Video games do no harm to children, insists Sims creator

One of the video games industry's most respected figures has called for an end to the
debate over whether the games are harmful to children. Will Wright, the man behind the
world's bestselling computer game, The Sims, said he believes that fears over the
negative influence of video games are merely symptoms of a generation gap. (disagree)

"I think there's always been a generational divide between people who play games and
people who don't," he told the Guardian. "I think the cultural acceptance of games is
inevitable just because people are going to have grown up having this technology." Mr
Wright, 47, said that the opprobrium heaped on video games today was much like the
drastic reactions meted out to cinema and literature in the past.

"It goes in fits and starts over time. If there's a school shooting, it's always a case of 'did
they play games or not?'. You don't really hear much about what movies they watch or
what books they read," he said. "But 50 years ago that's exactly what you heard - 'did
they read To Kill A Mockingbird?' or whatever it was. They would blame social ills on
anything that was at hand."

His comments came as the government this week opened its review into the effects of
video games and the internet on Britain's children. The investigation, which is being
headed by TV psychologist Tanya Byron, called for evidence from parents and children.
"I really want to encourage children and young people to have their say about the
internet and video games - what they love about them, what they think the risks might
be and their ideas for the future," said Dr Byron.

Mr Wright - recently described by the New Yorker magazine as "the Zola of the form" -
has a long history of producing detailed games which simulate the real world and
contain important educational aspects. His first hit, Sim City, allowed players to build
and manage entire towns and cities: a forthcoming version produced in association with
BP will incorporate models of climate change. His biggest success to date, The Sims, lets
players build families and live virtual lives. The Sims and its sequels have sold more
than 30m copies worldwide since it launched in 2000, making it the most popular game
in history.

His influence has led to mainstream recognition, and this week Mr Wright became the
first representative of the gaming industry to be honoured with a fellowship of Bafta.
His next game, Spore, lets players trace evolution and create lifeforms.

He said the industry should not just churn out games full of graphic violence. "I'm
interested in how gaming can get people more involved in the real world," he said. "The
industry hasn't even begun to realise its potential - in the meantime we need to be
educating the public as to what this can eventually become."

Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent