Letter to the Editor of the Economist

BOSTON, MA///August 19, 2005/// Socially responsible shareholders today released a copy of the letter they sent to the Editor of The Economist magazine, responding to a recent Economist piece on violent video games.

Sir,

Your conclusion that objectors to the sale of violent video games to youth are simply behind the times and "skeptical of new media" is completely off mark. We are not "digital immigrants" who fear the unknown world of gaming. On the contrary, we are well aware of the benefits of video-games you mention. Marketing violence to youth is a separate issue. Protecting children from interactive play requiring them to solicit and beat prostitutes, kill cops and promote racial stereotypes in order to win is hardly analogous to historic objections to Elvis or the written texts of Plato.

As social investors and members of a shareholder coalition against violence and militarization, we took note when lost sales and product returns forced Take Two Interactive, developer of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its hidden pornographic content, to lower its earnings outlook. Perhaps reputational and financial costs will bring about the responsible marketing practices we seek after all.

Dawn Wolfe
Boston Common Asset Management

Catherine Rowan
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, Violence & Militarization Working Group Co-Chair

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