The company sold its 50 percent share of Interscope Records, the label that features many gangsta rappers such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur. I am encouraged about this sale, which I feel will return Time Warner's standing as a maker of many excellent products that inform, educate, and entertain millions, while contributing to our economy. I also have led efforts in Congress to convince the makers of video games to create a rating system for video games. Video games are among the most popular toys for children. Yet, the latest technology now enables video games to depict violence with unprecedented realism.
Some games use actual actors and actresses in stories which are essentially interactive movies.
One such game involves several young women being attacked by hooded men who attempt to murder their victims. Such games are clearly inappropriate for young children. However, without a rating system, there is no way for parents and others to know which games are inappropriate for children. Some video game manufacturers attempted to adopt their own rating systems, but there was no credible system to ensure that existing rating systems are independent of marketing pressures within a video game company and that the ratings are enforced in the marketplace. Thus, I called upon the video game industry to recognize their responsibility to inform the public and to create a uniform, credible rating system.