How do we really view games?

GamePolitics.com is one of my favorite "serious" game sites, and for good reason: despite being presented by the Entertainment Consumers Association, they seem to be fairly objective and have a good grasp on issues relating to the game industry today. Today they responded to a piece Ian Bogost wrote about how hardware manufacturers are the real reason for why there is some censorship in games; that is, the manufacturers won't allow any AO-rated games to appeal on their consoles. (This is related to Manhunt 2, can't you tell?). Now, I generally agree with what they say: this is a complex issue, and part of problem lies in how some of the general public perceive games as merely children's entertainment. As GamePolitics states:

"So the game industry finds itself under a microscope. The issue of sales to children is a big one for critics like Leland Yee and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. And for the Federal Trade Commission, which studies the industry’s marketing practices in relation to kids.

For their part, the console makers don’t want to be accused of licensing porn on a machine that’s sold at Toys’R'Us. The major game publishers are largely public corporations that don’t want to be seen as being in the porn creation business, either. Developers have largely adapted to these parameters, although some are clearly frustrated."

Clearly, we have much to figure out.

I'd disagree, however, with their belief that the term" video game" needs to be reevaluated. For one, the term "video game" has stuck, and I don't see it going away any time soon. Also, when we talk about sports, we talk about "sports games," don't we? Our culture feels they aren't just for children, yet we still call them "games." Like GamePolitics states, much of the industry's origins came from the toy business, and being marketed as such for many years, gaming has traditionally been referred to as a kid's activity. I'm guessing that's how the perception of video games today came about. Changing these views on games might help earn them some more legitimacy as a hobby and interest.

What can we do, as consumers, to fix this perception of video games? I'm not sure writing to the console makers directly will solve anything - they seem pretty firm on these policies right now. But raising awareness about these issues would be worth it, and having people know that games aren't just for children will help considerably. That might be all we can do right now.