New York - Sixty percent of U.S. consumers agree that the government should regulate the sale of violent or mature content video games, while 51% agree that the government should regulate mature content itself, according to a poll of 1,147 adults conducted by public relations firm Hill & Knowlton.

Additionally, 54% of those surveyed with children in their households believe that violent or mature content will affect a child's behavior.

"Next generation consoles combined with a near-Hollywood experience translates into increased scrutiny for a $7.4 billion industry that seeks to outpace movies and music as the number one choice for entertainment," said Joe Paluska, director of Hill & Knowlton's worldwide technology practice.

Among current gamers, 44% said the government should regulate violent content in games, while 47% said it shouldn't.

"The industry's reputation centers on mature content due to the sensational nature of the content and subsequent publicity," added Paluska.

"As a result, our survey suggests that there's an appetite for more government oversight even among the maturing Atari generation who now have children."

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