In the wake of tragedy, violence in games under scrutiny

The impact of violent video games on society is being reexamined in the wake of the Newtown shooting.

One group of gamers called for a one-day online cease-fire in virtual warfare, a sort of gamer moment of silence. Another young gamer, in Newtown, Conn., is asking children to join him in throwing away violent video games. The National Rifle Association partially blamed violent video games and other violent entertainment for the Sandy Hook massacre. And a Democratic Senator introduced legislation in Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of violent video games and other content on children.

This wave of renewed interest comes just over a year after the United States Supreme Court confirmed video games' status as a protected medium under the First Amendment. In the majority decision, Justice Scalia dismissed any evidence of a connection between violent video games and aggression, writing: "These studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason: They do not prove that violent video games cause minors to act aggressively."

The national tragedy at Sandy Hook is sure to ignite debates over many facets of today's culture, laws and society. Polygon will continue to cover how that conversation impacts video games and how both the people who make and play games struggle to come to grips with the shooting and its implications.