Pennsylvania Legislators Hear Prof's Testimony on Violent Video Game Research
Pennsylvania Legislators Hear Prof's Testimony on Violent Video Game Research
March 18, 2009
Earlier this month, GamePolitics covered a hearing on violent video games held by the Children and Youth Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
As we reported, Prof. Patrick Markey of Villanova University testified at length before the committee on what research says about the relationship between video game and real-world violence.
Markey, who has studied topics such as whether the Wii's motion control system enhances any negative effects of violent video games (Markey says no), also took time to explain to the committee the difference between causation and correlation.
While Markey adopts a researcher's neutral posture on the game violence topic, he seemed - at least in GP's observation - to be the recipient of a bit of political venting by some members of the committee. That is probably explained by the fact that no one from the video game industry appeared at the hearing. ESA VP Sally Jefferson mailed in her written testimony.
GP previously posted a different video clip from the hearing (see: Pennsylvania Legislators Ponder Violent Game Tax) shot from a digital camera. The higher-quality video of Markey's testimony was taken by the Pennsylvania Cable Network. Due to YouTube length limits, the Markey segments are spread over three video clips:
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGIN / REGISTER
Crispy Gamer
GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 03/20/10 at 04:20pm
SeanB: Damnit, atkinson won by a HUGE margin. G4C did get more than 1% though!
SeanB: Damnit, atkinson won by a HUGE margin. G4C did get more than 1% though!
Posted 03/20/10 at 03:01pm
GoodRobotUs: Interesting comments on games from Dara O'Briain
GoodRobotUs: Interesting comments on games from Dara O'Briain
Posted 03/20/10 at 03:00pm
GoodRobotUs: http://tinyurl.com/yg64kws
GoodRobotUs: http://tinyurl.com/yg64kws
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:40am
JDKJ: You accusing someone else of flagging for attention is just too funny for words, Zippy. After all, you're an obvious graduate of the Jack Thompson School for Attention Whores.
JDKJ: You accusing someone else of flagging for attention is just too funny for words, Zippy. After all, you're an obvious graduate of the Jack Thompson School for Attention Whores.
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:38am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:BREAKING, JD wants attention!
ZippyDSMlee: JD:BREAKING, JD wants attention!
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:35am
JDKJ: BREAKING: House votes unanimously to close Zippy's doughnut hole.
JDKJ: BREAKING: House votes unanimously to close Zippy's doughnut hole.
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:42pm
Valdearg: Sage advice, Zip. Sage advice.
Valdearg: Sage advice, Zip. Sage advice.
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:37pm
ZippyDSMlee: Don;t talk to MS/LIve users that you do not know....is jsut easier that way...
ZippyDSMlee: Don;t talk to MS/LIve users that you do not know....is jsut easier that way...
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:14pm
Flamespeak: Didm't steal anything or other people not knowing what the heck Tribes was but felt inclined to tell me it wasn't Halo.
Flamespeak: Didm't steal anything or other people not knowing what the heck Tribes was but felt inclined to tell me it wasn't Halo.
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:13pm
Flamespeak: stealing 'new' game ideas from Tribes while marketing them as something 'new and shiny'." I was blasted by people claiming Halo
Flamespeak: stealing 'new' game ideas from Tribes while marketing them as something 'new and shiny'." I was blasted by people claiming Halo
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:12pm
Flamespeak: I told some Halo fans that 'with the inclusion of jet packs in Reach, Halo has successfully completed its mission of totally
Flamespeak: I told some Halo fans that 'with the inclusion of jet packs in Reach, Halo has successfully completed its mission of totally
Posted 03/19/10 at 05:39pm
Valdearg: @JDKJ: Well, it's not like you were very subtle, there..
Valdearg: @JDKJ: Well, it's not like you were very subtle, there..
Posted 03/19/10 at 05:18pm
JDKJ: @Val": You got me there. That one was pure troll. And posted in memory of DarkSaber, who hasn't been around much, lately.
JDKJ: @Val": You got me there. That one was pure troll. And posted in memory of DarkSaber, who hasn't been around much, lately.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:36pm
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Probably the widow/widower.
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Probably the widow/widower.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:who gives a shit about you :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:who gives a shit about you :P
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:33pm
Valdearg: Lol.. Wow, JDKJ. Troll much?
Valdearg: Lol.. Wow, JDKJ. Troll much?
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:27pm
JDKJ: Who gives a rat's ass about the children of fallen soldiers?
JDKJ: Who gives a rat's ass about the children of fallen soldiers?
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:16pm
Andrew Eisen: I completely agree.
Andrew Eisen: I completely agree.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:15pm
Valdearg: If they really wanted to help the troops, they should donate their money to a legitimate charity with a good cash in/out ratio.
