NEW YORK, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sixty percent of US
consumers polled agree that the government should regulate the sale of
violent or mature content video games while a slim majority (51%) agrees
that the government should regulate mature content itself. Fifty-four
percent of those surveyed with children in the household believe that
violent or mature content will affect a child's behavior, according to Hill
& Knowlton's survey of 1,147 American adults.
"Next generation consoles combined with a near-Hollywood experience
translates into increased scrutiny for a $7.4 billion industry that seeks
to outpace movies and music as the number one choice for entertainment,"
said Joe Paluska, Director, Hill & Knowlton's Worldwide Technology
Practice. "We're seeing an interesting shift in economic growth and
societal influence across gaming, movies and music. While the gaming
industry is forecast to grow faster than the motion picture and recording
industries, gaming still under-punches its cultural influence except when
it comes to mature content."
Current gamers are evenly split on whether the government should
regulate violent content in video games, with 44% saying yes to regulation
and 47% saying no. In addition, 55% of current gamers also believe that the
government should regulate the sale of games with violent or mature
content, the survey showed.
"While the industry is reinventing itself by broadening the content and
the category, society still tends to view gamers as one-dimensional,"
Paluska said. "The industry's reputation centers on mature content due to
the sensational nature of the content and subsequent publicity. As a
result, our survey suggests that there's an appetite for more government
oversight even among the maturing Atari Generation who now have children."
Opinion Research Corporation conducted the online survey for Hill &
Knowlton between September 17 and 19, 2007. Complete survey results are
available by contacting Rob Vernon at 202-944-1966 or at
rob.vernon@hillandknowlton.com.
About Hill & Knowlton, Inc.
Hill & Knowlton, Inc. is a leading international communications
consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients.
The firm is headquartered in New York, with 72 offices in 41 countries, as
well as an extensive associate network. The agency is part of WPP Group plc
(NASDAQ: WPPGY), one of the world's largest communications services group.
SOURCE Hill and Knowlton
