I learnt, via Stigma-Videospiele, that a conference will be held on violent video games. Among participants, there will be US researcher Douglas Gentile and German researchers.

Here is [URL=http://www.hm-medienkongress.de/INHenglischversion.html]the press release[/URL] in English :

[QUOTE]
[B][SIZE=3]International convention:
"Computer games and violence"
New results from media effects research
Educational and political consequences[/SIZE][/B]
November 20th, 2008, 9 am - 5 pm, Hochschule München

Download: [URL=http://www.hm-medienkongress.de/Downloads/conference20.11.08.pdf]English Version (PDF)[/URL]

Computer games differ in content and mode of representation. With their incredibly high speed, action games freeze the player on a level of excessive virtual killing and orgies of violence, counteracting a sensitive and human personality development in children and youth. Blunting the senses is only one effect of violence in computer games. At the same time, interested circles from the political, economic, and scientific sector are claiming that effects research has, if any, produced only contradictory results and that no effects of virtual violence on the behaviour of children and teens exist.

The Media Convention in Munich on November 20th, 2008 intends to oppose this aimed disinformation through the new findings on the part of media effect research and to deduce political and educational consequences herefrom. International media researches will be presenting four new longitudinal studies proving the consumption of violence through computer games as a cause of personality changes and real-life violence.

Prof. H. Lukesch (University of Regensburg) will be providing a fundamental overview of effect research methods-essential for understanding the effects of media violence-while Prof. D. A. Gentile (Iowa State University) will be presenting the US American state of research as well as his own longitudinal study. Three topical German long-term studies (Dr. I. Möller, University of otsdam; Dr. Hopf, School Counselling Services Eastern Upper Bavaria; Dr. T. ößle, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN), Hannover) are going to support violence-based behavioural and personality changes in children and adolescents living in Germany. Furthermore, findings on the "creeping societal militarisation and brutalisation" will be revealed (Dr. R. Fromm, Munich) and the analytical results of players' reactions to public criticism demonstrated (Prof. G. L. Huber, University of Tuebingen). Finally, an examination of an expert opinion on the protection of minors against harmful media content in Germany-produced for the federal government by the Hans Bredow Institute-will be conducted with respect to its scientific lopsidedness and political manipulation (Dr. R. H. Weiß, Stuttgart). The Media Convention "Computer games and violence" is a mutual event hosted by The Munich University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule München) and LMU Munich (Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität) and addresses parents, scholars, students, scientists, and politicians alike.[/QUOTE]