I’ll assume that this is about the role that the video game community could play in reducing violence. I’d have other thoughts on gun control.

I’d sidestep the issue of whether games cause mass shootings. But I think that everyone could be more responsible, including members of the video game community. That means they could make it clear that the marketing of violent games and the marketing of guns isn’t integrated. There should be no ads for real-world weaponry in the midst of a Call of Duty game. I would say that should be a guideline for the game community, but not a law or a commandment. I think guidelines are better than making anything illegal.

I think that the game industry should be encouraged to achieve the lofty levels of great art forms. The President could inspire the game creators to create great art that is also fun, rather than games that appeal to the lowest common denominator. He could encourage people to create non-violent games or those that educate. I think it would be a good thing for the industry to diversify beyond violent games and to encourage more original thinking. Encouraging self-introspection and the shift toward a greater art form could be important. I think the President could use the power of the office to draw attention to the finest examples of artistic games, which in turn would help create a larger market for artistic games, as opposed to the games that are purely violent and already get enough attention.

One interesting regulation that restricts online gambling has to do with how much people are allowed to lose. Players can set their own limits on how much money they can lose in online gambling in a month. Once they hit that limit, they can’t play anymore. Somehow, that concept might be valuable for those who are addicted to games. I’m not quite sure what would work in that respect. But if you set your own limits for playing a game, you may be less likely to play that game obsessively, to the point where it really isn’t healthy. Right now, I see the video game industry encouraging addiction, when it should be encouraging responsible use as well. Once again, I would sidestep the judgment as to whether or not playing too much is bad for you or playing a certain kind of game is bad for you. But that is an idea that game companies can play with and for regulators to consider. How do you apply this to video games, particularly in the absence of any proof that violent video games cause violent crime or even undesirable behavior?

Biden Games Gun Control guns playsourcing Videogame Violence violence