10 Times Politicians Blamed Video Games for Violence

Video games are the biggest branch of the entertainment industry, so they make a convenient scapegoat. Whenever a tragedy like a shooting befalls society, pundits are quick to blame gaming as a root cause. After all, many digital titles contain violence and depravity. Some even invite players to engage in it. Thus, it’s easy to imagine impressionable kids seeing this behavior as acceptable. There’s just one problem with that theory.

Experience has shown no clear or consistent causal link between video games and real-life violence. Multiple studies have looked into the topic, often at politicians’ behest. Some of these initiatives arise from events on this list, but the results consistently fail to establish a direct connection. This outcome leaves those politicians open to criticism. It doesn’t matter if they veer left, right, or center. Contrary to their belief, most gamers are able to distinguish between reality and fiction. Of course, that won’t stop these talking heads from blaming gaming again in the future.

Related: 10 Video Games Surprisingly Banned Around the World

10 A New Rating System

Unlike many entries on the list, this initiative actually yielded success. Throughout the 1980s, games had steadily grown more mature. The mechanics evolved, and the content became more adult-oriented. This shift was doubtless intended to match the aging audience. However, it inadvertently painted a target on the industry’s back, as people became concerned about children playing these adult titles. The tension came to a head with titles like Mortal Kombat and Doom, which featured blood and guts out the wazoo.

To counter this perceived threat, cautious United States senators held hearings on the issue. The 1993–1994 meetings questioned studio heads like Sega and Nintendo, pressing them on how their products affected kids. Threatened with government intervention, the industry responded by forming the Interactive Digital Software Association (later the Entertainment Software Association) and the Entertainment Software Rating Board. These organizations would provide age ratings for U.S. video games, echoing those placed on film and TV. Admittedly, it was appropriate for a fellow entertainment titan.^[1]

9 Stoking the Fire

The U.S. wasn’t the only country to take games to task. The United Kingdom took aim at Grand Theft Auto after its debut. Focusing on a group of criminals, this chaotic title had players steal cars, complete jobs for underworld figures, and run over innocent bystanders along the way. The outrage was so predictable that the studio hired publicist Max Clifford to exploit it. Suffice it to say, the developers got the press they wanted—and then some.

Lord Campbell of Croy raised the issue in the House of Lords in 1997. The Scottish secretary stressed that no product should teach impressionable youngsters how to kill and carjack, and they certainly shouldn’t be rewarded for these crimes. The tabloids ran with this argument, calling for the game to be banned. However, the sitting Lords quickly shut this stance down. The whole situation ultimately played into the publishers’ hands.^[2]

8 Clinton’s Advice

School shootings are always tragic, and the Columbine High School event was among the most infamous. This 1999 massacre saw a pair of senior students storm the building with guns, murdering several classmates and one teacher. People struggled to make sense of the killings, at least until they learned the perpetrators’ pastimes. The boys were fans of shooter games like Doom and Quake, and they shared this interest online through custom levels and other activities. This connection was all the ammunition that some politicians needed.

The incident prompted a response from Bill Clinton. As U.S. president at the time, he used the Columbine shooting to push for greater regulation of gaming. His stance was that Mortal Kombat, Doom, and other such titles “make our children more active participants in simulated violence.” According to him, these products had the power to influence their consumers, so creators should be mindful of what they produce. Of course, his wife took an extra step.^[3]

7 Hillary’s Failed Bill

Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 to further limit the sale of video games to minors. The ESRB had been around for years by that point, rating each new release based on its content. Kids could buy E- and T-rated titles, but Mature and Adult products were off-limits without a valid ID or a parent. These restrictions weren’t good enough, though.

Clinton worked with fellow senators Joe Lieberman, Tim Johnson, and Evan Bayh on the Family Entertainment Protection Act. This bill enabled the government to fine businesses or individuals who sold inappropriate games to minors. In addition, it called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the ESRB and ensure that its rating standards were up to snuff. The bill ultimately expired without being enacted into law.^[4]

6 A Campaign Promise

The second shooting to rock the list is the Virginia Tech incident. In 2007, an undergraduate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University opened fire with two pistols. The tragedy took 32 lives and injured dozens of others. It was eerily similar to the Columbine shooting, meaning that it spawned many of the same arguments.

