By Thomas L. McDonald
Catholic News Service
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Since Nintendo first captured the hearts, minds and thumbs of a generation of children in the 1980s, the video game industry has steadily increased in size, revenue, cultural influence and sophistication.
A form of entertainment that began in the 1970s with the crude dots and lines of "Pong" has evolved into a complex creative form whose impact now ranks with that of movies, TV and popular music.
The numbers speak for themselves: According to the Entertainment Software Association, 72 percent of American households have a video game machine. Consumers spent $25.1 billion on games in 2010, with those numbers projected to hit $48 billion for 2011 and $70 billion by 2012. By comparison, worldwide motion picture ticket sales for 2010 were approximately $31 billion.
In studies of children ages 12-17, 99 percent of boys -- and 94 percent of girls -- play video or computer games, with no variables for race or ethnicity. And it's not just the kids who are playing: The average gamer is 37 years old, with 29 percent of them over age 50. Though gaming numbers had skewed heavily male for most of the industry's existence, by 2010, 48 percent of its audience was female.
Although impressive in themselves, these raw numbers don't speak to the issues underlying such a rapid and widespread penetration by a new medium into the American home. Just as print, radio, movies, TV and the Internet have transformed society, so, too, will games.
Many people associate the term "games" with harmless pastimes or childish diversions, yet modern interactive entertainment can be every bit as mature, and even sophisticated, as its cinematic counterpart. The challenge lies in sorting out the diverse types of games and machines that characterize the industry's output, so parents and consumers can make informed choices.
The most family-friendly option is the Nintendo Wii. The intuitive approach of its unique motion-control system -- which allows people to get off their couches and make real movements -- is matched by inoffensive content. Nintendo is famous for using a stable of characters such as Mario and Pokemon in clever, exciting offerings like "Mario Galaxy" and "Kirby's Epic Yarn" -- action-puzzle games that appeal to players of every age.
The Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3, by contrast, have positioned themselves as machines for teens and adults. Their lineups are dominated by violent games and advanced sports titles, although both are trying to reach Nintendo's family audience as well.
The violent content of games has been increasing for years, driven by improved graphics and the perceived need to be more outrageous than the competition. Once a teen-friendly World War II action game, the "Call of Duty" series radically ratcheted up the level of explicit gore on display with last year's "Modern Warfare 2." This iteration even included a sequence in which the gamer participates in a bloody massacre of unarmed civilians.
Alas, this kind of ultraviolence sells: "Modern Warfare 2" was the most successful media launch -- across all genres -- in history, earning $310 million in 24 hours, with final sales in excess of $1 billion.
Yet gratuitous mayhem is certainly not the whole story. Many games are either free of graphic violence, or place it in a moral context.
"Bioshock," for example, tells the complex story of a libertarian dystopia, exploring issues of bioethics, morality, responsibility, politics, and the limits of personal freedom; its sometimes violent action thus unfolds within a morally consistent world.
The decision to let a game machine enter the household is one to be carefully considered by parents with young children. "We allowed the Xbox in our home when my oldest son saved up enough money to purchase it himself," says Catholic author and blogger Danielle Bean. "We saw it as a way to reward his responsibility, and he has continued to be responsible with it. ... When managed reasonably, the games can be a fun way for kids to connect and socialize."
In fact, Cheryl K. Olson, co-author of "Grand Theft Childhood," the seminal Harvard University study on video games and violence, found that children who don't play games have lost out on a vital element of socialization.
"There's a potential for games to promote important school and life skills," she explains, "such as solving problems and anticipating consequences. I remember watching my son play games such as 'Legend of Zelda' when he was a young teen. He had to search, plan, and try different approaches to advance. You don't get those kinds of benefits from watching cartoons or sitcoms on TV."
But games aren't just kid stuff anymore. Take Father Shane Tharp, a pastor and high school teacher. "I game because I grew up gaming," he explains, "and I continue to game because I find it soothing.
"There is something satisfying about accomplishing a quest, outsmarting a puzzle, or beating a level. I credit video games with teaching me lateral thinking skills and how to work out solutions to complex problems."
Father Tharp doesn't see any unique issues or problems for Catholics in approaching the medium: "A game's value must be measured on its content and context. Just as a Catholic should steer clear of a film which includes sexual material or violence for the sake of being shocking or without consequences, the same would be said of a video game."
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McDonald, a catechist for the Diocese of Trenton, N.J., has been writing about games for more than 20 years.
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