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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Entertainment software has become a recognized part |
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of our cultural landscape, with nearly two-thirds of our nation's |
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households playing computer and video games, and with the average |
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game player being 35 years old; and |
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WHEREAS, The technology utilized in computer and video games |
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continues not only to provide entertainment, but also to help make |
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positive advances in tools used in the medical, health care, and |
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human resources industries and to improve our nation's defense |
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capabilities; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas ranks third nationwide in computer and video |
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game development, and the entertainment software industry provides |
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more than 2,000 direct jobs and over 5,000 indirect jobs for Texas |
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residents; and |
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WHEREAS, Academic facilities, such as the Guildhall at |
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Southern Methodist University, the Department of Visualization at |
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Texas A&M University, the Technical Certification Program in Video |
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Game Development at Austin Community College, and the Videogame |
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Archive at The University of Texas at Austin, provide educational |
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and research opportunities and curricula that develop some of the |
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top talent in the entertainment software industry; and |
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WHEREAS, Committed to helping parents make informed game |
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decisions for their families, the entertainment software industry |
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has established a self-regulatory body, the Entertainment Software |
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Rating Board (ESRB), which has been lauded by the Federal Trade |
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Commission for its comprehensive and effective entertainment |
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rating system; moreover, the industry is voluntarily providing |
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parental control technology in its latest generation of game |
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consoles; and |
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WHEREAS, New research shows that computer and video games |
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often help children to develop their problem-solving and cognitive |
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reasoning skills, while enabling older players to develop improved |
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memory, reasoning, and multitasking abilities; in addition, |
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computer and video games are increasingly providing players of all |
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ages with ways to increase their physical activity; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 3, 2009, as Entertainment |
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Software Day in Texas. |