Over the past couple of weeks, President Trump has made a point of meeting with influential members of the video game industry, to discuss how to stem gun violence that may be caused by violent games.
The executives and leaders who attended these meetings reported that Trump was disappointed in the gory levels of violence prevalent in video games.
The President of the Media Research Center, Brent Bozell, said in a statement “He [Trump] was clearly concerned about some of this imagery that you’re seeing in these ultra-violent video games that are being watched by children.” Bozell is a known critic of violence in video games.
Melissa Henson, of Parents Television Council is in favor of introducing certain additional restrictions on the video game entertainment industry. Melissa Henson told the reporters, “He wasn’t proposing any solutions, he was asking people around the table what they wanted to see happen.”
“We welcomed the opportunity today to meet with the President and other elected officials at the White House,” the Entertainment Software Association said in a statement. “We discussed the numerous scientific studies establishing that there is no connection between video games and violence, First Amendment protection of video games, and how our industry’s rating system effectively helps parents make informed entertainment choices. We appreciate the President’s receptive and comprehensive approach to this discussion.”
Other people who attended the meeting were two video game company executives and three Republican members of Congress, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
“Today’s meeting with the president and leaders of the video game industry was informative,” Sen. Rubio stated. “While to date there is no evidence linking violent video games to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, as both a father and a policy maker I have an interest in making sure parents are aware of the resources available to them to monitor and control the entertainment their children are exposed to,” he added.
Last month following the mass shooting incident in Florida, Trump expressed his concerned regarding violence in video games and movies. Since then, the President has called for them to be subject to a new, rigorous ratings regime.