In light of the recent mass shooting in Connecticut, and the alarming frequency with which these horrible events take place in the States, Vice President Joe Biden has invited various groups to meet him and an administration panel to discuss gun violence. According to Bloomberg, the White House task force has extended invitations to the National Rifle Association (NRA), gun-control advocates, victims of shootings, and “representatives of the entertainment and video game industries.”
It's worrying that video games are being dragged into this, especially as the report highlights them as separate from the rest of the entertainment industry, singling them out somewhat. While there probably does need to be a discussion on the level to which violent games overshadow other kinds of game, a meeting in which the NRA – which tried to pass the blame onto video games (including Bulletstorm, shown above) in its press conference shortly after the shooting in Connecticut – is present. Then again, it'll be a blessing if the NRA actually shows up at all, if a serious discussion around gun control is really to take place.
Do you think the video games industry needs to seriously think about the violence-loving face it presents to the world? And do you think this meeting with people like victims of shootings is the place to do that?