Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Prime Day Deals
  • Superman
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
Dragon Age: The Veilguard screenshot of Solas
RPGs Ex Dragon Age writer worries more fans are tying their identity to games and hoping to see games fail to prove a point: "See what happened to them? See how their game sold?"
Helldivers 2
Games "We cough up a chunk of our soul": 32 game devs, from Doom's John Romero to Helldivers 2 and Palworld leads, explain what people get wrong about games
A thumnail crop of Splitgate 2 key art showing orange and blue portals and teams of shooters running between them
FPS Games "I would have done things differently": Splitgate 2 director would be "less controversial" if given the opportunity to repeat his Summer Game Fest antics
Splitgate 2 trailer character in a cowboy hat
FPS Games Splitgate 2 CEO apologizes again, says "I'm not an idiot" and expected "some" controversy, but wasn't being political with his hat at Summer Game Fest: "We needed something to grab attention"
An old man with a staff in Borderlands 4
Borderlands In a 557-word post to end all posts, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford fully lays out the "misunderstanding" over Borderlands 4 $80 comments: "I don't want anyone to pay any more than they should"
Splitgate 2
FPS Games Splitgate 2 dev snatches defeat from the jaws of victory, channeling Borderlands 4's Randy Pitchford by upsetting fans even when his FPS is looking pretty good
Kirby with a shocked expression riding a star
Hardware "Oh, you don't like hentai on your Switch?": Dev says Switch 2 needs to fix Nintendo's "pathetic" eShop, and he's not the only one who thinks so
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Gun

Ways the games industry can improve its image

Features
By GamesRadar Staff published 17 January 2013

Straighten up and fly right, you delinquents

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Let's clean up our act

Let's clean up our act

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary set off intense political discussion on what groups in our society could be ultimately responsible for the incident, and talks of prevention have sprung forth. Some say it's the NRA's fault, others say video games cause people to be violent. Vice President Joe Biden recently met with representatives of the games industry to discuss solutions to the issue of gun violence in the United States, and the result came with a few suggestions.

His task force's advice to the games industry was to consider changing its public image, which, we agree could use a bit of spit-shine. So, games industry, no need to worry. We got this. We know just where games' messy spots lie, and we've got the polish to clean it all right up. All you have to do is follow these simple dos and don'ts.

Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
DO: Get parents to use the ESRB ratings

DO: Get parents to use the ESRB ratings

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
DON'T: Make Bikini Torso Special Editions

DON'T: Make Bikini Torso Special Editions

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
DON'T: Refer to a mode designed for less skilled players as 'girlfriend mode'

DON'T: Refer to a mode designed for less skilled players as 'girlfriend mode'

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
DON'T: Use actual dangerous weapons as limited edition paraphernalia

DON'T: Use actual dangerous weapons as limited edition paraphernalia

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
DO: Make a happy train

DO: Make a happy train

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
DO: Make great games for kids

DO: Make great games for kids

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
DON'T: Make games with little or no value

DON'T: Make games with little or no value

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
DO: Have awesome female lead characters

DO: Have awesome female lead characters

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
DON'T: Put outrageously large breasts on them

DON'T: Put outrageously large breasts on them

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
DO: Be honest in what you say and do

DO: Be honest in what you say and do

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
DON'T: Eat Doritos and drink Mountain Dew

DON'T: Eat Doritos and drink Mountain Dew

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
DO: Show consequences for in-game actions

DO: Show consequences for in-game actions

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
DON'T: Glorify in-game violence

DON'T: Glorify in-game violence

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
DO: Know your target audience

DO: Know your target audience

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
DON'T: Make mature games' ad campaigns target children living with their moms

DON'T: Make mature games' ad campaigns target children living with their moms

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
DON'T: Write a Top 7 about the most violent video games

DON'T: Write a Top 7 about the most violent video games

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
DO: Write a Top 7 about the least violent video games

DO: Write a Top 7 about the least violent video games

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
DO: Make artistic, thoughtful, interactive experiences

DO: Make artistic, thoughtful, interactive experiences

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
DONT: Include a token controversy bait level

DONT: Include a token controversy bait level

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
DO: Listen to your fans

DO: Listen to your fans

What ways do you think the gaming industry could improve its image? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. We're listening.

