The Player

Switzerland is the latest country to pointlessly clamp down on violent video games, writes CIARA O'BRIEN

Video games have come in for a lot of criticism over the past few years. The more violent titles have been held responsible, in the court of public opinion and the media at least, for exerting a bad influence over young minds, with some titles even tagged as responsible for criminal acts.

Doomis frequently mentioned in the context of the Columbine school shootings. Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citywas cited in court by the defence team representing a US teenager who shot and killed two police officers in 2007 as he was being held for stealing a car. A UK teenager who stabbed another to death was said to have been obsessed with the Manhuntgames – reports that were later discredited when it emerged he didn't own a copy of the game.

But it’s in Switzerland where there are moves to ban violent video games, and it could be game over if the resolutions passed by its national council become law. Brought forward by the Socialist and the Christian Democratic parties, the resolutions were supported by the council with a comfortable margin.

The first seeks to “stop the manufacture, advertisement, importation and sale of any game that promotes as a means of advancement or ‘success’ acts of violence against humans or ‘human- like’ creatures”. The second wants to ban the sale of “violent shooters” to children.

To some, the resolutions may seem like a no-brainer. However, it’s the detail of the potential laws that could be troublesome. Who sets out what is an acceptable level of violence? And would banning them simply drive them underground and make them more desirable? Film censorship, for example, hasn’t exactly been a roaring success.

To date only one game has been banned in Ireland: Manhunt 2, which was given a red card by the Irish Film Censor in June 2007 for "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence". It was also banned in the UK and given an "Adult Only" rating in the US, which led

to publisher Take Two suspending the game and later releasing a version that was rated “Mature”.

However, games such as Manhunt 2that provoke such extreme reactions are few and far between. What is often forgotten in the rush to condemn games as the root of all evil is that they are not necessarily intended for children. The profile of the average gamer has risen, with developers and console makers focusing firmly on an older target market of 18 to 35.

It is clear that there are legitimate concerns over the amount of violence that children are exposed to. Which is why I find myself defending the gorier titles, pointing out that games now carry an age rating, and have done for some time. If it’s rated 18, it’s for a reason.

Walk into a games store and you can almost be guaranteed to find a child persuading a parent that Grand Theft Autoor God of War IIIare perfectly fine entertainment for a 12 year old. And more often than not, you'll see the parents buying it.

The fact is that games have become increasingly immersive and realistic, although they haven’t yet reached the point where the simulation of reality is flawless.

The solution is simple: it’s up to parents to know exactly what their children are playing. You wouldn’t allow your child to watch a film rated as adult without checking it out first. But there is a tendency to dismiss gaming as just a bit of fun.

While it’s impossible to shield children and teenagers from all violence, a bit of parental research could make all the difference.