I'm going to do something a little bit different with this op-ed piece. Since the ICCR is a group of completely uniformed individuals who feel it is the responsibility of major corporations to do a parent's work, I'm going to play a game with them. I'm going to spot them 5 "credibility" points. Then, if I find something that they say is either ridiculous or untrue, they lose a point. If they say something that has merit, they gain a point. Simple? Good.

First, all of the comments are either taken from this joint statement or this hour long conference call.

Starting off with the first statement:

"One factor contributing to violence is entertainment media products such as violent video games. Years of research have shown that viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, particularly in children."

What they have failed to mention is that plenty of other studies have been done which show no ill effects. Credibility points: -1 for a total of 4

"Video games have emerged as a popular form of entertainment, with 70% of children living in a home with at least one video game player, and 33% with one in their bedrooms. $7 billion were spent in the United States in 2003 on video and computer games."

Ok, that seems about right. Credibility points: +1 for a total of 5

"We believe that corporations in the video game industry, who may pride themselves as good corporate citizens with an interest in promoting healthy communities, must assume greater responsibility in ensuring that violent interactive entertainment is not accessible to children and youth."

So parents should not be responsible for knowing what their child is doing with $50? Why should a company be responsible if you let your child run around town spending money on violent video games? Credibility points: -1 for a total of 4

"We ask companies to consider what messages are being sent to children and youth when they market certain video games that promote violence and gender and racial stereotyping. For example, the Federal Trade Commission's July 2004 study expressed a concern about advertisements promoting Mature-rated games (for ages 17 and older) in publications oriented toward younger children. We believe this type of marketing must end."

Those are called "video game magazines." Do you think they will not feature advertising for the hottest games of the year? Even if a child is exposed to an ad, that doesn't mean they should get the game even when they go yelling to dad about what it is they want for Christmas. Credibility points: -1 for a total of 3

"While a number of retailers have made efforts to restrict the sale of inappropriate games to children, we are not satisfied with the results. The Federal Trade Commission's 'Mystery Shopper Survey' in 2003 found that 69% of children were able to purchase Mature-rated games in retail stores."