MGT5015 Term Paper
The Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of
Marketing Violent Video Games to Children
Mureille Etienne, Tanya Rahman, & Percy Koo
Nova Southeastern University
MGT 5015
Abstract
The video game industry is a billion dollar market that has revolutionized American culture. Since 1947 with the invention of the first electronic game called the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device (Cohen, 2012), video games has become an American phenomenon and coupled with decades of technological innovations and a changing society, today, there are more than 100 million games making the video game industry approximately $67 billion a year (Gaudiosi, 2012). Once considered harmless fun, video games increased exponentially in popularity and became very much part of America pop culture. This has resulted in video game impacting American politics, television, pop music and Hollywood. However, in the past decade, there have been countless controversies surrounding the production of video games, especially games of a violent nature such as the very popular “Grand Theft Auto” and "Need for Speed" that are marketed to children and teenagers. The controversy lies on the matter of responsibility—specifically, are marketers and video games producers responsible for the contents of video games or are parents responsible for ensuring their adolescent children do not have access to games made for mature audiences. Through an objective examination of the legal, moral, and social responsibility of producing violent video games, this paper will present a thorough analysis of both sides of the debate on the matter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….
4
LEGALITY…………………………………………………………………………….
STATEMENT OF RELEVANT LEGAL PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF LAW
APPLICATION OF LAW TO TOPIC AND LEGAL ANALYSIS
LEGAL CONCLUSION
8
ETHICS……………………………………………………………………………….
UTILITARIAN ETHICAL ANALYSIS
KANTIAN ETHICAL ANALYSIS
PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM ANALYSIS
11
Marketing Violent Video Games to Children
Mureille Etienne, Tanya Rahman, & Percy Koo
Nova Southeastern University
MGT 5015
Abstract
The video game industry is a billion dollar market that has revolutionized American culture. Since 1947 with the invention of the first electronic game called the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device (Cohen, 2012), video games has become an American phenomenon and coupled with decades of technological innovations and a changing society, today, there are more than 100 million games making the video game industry approximately $67 billion a year (Gaudiosi, 2012). Once considered harmless fun, video games increased exponentially in popularity and became very much part of America pop culture. This has resulted in video game impacting American politics, television, pop music and Hollywood. However, in the past decade, there have been countless controversies surrounding the production of video games, especially games of a violent nature such as the very popular “Grand Theft Auto” and "Need for Speed" that are marketed to children and teenagers. The controversy lies on the matter of responsibility—specifically, are marketers and video games producers responsible for the contents of video games or are parents responsible for ensuring their adolescent children do not have access to games made for mature audiences. Through an objective examination of the legal, moral, and social responsibility of producing violent video games, this paper will present a thorough analysis of both sides of the debate on the matter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….
4
LEGALITY…………………………………………………………………………….
STATEMENT OF RELEVANT LEGAL PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF LAW
APPLICATION OF LAW TO TOPIC AND LEGAL ANALYSIS
LEGAL CONCLUSION
8
ETHICS……………………………………………………………………………….
UTILITARIAN ETHICAL ANALYSIS
KANTIAN ETHICAL ANALYSIS
PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM ANALYSIS
11
References: Cohen, D. (2012). Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device - The First Electronic Game. Retrieved from http://classicgames.about.com/od/classicvideogames101/p/CathodeDevice.htm Flew, T Kirsten. (2005, 09). The New Target and Influencers in the Video Game Industry. Retrieved from http://www.triplepundit.com/2005/09/women-the-new-target-market-and-influencers-in-the-video-game-industry/#comments Liptak, A Rowley, M. J. (2011, 01 18). Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/01/18/games-social-good/ Schulzke, M Vastag, B. (2004). Does Video Game Violence Show Aggression? Studies Probe Effects of Virtual Violence on Children. JAMA 291:15, 1822-1824.