Microsoft Backs Eidos’ 25 to Life

New York Senator Charles E. Schumer claims upcoming shooter 25 to Life is an “all-time low” and teaches “Little Johnny” to kill cops. While Microsoft has backed British publisher Eidos saying the game will only be sold to “appropriate audiences”, recent UK research shows that parents let children play games for adults - even those that are 18-rated.

GameSpot Senator blasts Eidos’ 25 to Life - Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) is embarking on a crusade against Eidos, telling the New York Daily News that the British publisher is readying a game that makes “Grand Theft Auto look like Romper Room.”

GI 25 to Life will have BBFC 18+ rating, publisher reveals - Microsoft has backed Eidos after a US senator declared that its gang warfare title 25 to Life “lowers common decency”, while the British publisher has reacted by saying that it believes videogame are a creative form and that the ratings systems in place to govern them should be allowed to do their job. “25 to Life was developed for a mature audience and has been rated so it will be sold only to the appropriate audiences,” Microsoft said in a statement.

BBC News Parents ‘ignore game age ratings’ - A study commissioned by the UK games industry found that parents let children play games for adults, even though they knew they were 18-rated. “Most parents think their child is mature enough so that these games will not influence them,” Modulum researcher Jurgen Freund told a games conference. The report reflects concerns about children playing violent video games.

25 to Life is scheduled for release this August on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.