MICROSOFT BACKS EIDOS IN GAME ROW
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ June 21st 2005 ]

Microsoft has backed Eidos in a row over violence depicted in 25 To Life. U.S. senator Charles Schumer had called for console makers to shun Eidos after claiming Eidos' forthcoming video-game reinforced a destructive culture of violence. "25 to Life was developed for a mature audience and has been rated so it will be sold only to the appropriate audiences," Microsoft has said.

According to Games Industry, Eidos has reacted to Schumer's attack by issuing the following statement: "Eidos believes that video games are a creative art form and we produce a wide range of content aimed at various age groups including games specifically targeted for the over-18 player."

"On the issue of who should be allowed to purchase our products, we have a very strict two-tier rating system in the UK to send a clear signal to both customers and retailers as to the appropriate audience for each game. 25 to Life will have a BBFC 18+ rating, which means that it is illegal to sell it to anyone under that age; retailers face a £5,000 fine and up to six months in prison if they do so," the statement concludes.

This will no doubt rekindle the debate on violence in video-games, and if there is any correlation to crime in our modern society. In August 2001, Eidos was discharged from a $1b lawsuit bought forward by families of victims from America's Columbine High School Massacre who claimed video-games directly influenced the shooting and made "violence pleasurable."