy lawsuits against companies like LimeWire, Usenet.com and AllofMP3.com.
Before joining the RIAA, Doroshow was Senior Counsel with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice. Charged with responsibility as a criminal prosecutor and manager of international criminal intellectual property enforcement policy, he played a key role in the largest-ever multinational criminal investigation of software piracy over the Internet.
Doroshow graduated from Cornell Law School and clerked for the Honorable Joseph L. Tauro of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Prior to his service with the Department of Justice, Doroshow was with the litigation practices of the Washington, DC law firm Covington & Burling and the Washington office of New York firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges.
PUTTING CHILDHOOD CANCER IN
RE-MISSION
A recent report in the journal Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, showed that playing a video game can help kids and young adults fight cancer. Re-Mission, developed by the Hope Labs Foundation, is a video game that takes kids inside the human body with the sole mission of finding and destroying cancer cells.
According to the report, children who played the video game were more likely to adhere to their prescribed treatments, and therefore increase their ability to battle the disease. In order to win the game, players must not only destroy bad cells, but also take chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, and take care of themselves through eating and practicing healthy habits.
Researchers found that patients who played Re-Mission showed a 16 percent rise in antibiotic adherence than patients who played Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, a standard game not focused on cancer care. Re-Mission players also had higher rates of adhering to a standard chemotherapy drug, and also improved patient's knowledge of cancer-care.
The game has a unique ability to influence the way patients think and feel about their disease. For example, patient's feelings towards chemotherapy and other powerful cancer-fighting drugs with negative side effects begin to transform as they use them to get to the next level and ultimately beat the disease.
Re-Mission can be downloaded free from the HopeLabs web site.
THE ESA RELEASES 2008 ANNUAL REPORT
The ESA released its 2008 Annual Report to the public last month, outlining the association's legislative activities, economic contributions and other industry initiatives. The association's key successes for this year included:
Federal Government Affairs - Raising awareness among the Senate Commerce Committee and the House of Representatives about the industry's self-regulatory rating system, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and other resources for parents.
State Government Affairs - Advancing the industry on a state and local level by stopping bills seeking to regulate the sale of video games; developing positive relationships with legislative leaders; securing tax incentives benefiting the video game industry, and defeating or amending legislation that increases the industry's legal liability and/or costs.
Ratings Education - Developing partnerships with state officials to launch ratings education programs that include television and radio public service announcements, co-branded ratings information with the ESRB, and billboards
Online Safety - Partnering with state officials in Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, and Utah to bring Web Wise Kids (WWK) programs that teach kids how to stay safe online to communities across the country
The full 2008 annual report is available for download through the ESA's web site at www.theesa.com.
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In the News
Latest News Releases
Quote of the Month
"Certain types of video games can have beneficial effects, improving gamers' dexterity as well as their ability to problem-solve – attributes that have proven useful not only to students but to surgeons."
— American Psychological Association Press Release, August 17
Statistic of the Month
According to a report by the NPD Group, Americans spent $1.19 billion on video game software and hardware in July, up 28 percent from last year.
Did You KNOW??
As a new academic year begins, more than 200 colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning are offering courses and degrees in video game design, programming, and art. From certificate programs in 3D Animation & Interactive Media (Boston University) to master's degrees in Computer Graphics and Game Technology (University of Pennsylvania), the programs reflect the growing importance of video games on the economy and culture of the United States. To view the ESA's full list of colleges and universities, please click here.
Contact Us
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Washington, DC 20004
For general inquiries, please email esa@theesa.com.
For members of the media only, please contact Dan Hewitt. |
