Video and Computer Games

Maria Kiriakova

Sometimes called electronic games, video and computer games are a form of interactive multimedia entertainment played by one person, either alone or in competition with others. The use of multimedia—in the form of sound, computer graphics, animation, and text—in combination with the ability of the player to control, combine, and manipulate these media, distinguishes electronic games from other kinds of entertainment, such as television, motion pictures, and music. Video and computer games are of significant interest to the public and criminal justice professionals because research suggests that exposure to screen violence leads to aggression, fear, and insensitivity to real-life violence. In addition, video and computer game technology and the use of that technology have legal implications concerning freedom of speech and privacy rights, copyright law, gambling, and consumer protection. The first interactive computer game, Spacewar, was created in 1961 by Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ...

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