I think it’s only fair that the developer of GoreBox was invited to a Senate hearing next week about the game’s supposed role in the fatal Tacloban school shooting.
But questions should not come with the assumption that violent video games cause violent acts.
There is a wealth of scientific literature online that already says that this isn’t the case, although, in my review, there are also a few that say that the effect isn’t completely zero.
If the conversation progresses, these studies should be reviewed with diligence so we can avoid hasty pronouncements for a blanket ban on violent video games, as Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has done, inviting furious online protestations from the Filipino gaming community.
A blanket ban would be a blunt policy response to a problem that appears to be much more complex.
