A U.S. group released its annual warning about antisocial video games, but a University of Toronto professor says he's only really worried about a very narrow category of such interactive entertainment.

Jordan Peterson, a psychology professor who studies childhood and adult aggression, told CTV.ca on Tuesday he's most concerned about games in which the sole purpose is to kill.

While he prefers his own children to play games like Sim City, he thinks games with some violent content aren't necessarily damaging to young peoples' development.

When evaluating the dangers of video games, "consider the dangers of shielding your children more than might be optimal," he said.

In the National Institute for Media and the Family's ninth annual report card, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was described as the worst game. It centres around a hero who pledges to avenge his mother's death. Gunning down police, stealing cars at gunpoint and robbing homes are some of the activities in the game.

Another game on the top 10 list is Halo 2, which is a violent battle against aliens. It and Grand Theft Auto are the two top-selling games in 2004.

The video industry has rated Grand Theft Auto and Halo 'M' for mature, which means they shouldn't be sold to people under age 17.

David Walsh, the institute's director, said those ultra-violent games should be rated AO, for adults only. That would limit their purchase to those over age 18.

"This segment of games keeps getting more realistic, and they keep pushing the envelope," he said. "The problem is that these games are the ones that are particularly popular with kids, particularly teenagers."

The Entertainment Software Association said the fact that all 10 games on the parent alert list are rated M shows the association is doing its job.

In Canada, retailers say they will be curbing young peoples' access to mature games starting this holiday shopping season.

Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have made it the law to keep the worst games away from young people.

Not all video games 'anti-social'

For those parents who worry about violent video games making their children more anti-social, Peterson said: "The reason we call (such children) aggressive and anti-social is because they cannot play games with others ... Overall, anything that aids children in play is a good thing, especially given that so much of what they do in school interferes with their ability to play.

"And I think you can make an interesting argument that kids are learning as much about controlling their aggressive behaviour by playing video games as they are learning how to shoot."

With kids who are already pre-disposed to aggression, "practicing killing is not the best use of their time," he said, noting the U.S. Army uses such technology to train its soldiers.

Today's electronic gaming is very sophisticated. Peterson said to call them "games" is a misnomer. And many of them now require group interaction.

Kids "need to go out and play with actual people now and then ... but it takes a sophisticated kid to really master (the games)," he said.

Parents should manage their children's video game use the same way they would television: By watching what they're watching "to make sure it's of high quality and not pathological," he said.

Peterson thinks there's a divide between parents who have computer and gaming skills and those who don't.

Those parents who think video games will hold back their child's intellectual development shouldn't be concerned, he said. "There's evidence that video games increase non-verbal intelligence."

Parents should get to know this technology because it is among the most powerful to emerge from the computer revolution, he said. "It's something completely new and it's just getting going."

MediaWise Video Game Report Card
 
Parent Alert! Games to avoid for your children and teens: 

1. Doom 3   (M)
2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas  (M)
3. Half Life 2 (M)
4. Halo 2  (M) 
5. Resident Evil: Outbreak (M) 
6. Psi Ops: the Mindgate Conspiracy (M)
7. The Guy Game (M)
8. Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (M) 
9. Mortal Kombat Deception (M)
10. Rumble Roses (M)  

MediaWise Recommended Games for children and teens 

1. ESPN NFL 2 K5  (E) 
2. Pikmin 2   (E )
3. Sly 2: Band of Thieves   (E) 
4. Karaoke Revolution Volume 3   (E) 
5. Madden NFL 2005    (E) 
6. Jak 3   (T) 
7. Prince of Persia   (T) 
8. Myst IV: Revelation    (T)
9. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3   (E) 
10. SimCity 4   (E)