Controversies
In 2005 the NIMF made the controversial claim that the video game industry was promoting cannibalism after analyzing stills and video clips from a zombie-themed game titled Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse. Dr. Walsh was asked about this in a podcast interview with Dennis McCauley, owner of gamepolitics.com. During the interview Dr. Walsh did not acknowledge the NIMF's apparent error, instead claiming that video gamers tricked him into thinking there was cannibalism in the game.
In late 2003 Walsh proposed the coining of a neologism to fill what he sees is a gap in English vocabulary: killographic, to be defined as the "graphic depiction of brutal violence." This is intended as an analogy to "pornographic", which he defines as the "graphic depiction of sexual acts". This term has been the subject of considerable public debate. Doug Lowenstein, head of the Entertainment Software Association, described it as a "clever phrase", but noted that the average age of video gamers is 28, and that "as adults they should be allowed to pick their entertainment."
On December 6, 2005, The ESRB assigned a failing grade of "F" to NIMF for its seriously flawed Video Game Report Card released the previous week. The ESRB cited inaccuracies, incomplete and misleading statements, omission of material facts, and flawed research as key factors in assigning the failing grade. In addition to the overall failing grade, NIMF was given a demerit for elevating its political and media agenda over their stated concerns for consumer welfare, particularly those of kids and teens.
Read more about this topic: National Institute On Media And The Family