Valdearg: If they really wanted to help the troops, they should donate their money to a legitimate charity with a good cash in/out ratio.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:14pm
Valdearg: It's just offensive that people who attend these things think they are helping the troops, when in reality, Hannity is using MOST of the money to live large in the cities he travels to. He could at least scale down his accommodations..
Valdearg: It's just offensive that people who attend these things think they are helping the troops, when in reality, Hannity is using MOST of the money to live large in the cities he travels to. He could at least scale down his accommodations..
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
Interesting stuff. I kind of wished he'd talked about how the control systems for a game (Gamepad/Keyboard&Mouse) distance the player from the action and also that the violent crime rate from youngsters has been falling steadily for the past many years but there was some very good commentary there from the University professor.
There they go with talking about 25 to Life being pulled off the market.
"ESA VP Sally Jefferson mailed in her written testimony."
So this researcher goes out of his way to explain the science of games and violence and no one from the ESA could be bothered to show up? I will hold back on any criticisim but isn't this one of the things that the ESA is supposed to "take seriously?" Prof. Patrick Markey is a hero for flying solo in front of a legislative panel.
From someone that works in DC politics, you can take it from me that this is very commonplace and not out of the ordinary.
Remember that Villanova University is in PA. This was a local professor testifying to a local state issue.
ESA is a national organization. If this was a federal level committee hearing they would have appeared in person. But for a state issue, a national organization delivering written testimony only is the norm.
Additionally, remember that ESA isn't a 501(c)3. They represent their members who pay to be members. If their members want them to start appearing at local state level committee hearings they will.
www.thelobbyist.net
Too add to this post, Villanova University is in Philadelphia.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.
See how legislators work? They would have ingored his entire testimony and concluded that video games cause violence in the home if he had in any way, shape, or form slipped up at the end of the first vid and said that there was some similarity between other types of violence in the home and video game violence influencing children.
You'll also want to note that the legislator kept using socialist terminology. "We have decided what is best for the children because they are impressionable." "As a community we decide what is right and wrong for them." Etc. There's no understanding of personal responsibility and understanding that the parents are responsible for their kids and determining when certain content is appropriate for their own flesh and blood. There is this notion that the state somehow has ownership of the children. Very Orwellian...
www.thelobbyist.net
I guess what this guy is really saying, is that Violent Videogames only cause a small ammount of agression, but it does not go as far as turning a normal kid into a murderer.
There are so many other factors that we as a society may never really fully understand or even have any real control over.
But did any politician listen to him?
Not really.
Politicians want answers to help them to win votes that make them look good, and sadly when the truth is revealed to them, they can't handle the truth.
Politicians only like the truth when it gets them votes.
"That's not ironic. That's justice."
That is right.
When the truth is there in front of them, some politicians don't like it.
One politician says it's black while the other says it's white.
And in the end we are only voting between a duche and a turd.
This is madness, this is blastfomy.
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!
Patrick Markey is my hero for a non-bias report.
.17 is a really really tiny correlation.
seems the politicians are really getting their panties in a bunch over the game violence issue, for votes it seems.
plus its short term, so doesn't mean much.
i would bet playing football would also have a tiny correlation with aggresiveness if they played a hour before.
Now I know the difference between "corelation and constilation"
Yeah. I'm really concerned about the constilation. Our childrens is being constillated with all this videeuh gamez.
That was interesting. I have to comend Prof. Patrick Markey for his honest and direct information. Alslo ,i'd like to commend the other two members of the panel, Rep. Cox and the older woman, for showing some level headed and intelligent thought on the matter, and for showing themselves to be open minded.
To the last gentleman, I have the following, as jon stewart said.
"FUCK YOU"
The fact that he brought up all the normal game critic talking points, I.E "Cop murder", "Woman beating", "Militart training", showed that he had no intention of having an open minded discussion on the matter. he tried to hide it by claiming that "We don't want to tear the industry down" But then immediatly started trying to do just that.
This is why the industry needs to be more up front and direct in there opposistionm, someone from the ESA should have BEEN then to shut that idiot up. 25 to life was NOT pulled. The military trainers are used for vehcile training and Squad Tactics trainging.
This is why I have such isssues with the ESA. They waste so much time on there almost BOGUS piracy crusade, but let shit like this slide? Pathetic. I hope the ECA starts advancing to fill the void the ESA seems to have left.
Yukimura is still here.
"Well done Yukimura. You are japans greatest hero. Now, the chaos ends." Spoken by Tokugawa Ieyasu to Yukimura sanada just moments before Yukimuras death in Samurai warriors 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR9qIUXOjYY