A leading video game console manufacturer has called for a national campaign to educate parents about the pros and cons of video games that are gaining popularity in Saudi Arabia. Fouad Natour, head of the Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft Saudi Arabia, said that parents need to be more aware of the content of video games that are launched from time to time in the Kingdom. Natour issued the warning after announcing the launch of a new video game which he categorically stated was not suitable for children under the age of 18. Syed Bilal Tariq, Marketing Manager, Entertainment and Devices Division, was also present at the launching. Natour urged parents to exercise extra caution, particularly regarding the content and age group for which video games are recommended. Video CDs carry a clear warning that parents should read before buying any product for their children, he added. However, he said, not many parents in Saudi Arabia know which video games are suitable for children and which are not. Moreover, parents often do not accompany their children when they are buying video game CDs. “Children buy these games on their own although parents are supposed to monitor and help them select suitable material,” Natour said. He said as per PGA ratings, the graphics in some video games could be provocative and contain sex and extreme violence, and glamorize or denigrate certain segments and aspects of society. “We have been in constant touch with the Ministry of Culture and Information, but no video game has yet been designed keeping in view Saudi norms and society,” he said. Tariq said it would be difficult to monitor the sale of video games in Saudi Arabia as retail shops do not keep records of the age groups to which products are sold. He said there is no adequate law in Saudi Arabia regulating the video game market. When products are designed for and sold to children, parents need to be a part of the decision-making process, he said. “However, in Saudi Arabia a child under the age of 18 can purchase a video game not intended for him,” he added. Video game players today often find themselves assuming the role of undesirable people who are carrying out mind-altering tasks with realistic graphics. These games reward and encourage violent criminal conduct but, under current laws, retailers are not obligated to impose restrictions on the sale of such games to minors. Natour said it would be a test case at a national level as to whether people show interest in being part of the decision-making process before buying video games for their children. “There is a need for a law that monitors the sale of ‘provocative' video games to children under 18,” he added. According to market sources, a majority of teens admitted that their parents do not impose a time limit on the number of hours they are allowed to play video games. Part of the increase in aggressive behavior among children is thought to be linked to the amount of time they are allowed to play such games. The same sources said most parents are unaware of the content of the games or of the need to follow the ratings issued by certain authorized international bodies of the video games their children play. Teenagers who play violent video games for extended periods of time may tend to be more aggressive, prone to confrontation with their teachers, engage in fights with their peers, or see a decline in school achievements. The interactive quality of video games differs from passively viewing television or movies because it allows players to become active participants in the game's script. Players benefit from engaging in acts of violence and are then able to move to the game's next level.
