Take-Two CEO called President Trump's comments "disrespectful"
Following the twin shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas that left 31 people dead and many others injured over the weekend, President Donald Trump and other government officials have pointed fingers at video games as the cause of the mass shooting. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick disagrees, and briefly called these politicians "disrespectful" in the wake of the mass shooting.
In an interview with Barron's (via Business Insider), Zelnick asked government officials to address the "uniquely American" gun weapons issue. "We're just sick and tired of these meaningless tragedies," Zelnick said. "That being said, it is irresponsible to blame entertainment. Moreover, it is very disrespectful to the victims and their families. The fact is that entertainment is consumed all over the world … but firearms are uniquely American. So we have to address the real questions. "
On Monday, August 5, President Trump called for the community to stop glorifying violence. He gave a speech that suggested that "the cruel and grizzly video games that are now commonplace" is why mass shootings are normalized.
The Entertainment Software Association (organization behind E3) rebuffed President Trump's statement, saying "countless scientific studies have determined that there is no causal link between video games and violence." The organization told GameSpot that "more than 1[ads1]65 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people playing video games all over the world. Other communities where video games are played just as eagerly do not conflict with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the United States. " Back in the 1990s, former US Senator Joe Lieberman led a campaign against titles such as Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat. At that time, Lieberman called the regulation of violent video games, saying: "The player is rewarded for attacking a woman, pushing her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly and then finally killing her, shooting her over and over again. I call the entertainment companies – they have the right to do so, but they have a responsibility not to do so if we want to raise the next generation of our sons to treat women with respect. "
Disclosure: Strauss Zelnick was appointed chairman of the board CBS Board of Directors in 2018. CBS is the parent company of GameSpot and CBSi.
