Its understandable that the general reaction from video game world at the news that VP Joe Biden was talking with video games industry heads about the effects of violent video games would be negative. Games are not the cause, we think, youre shifting the blame.

But to combat ignorance isnt to run away from it. The only solution is to deal with it through becoming part of this tilted discussion. Gripping news stories that appeal to parents worried about their children flog the airwaves while politicians grandstand over tragedies like Sandy Hook. To solve this issue, we must argue back. To not offer counter arguments would be an admission of guilt, in other words theyll think they are right.

Thats why I disagree that talking to Biden is an admission of any guilt because I believe that adversely, not talking to him would be the same. If we are in the right, we have nothing to fear. The NRAs general reaction to the Sandy Hook tragedy was to throw everything not guns under the bus, games (which they have usually been supportive of), violent media, mental illness, the kitchen sink. That hasnt worked out well for them.

We are the only people able to bring the appropriate arguments to the table because we have actually played violent video games. The same concept has occurred in history; rock music is slammed by aging parents, violent movies are demonised by the people who are scared of them, its strange how these sentiments always come from those who dont participate In them, youd think that people who watch violent movies, or listen to rock music wouldnt be so consumed in bias that they wouldnt feel the adverse effects working through their minds and bodies.

At the same time, its understandable that parents and non-gamers would hold anti-violent video game sentiments, the media is to blame, but then again havent we been quite pointed in our attacks against the NRA? Their sheepishness has been puerile, but there is good arguments to be made from reasonable gun owners, the problem is that from the outside its hard to empathise and understand a perspective that does take a certain lifestyle and experience to comprehend. Playing violent games is one of them.

This is why we must make our voices and perspective heard over the sensationalist journalist, or non-gamer journalism or the grand=standing politician or overwhelming majority of understandably concerned parents.

I have faith that the ESA which acts as the game industries main lobby group has the tools and weapons available to make our point heard, but its also up to us to talk to people and tell them our experiences, to point to the statistics from around the world, to the available scientific experiments not debunked as technically flawed political fodder. This meeting is just the start.