Last month the National Institute on Media & the Family issued its annual Video Game Report Card, chiding the video game industry for what it termed “an ominous backslide on multiple fronts.”

Not surprisingly, both the ESRB and the Entertainment Merchants Association (representing retailers) took issue with the report and its conclusions.  On the other hand, Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum threw her support behind NIMF’s conclusions.

So we’ve heard from game industry types and politicians, but what about parents?

Mother of four and GamerDad columnist Colleen Hannon took a critical look at the NIMF report from a real-world parental perspective.  On NIMF’s insistence that parents need to become better educated about and enforce the ESRB ratings:

Yes, parents should be more educated and involved. But I'm sorry, you can't dictate what media content parents allow into their homes. Parents don't agree on most of the details of raising children... Even among the Gamerdad staff you'll find each person has their own unique approach.

Nor was Hannon thrilled with NIMF’s list of games recommended for children and teens:

One of [NIMF's] main concerns with games in general is exposing kids to a "culture of disrespect". Online situations definately fit that definition in my book, and with Madden's increasing emphasis on the XboxLive aspects I don't understand why [NIMF] suggested it. And speaking of that culture, Need for Speed Pro Street is all about gangs and street racing...

Every year we read through this report and shake our heads. There is so much misinformation here it's hard to get any real good out of it. But if it makes even one parent start looking at the covers of the games coming into their home and thinking, then I guess it's worth something. But there needs to be more. Parents need to be involved.

Via: GamerDad

-Reporting from San Diego, GP Correspondent Andrew Eisen