ADVISORY ANN ARBOR—A recent decision by retailers not to sell some video games with extensive images of sex and violence has sparked debate about what is considered appropriate for children. The University of Michigan has some experts who can discuss the video game industry. L. Rowell Huesmann, professor of psychology and communication studies and a senior research scientist at the Institute for Social Research, has research interests that include causes of violent behavior, social cognition and computer simulations of behavior. He can be reached at (734) 764-8385 or huesmann@umich.edu. "I think the evidence strongly indicates that violent video games are a significant public health threat for children," he said. Frederick L. Goodman, professor in the School of Education, has interests in many areas of education including the Internet and students, teaching and computer technology, and role-playing and learning. He can be reached at (734) 763-6717 or fgoodman@umich.edu. "There seems to be a Gresham’s Law of gaming, at least when it comes to their educational value. Games of lesser intrinsic value tend to drive out games of greater intrinsic value," he said.

Dmitri Williams is a doctorate candidate who teaches a communication studies course on video games. He can discuss video games from economic, social and cultural angles. He can be contacted at (734) 763-1099 or dcwillia@umich.edu. "Video games have changed dramatically from the early days of Pong, and even since the heyday of Nintendo," he said. "The technology and art of games are likewise improving by leaps and bounds so that newer games appear more and more photo-realistic. Game makers are experimenting with new tools and new ideas, and are pushing their medium in new directions, including, but not limited to, sex and violence." Contact: Jared Wadley
Phone: (734) 936-7819
E-mail: jwadley@umich.edu

huesmann@umich.edufgoodman@umich.edudcwillia@umich.edujwadley@umich.edu