Policy Positions
Digital Wellness
Digital Wellness
Video games are fun, often educational and, increasingly, therapeutic. Billions of players worldwide enjoy video games as part of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. The ability of people around the world to continue to benefit from this technology depends upon policies that foster and celebrate gameplay.
Video games are fun, often educational and, increasingly, therapeutic. More and more people report that video games provide stress relief while creating positive mental stimulation. Medical professionals and health experts now recognize the benefits of gameplay, employing games to achieve positive health outcomes for patients of all ages. The ability of players, students, patients and numerous others around the world to continue to benefit from this technology depends upon policies that foster and celebrate gameplay for the billions of players who enjoy video games as part of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.
The video game industry supports digital wellness by providing information and tools for all audiences to make educated, age-appropriate decisions regarding video games. Nearly all video game devices offer parental controls. These tools offer parents and players the ability to efficiently set preferences that are appropriate for their household. These controls enable parents to block video games by age rating category, manage the amount of money their kids can spend playing video games and limit the amount of time their kids can spend playing video games.
In addition, for more than 25 years, the industry has worked through the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to ensure that consumers—especially parents and caregivers—have the resources, including voluntary ratings, needed to make informed decisions about video games. The effectiveness of these efforts has been praised by the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
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ESA Leadership Desk: Reflecting on the Decade Since the U.S. Supreme Court Recognized First Amendment Protections for Video Games
Featured Item / Perspectives /Ten years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision recognizing the application of the First Amendment to video games.
Statement by the Entertainment Software Association on Illinois HB3531
Statements /The Entertainment Software Association issued the following statement in response to legislation (HB3531) introduced this week by Illinois state representative Marcus C. Evans:
ESA Leadership Desk: Science Says Video Games Don’t Cause Real-World Violence
Perspectives /Video games are about more than fun. They make us better thinkers, more creative, more curious, and bring us closer together. Thanks to the passion of video game developers, publishers, and players across the globe, the future of interactive entertainment is brighter than ever before.
Essential Facts About Video Games and Court Rulings
Fact Sheets /Courts, including the US Supreme Court, have ruled 13 times that computer and video games are protected speech. Efforts by these legislative bodies to ban or limit access to or the sale of games they find objectionable will inevitably run afoul of the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
Lohan and Gravano – ESA Motion for Leave and Amicus Brief
Policy Filings /Specifically, ESA seeks to provide information to the Court regarding the expressive nature of video games and to explain to the Court that it should interpret “advertising” and “trade” under Section 51 so as not to cover video games and other expressive works.