Video game creator Activision announced the newest “Call of Duty” game Thursday, the same day Present Trump met with video game executives and lawmakers to discuss video game violence in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., school massacre.
The company told VentureBeat the popular games series’ newest installment, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” is set to launch on Oct. 15.
On the same day, Trump met with top video game executives, lawmakers, and influencers at the White House to discuss video games marketed to young children and their portrayal of violence.
Industry representatives present at the meeting included Mike Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, CEO Robert Altman of ZeniMax Media, and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, and others.
Lawmakers invited to the meeting were Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., and Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala.
“As we continue to work towards creating school safety programs that protect all children, the president will be meeting with video game industry leaders and Members of Congress to discuss violent video-game exposure and the correlation to aggression and desensitization in children,” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said in a statement Thursday.
Trump has been outspoken for years about his belief that video game violence and societal violence are linked. In 2012, he tweeted saying, “Video game violence & glorification must be stopped – it is creating monsters!”
Video game violence & glorification must be stopped—it is creating monsters!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2012
