Vaizey On Game Health Warnings

08 Jan 2010 at 16:50:33 by Andy Alderson

Tory MP Ed Vaizey has responded to calls from Labour’s Keith Vaz for games to carry health warnings.

Vaz made the comments earlier this week in the House of Commons, recommending that games carry cigarette-style health warnings as the level of interactivity sets them apart from other types of media.

Shadow Culture Minister Ed Vaizey told IncGamers that he believes the statement by Vaz was unjustified.

“I think Keith is wrong to make video games a special case because they are interactive,” he said. 

“We want to protect children from harmful content, and that can come in any guise - video, magazine, book, video game, TV programme, whatever. 

“It is a red herring to demonise video games, and perpetuates the stereotype that video games are somehow not part of the mainstream in terms of leisure and entertainment.”

Last year Vaz met with the Reverend Jesse Jackson to discuss the link between games and violence, find out more here.

What do you make of Vaz’s comments? Are they justified? Let us know in the comments section below.

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