Commentary: The Timothy Plan Video Game Report
The Timothy Plan, an investment group that offers a family of funds that are morally upright, has released a report called “An Inside Look Into: Video Games”, sure to whip the faithful into a frenzy. We assume that this report is for members that ascribe to the questionable notion that any investment firm is capable of claiming moral high ground or finding companies that don’t engage in some questionable practices.
First, the methodology: the report focuses on 142 games from 2005 to present and uses a 1 - 3 scale that rates the severity (1 being mild, 3 meaning severe) of certain descriptors including sex, nudity violence, gay and lesbian themes, cartoon violence, language, comic mischief, drugs, alcohol, gambling, demonic, and game addiction. Interestingly no descriptor for blasphemy and greed: read into that what you will.
Going by this report, the safest games from the list are GRID, Brain Age 2, Paws and Claws Pet Vet, NCAA Football 08, Pokémon Battle Revolution, Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, MLB The Show ‘07 and High School Musical: Makin’ The Cut!. All of these games scored a 0, the lowest and safest score. To the group’s credit it list some important resources at the end of the report - most notably the ERB’s web site. Here’s the breakdown, in alphabetical order because they all scored 0:
1. Brain Age 2
2. Grid
3. High School Musical: Makin’ the Cut!
4. MLB ‘07: The Show
5. NCAA Football 08
6. Paws and Claws Pet Vet
7. Pokemon Battle Revolution
8. Pokemon Diamond
9. Pokemon Pearl
10. Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80’s
