‘Blair knows how tough the media is on games’

News

Tim Wapshott and Lisa Foster Sep 29 2006, 5:45pm

Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism Shaun Woodward MP has applauded the UK games industry for its self-imposed regulations – whilst revealing that even the most senior Government figures recognise the difficulties the market is facing from an often unfair press.

Speaking to MCV ahead of his keynote speech at the Games Summit next week, the ‘Games Minister’ offered some sympathy for the industry in light of media reports on the supposed dangers of video games, after the recent Tonight With Trevor McDonald programme about gaming addiction and its effects.

“There is a collective sense around that video games are bad,” said Woodward. “The fact of the matter is we have got tens of millions of people playing video games in this country, deriving huge satisfaction and pleasure from it.

“I would say the video games industry has had a bad press. Ask the Prime Minister does he think they have had a bad press and the answer is yes.”

Woodward went on to suggest that to counter this attitude in the media, the UK industry needs to further demonstrate the benefits of playing video games.

“The press in Britain can sometimes be quite good at knocking things and not good at actually telling people how great we are.”