ADVISORY/Some Video Games Depict "Unhealthy" Images to Girls, Study Claims.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2000

TOPIC: A recent study by a child advocacy group claimed that almost half of the
top-selling U.S. video games allegedly give "unhealthy" messages to girls
including provocative sexuality, violence and unrealistic body images,
according to a report by Reuters. The study, commissioned by "Children Now," a
California based advocacy group, surveyed the top 10 selling games for each of
three popular console video game systems, Reuters said. The study reports that
a large percentage of the games featured men as the lead characters. When women
were featured, their bodies -- including cleavage, thighs and midriffs -- were
often exposed, the study claimed. In addition, "38 percent of female game
characters had large breasts and 46 percent had unusually small waists," the
study concluded. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified
experts to comment on this story:

Cliff Bleszinski is a 24-year-old game designer who has been working in the industry since the age of 17. He originally began developing adventure games for Epic Games, and later found his calling in the realm of action-adventure titles. In 1993, Cliff designed Jazz Jackrabbit, commonly referred to "The Sonic the Hedgehog of the PC," which went on to become a huge hit, and helped to fortify Epic Games' place in the cut-throat gaming industry. Cliff immediately began working on a Jazz sequel and a 3D shooter called "Unreal." One of the original four developers for Unreal, it was Cliff's responsibility to oversee and assist with all level design on the game, as well as to contribute to the game's overall design and direction. He is probably most well-known for the infamous "Skaarj Introduction" and the terrifying first level, "Vortex Rikers" in Unreal, which set a new standard for cinematic immersiveness; both were hailed as some of the most memorable moments in gaming history. Unreal won critical acclaim in the gaming world and from the media, with Newsweek saying, "Unreal is Awesome. For once, believe the hype." Cliff recently finished Unreal Tournament, a highly-anticipated action title that takes place in the Unreal Universe where combatants from across the galaxy battle it out for the title of Unreal Grand Master. He is currently developing Epic's next generation title. In his 'spare' time, Cliff has created a number of Web sites including the tongue-in-cheek Cat-Scan (www.cat-scan.com) and Hellmouth (www.hellmouth.org) a Web site forum for teenagers to share their views and stories on peer relationships. PR: Tyler Bleszinski ([e-mail]; 916/418-1500.

Gene Del Vecchio is the founder of CoolWorks, a youth marketing consultancy that helps clients invent and grow youth brands. He is also the author of Creating Ever-Cool, A Marketer's Guide to a Kid's Heart. He has been in youth marketing for 20 years, working for a blue chip list of worldwide corporations. He was previously a SVP, Director of Planning & Research at Ogilvy & Mather advertising where he developed the agency's worldwide approach to youth marketing. 661/287-9995; [e-mail]

Professor Marshall P. Duke, of Emory University, is an expert in psychology, personality development and child development. 404/727-7453; 404/727-6123 (University PR Phone)

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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