UK church, charity leaders see games as a positive force

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) hosted a panel discussion at the BAFTA venue in London earlier this week (October 9, 2008) during which a series of church and charity leaders discussed the ways in which video games can be a “force for good in today’s society.”

Mike Royal, the national director of the Lighthouse Group (a charity that specializes in helping young people who have been, or are at risk of being excluded from the school system), noted that games are useful in educating children about “boundaries” and the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

Martin Houghton-Brown, The Children’s Society’s deputy director of new business, explains that children in the United Kingdom now see gaming as a regular part of everyday life — even more so than television in many cases, with average viewing figures down from 3 hours to 2.5 hours per day since 2001.

Houghton-Brown, according to the event’s press release, said:

“We now live in a digital age where the nature of playing games has changed. Now we have online games where interaction with others is possible. Children tell us supportive and loving relationships are key to a good childhood, we need to equip parents and carers to support children to stay safe when they play in the growing online world.”

In response to concerns that violent video games may have a negative impact on children, ELSPA chairman Andy Pain pointed at the PEGI rating system, which allows parents to determine which games are suitable for their children, provided they are properly educated about the system — a responsibility that Pain believes falls to the rest of the games industry.

If you want to hear more of what was said at the refreshingly positive panel, a downloadable podcast (MP3) of the entire round table discussion can be found on the official ELSPA website.

Read [ELSPA] Via [Kotaku] Download [ELSPA MP3]