And if you're looking for more, check out our 100 most anticipated games of 2013 and this week's Top 7.

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Nintendo Wii-u PlayStation Xbox Platforms
GamesRadar Staff
Social Links Navigation

GamesRadar+ was first founded in 1999, and since then has been dedicated to delivering video game-related news, reviews, previews, features, and more. Since late 2014, the website has been the online home of Total Film, SFX, Edge, and PLAY magazines, with comics site Newsarama joining the fold in 2020. Our aim as the global GamesRadar Staff team is to take you closer to the games, movies, TV shows, and comics that you love. We want to upgrade your downtime, and help you make the most of your time, money, and skills. We always aim to entertain, inform, and inspire through our mix of content - which includes news, reviews, features, tips, buying guides, and videos.

See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
Dragon Age: The Veilguard screenshot of Solas
Ex Dragon Age writer worries more fans are tying their identity to games and hoping to see games fail to prove a point: "See what happened to them? See how their game sold?"
Helldivers 2
"We cough up a chunk of our soul": 32 game devs, from Doom's John Romero to Helldivers 2 and Palworld leads, explain what people get wrong about games
A thumnail crop of Splitgate 2 key art showing orange and blue portals and teams of shooters running between them
"I would have done things differently": Splitgate 2 director would be "less controversial" if given the opportunity to repeat his Summer Game Fest antics
Splitgate 2 trailer character in a cowboy hat
Splitgate 2 CEO apologizes again, says "I'm not an idiot" and expected "some" controversy, but wasn't being political with his hat at Summer Game Fest: "We needed something to grab attention"
An old man with a staff in Borderlands 4
In a 557-word post to end all posts, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford fully lays out the "misunderstanding" over Borderlands 4 $80 comments: "I don't want anyone to pay any more than they should"
Splitgate 2
Splitgate 2 dev snatches defeat from the jaws of victory, channeling Borderlands 4's Randy Pitchford by upsetting fans even when his FPS is looking pretty good
Latest in Action
James Bond in 007 First Light
"Don't make him a killing machine!": Hitman developer IO Interactive got the James Bond gig because its games are more about creativity and stealth than shooting
Dead Island 2 screenshot
"Boy, that game sucked": Notorious Dead Island 2 delay lasted nearly a decade partly because its original developer ignored "horrific" player feedback, says former Deep Silver lead
Kassandra holding a falcon on her arm during Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Ubisoft foresaw the grindy fate of Assassin's Creed Valhalla back in the Odyssey days, wanting a literal "odyssey" but not "a world that was just fatiguing to travel through"
Zelda
Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P says his latest game dev crush is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, one of the most efficient games he's played all year
Kassandra holding a falcon on her arm during Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Ubisoft had a very on-brand problem with Assassin's Creed Odyssey: there weren't many tall buildings in Ancient Greece even though it's a "climbing-frame game"
Link points a finger at the stand, channelling Ace Attorney's stance, in a screenshot from the Hero of Law mod.
27 years later, this uncanny "Hero of Law" mod makes The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time the game it was always meant to be: Ace Attorney
Latest in Features
David Corenswet as Superman fighting back flames
I’m tired of MCU post-credits scenes that go nowhere, which is why Superman’s organic world-building is such a breath of fresh air
The first scenario in Frosthaven, showing a four player party facing down a group of monsters
I've played board games like Frosthaven for years, but I think the digital version might be a far better introduction
Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077
It took me 326 hours to clock a less-obvious reason why Cyberpunk 2077 is the best open world RPG I've ever played: it's a secret comedy game
Lego Pokemon characters sit around a table, divided from a Fallout Vault 111 scene by a white line
I don't know about you, but I'd throw money at these gaming Lego sets
Superman flies up above Metropolis in the Superman Returns game
I've been searching for the best Superman games after watching the new James Gunn movie – here are my 7 favorites
An Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered screenshot showing Dark Brotherhood leader Lucien Lachance talking to the player in a dimly-lit inn
I'm playing Oblivion Remastered as a vampire, and I wouldn't trade my new life for better sleep or a clean conscience
  1. Zion Wright grinds along a wooden balustrade in in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4's San Francisco level
    1
    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans"
  2. 2
    College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf”
  3. 3
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  4. 4
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  5. 5
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...