MediaFamily.org's 8th Annual Video and Computer Game Report Card is online, the latest such evaluation from the "National Institute on Media and the Family, an independent, non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit organization." Here's a bit:

Video and computer games continue to grow in popularity among children and youth. We completed the largest student survey ever and found that 87% of youth in grades four through twelve now play video games with 96% of boys playing regularly. This bodes well for the continued growth of the industry, and a balanced diet of good games can certainly be a positive part of children's lives. Nevertheless, as games become more engaging and popular, concerns about their impact on youth become more urgent.

On a semi-related note, Major Retailers Announce New Campaign to Enforce Video Game Rating System describes a new initiative to achieve better enforcement of the ESRB video game rating system (thanks HomeLAN Fed). Here's a bit on that:

The nation's leading computer and video game retailers, in conjunction with the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA), announced today a new initiative designed to prevent the sale of Mature- rated games to children under 17 years old and increase awareness of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) video game rating system. All merchants belonging to the association will now institute a national carding program and will implement an identification check process at the point of sale for games rated Mature by the ESRB.