Ralph Baer could not possibly have anticipated the cultural phenomenon video games would become when he created "Odyssey" in 1972, the first home video game console. It was Baer, working for Magnavox, who first released video games to the public, beginning what is a multi-billion dollar industry thirty-five years later.With technological advancement, games have become increasingly intricate, requiring greater mental dexterity of the player. .
Contrary to many parents' expectations, video games are no longer, and one must question if they ever were, just for kids. Today, game companies produce for any and every age group, with adults making up a very large portion of video game players. This market has led developers to crafting games specifically for teenagers or adults, in attempting to keep up with the age groups' interests. However, in the early 90s, the gory game "Mortal Kombat" caused Senator Joe Lieberman to lead Congress in an investigation of violent games. .
The government's pressure on game companies led to the formation of the ESRB, an independent organization that gives video games age-appropriate ratings based on game content. While the ESRB has assuaged many parents' concerns about the content of their children's games, mature video games have occupied the media limelight since "Mortal Kombat" for their often explicit content.Although the most obvious benefit from video games is the enjoyment of playing them and this pleasure can be extended to stress relief and feelings of accomplishment,video games certainly present a number of valid concerns when used in excess.
Media violence is defined as "visual portrayals of physical aggression" by an individual against another in media, including television, movies, music, and video games (Huesmann &Taylor;, 2006).
Countless studies have been performed to decipher the relationship between the two and while most have proven that there is indeed a link between media violence and aggressive behavior, several critics maintain that it is still too early to confidently establish a "causal" link between the two (Ferguson, 2002).