Mitt Romney used these arguments during his 2008 presidential run. Pointing to Virginia Tech as an example, he vowed to crack down on violent and sexual content in entertainment. Targets included movies, TV, video games, pornography, and any retailer peddling these wares. Such measures were presented as a way to curb societal tragedies like school shootings. Voters clearly did not rally behind this stance, as Romney lost both the nomination and the subsequent election.^[5]

5 Electronic Child Molesters

Another school shooting prompted yet more outrage. This time, the horror befell Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a former student went on a rifle rampage in 2012. After murdering his mother and stealing her guns, he scoured the school for more victims. The assault claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, so it naturally led to renewed conversations about gun control. On the other hand, some people pointed to a different culprit.

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader called for game companies to regulate the violence in their products. This plea wasn’t subtle, as he likened these producers to “electronic child molesters.” It was the same phrase he had used after the Columbine shooting. Neither instance helped him gain broader political traction, so it’s safe to say that most people dismissed his claims.^[6]

4 Obama Summons the CDC

One person who did listen to Nader was President Barack Obama. The Sandy Hook attack intensified the discourse, meaning more and more parties were calling for a reckoning. Even the National Rifle Association—the usual focus after mass shootings—joined in the blame game. Granted, it likely sought to divert attention from gun control arguments, but the outcry was still enough to get the president’s attention.

Obama responded to these calls with a study. He commissioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research gun violence, specifically whether it had any links to mature video games. The theory was that such games could influence behavior in the real world. ESA members countered by stating that entertainment does not directly cause violence. It seems they were correct, as the study did not establish a causal link between video games and violent behavior.^[7]

3 Blaming Games Over Guns

A few years later, a comparable shooting unfolded in Parkland, Florida. A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School opened fire on the facility in 2018. When the dust had settled, 14 students and 3 staff members were dead. The incident once again sparked debate over questionable entertainment, with some calling for the government to regulate the industry.

One such advocate was Matt Bevin. The governor of Kentucky recalled his experience at school, stating that kids often brought guns yet had no desire to shoot people. According to him, gaming had pushed them to take the next step, paving the way for the shootings seen in recent years. This line of thinking led him to call for oversight of gaming. Much to his chagrin, though, these “pornographic” works were protected by the First Amendment.^[8]

2 Trump’s Stern Words

Like its predecessor, the Parkland shooting reached the highest level of government. President Donald Trump wasted no time in pointing the finger at gaming. Soon after the event, he stated that these products reshape young minds, echoing his previous sentiments that they create “monsters.” He didn’t stop there, though.

Trump quickly ordered a meeting with gaming leaders. Participants included ESA President Michael Gallagher, ESRB leader Pat Vance, ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman, Take-Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick, several industry critics, and members of Congress. Although the gathering occurred behind closed doors, it focused on whether games desensitize children to violence and whether they correlate with firearm attacks. No concrete legislation ultimately emerged from these discussions.^[9]

1 Chicago Carjacking Crackdown

To cap off the list, let’s circle back to Grand Theft Auto. In 2021, Chicago saw a rise in carjackings. People were stealing vehicles from gas stations and shopping centers, leaving lawmakers searching for solutions. The first major step was Operation Safe Pump—an initiative to deploy security guards in areas with the highest theft rates. However, this measure did not have the desired effect, so a South Side representative presented an alternative.

Marcus Evans Jr. proposed banning certain games. This plan called for amending a 2012 law. Instead of simply blocking mature products from minors, the new rule would have prevented the sale of any games portraying “psychological harm,” which he linked to violent acts like carjacking. Grand Theft Auto was the primary target, but the bill fared no better than those that came before.^[10]