Controversy Over Industry Survey Results

Kudos to Gamasutra, one of the best sites out there covering all aspects of the gaming world, for reporting on the ongoing battle between the Entertainment Software Association and the Hill & Knowlton PR company.

Hill & Knowlton conducted a survey through Opinion Research Corporation regarding public attitudes toward videogames. A total of 1,147 respondents were polled, with 60% indicating agreement with the notion that the government should regulate games with mature content. Various other statistics from the study were released, which Gamasutra covers here.

An existing rating system is already in place, albeit a volunteer one similar to that in use by Hollywood movie studios. The ESA disputes the research findings released by Hill & Knowlton, saying it casts the gaming industry in a skewed light. Specifically, the ESA levels an accusation of lying by omission:

“The research released today was conducted by Hill & Knowlton for a proposal the agency made to the ESA this summer, but only a portion of it was released publicly now. Hill & Knowlton’s decision to release these findings was both unprofessional and unethical and its timing is questionable. The research was done this summer and only performed in an effort to help Hill & Knowlton win our business.

In addition, the release of only part of the findings paints an inaccurate picture of the entertainment software industry. The other research conducted by agency but not released showed:

- More than two-thirds of 18-34 year olds currently play video games;

- Less than 1 in 5 Americans think playing video games is a negative way to spend time with friends and family;

- More than half of families think that video games are a positive way to spend time together;

- Educational video games are perceived to provide more learning than TV or DVDs.” [emphasis added]

Finally, the ESA released the original PowerPoint presentation delivered by Hill & Knowlton containing extra information on the research in question.