Joe Biden appeals to games industry on gun control task force

January 8, 2013 9:47PM PST

By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

US Vice President Joe Biden is set to meet with representatives from the video game industry to discuss the role of violent video games as part of a wider task force.

US Vice President Joe Biden is set to meet with video game industry leaders this week to discuss the link between violent video games and gun violence as part of a wider task force into gun control measures.

The task force, formed by President Barack Obama in response to last month's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, is aimed at coming with solutions for curbing gun violence in the United States.

 

 

According to Reuters, the White House has confirmed that Biden will also meet with representatives from the National Rifle Association (NRA), victims' groups, hunting groups, and gun owners to discuss possible policy changes to reduce gun violence, including proposed legislation to ban assault rifles.

Biden will reportedly meet with representatives of both the entertainment and video game industries to specifically investigate the role of violent media--including films and video games--in mass shootings. The task force is also set to look at access to mental health and disability services, and meet with parent, teacher, and education groups.

Obama has ordered the task force to report back by the end of January, ahead of the annual State of the Union address.

An NRA spokesman confirmed to Reuters that the group's top lobbyist, James J Baker, will attend Biden's task force meeting on Thursday this week.

Last month, NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre stated that violent video games are partially to blame for the Newtown shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, which left 20 children and six adults dead.

West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller also entered the discussion when heintroduced a Bill to Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to investigate how violent games and other such programming affect children.

By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

Laura Parker is the Associate Editor of GameSpot Australia. She loves adventure games, sparkly stuff, Trivial Pursuit, cake, Master Chief, earthworms, and rhetorical questions. She once stole a sandwich from Peter Molyneux.

Total waste of time. Government is out of control and has no business doing any of this. Video games have nothing to do with gun violence. If you're unable to seperate the fantasy of violence in video games from shooting people in the face in real life, you have severe mental problems. Don't blame the video games, blame the terrible, neglectful parents that let their children get so out of hand.

I imagine it will go something like, "HOLY MACKEREL, MAN! THESE VIDEMOTRONIC GAMES HAVE SO MANY GRAPHICS THESE DAYS! MAN ALIVE, IS THIS REAL LIFE? YOUR WIFE'S ASS REALLY LIGHTS UP THIS ROOM."

Biden goes in expecting help in evaluating possible avenues to combat acted out violence by society. Leaves with the latest Call of Duty and a sweet ass entertainment system.

so if people who play violent video games like shooters make people go shoot people. why dont people who play mario go jump on mushrooms and turtles all day long?

You don't jump on mushrooms.  You eat them.

While they're at it, maybe his kids should talk to him about Wii Fit.

With his size he probably should go with Wii Fit+.

Joe Biden: I'm going to have to take all these violent video games home just to study them and also meet with the industry leaders to see their future products before anyone else for the sake of this country.

my brother-in-laws little brother and a few other kids create their own missions acting as if they are playing COD.

they are on youtube. it's good stuff but i doubt if they over then to shoot up a school. they are over the age of 13 so they should know the difference between fantasy and reality