Biden on games and research: 'We shouldn't be afraid of the facts'

Following the tragic shooting at Newtown, the video game industry is poised to be the subject of government-funded media effects research. And while being held under the microscope might be uncomfortable, Vice President Joe Biden said people should not be afraid of research results. "Part of the interest group population out there, they are afraid of facts," Biden said during a live Google Hangout web broadcast. "Let the facts lead where they will, and let the research be done," he said. "That's one of the things that the president and I believe very strongly." Don't miss: Yes, we need more research Earlier this month, President Obama outlined his plan meant to help curb gun violence in the U.S. Part of the plan was a proposal for $10 million worth of government-funded research into the root causes of gun violence, including video games' potential effects on young minds. Obama and Biden have been keen to point out that games are not being singled out as a potential cause of violence. Biden said today, "There's no hard data as to whether or not these excessively violent video games in fact cause people to engage in behavior that is anti-social, including using guns [for violence]." Citing a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Biden added, "They said, if kids watch three to six hours of video games, and a lot of kids do that, that can lead to aggressive behavior. "They didn't make the next connection saying that it leads to violent behavior, but there are no studies done. So I recommended to the President that we do significant research. "Let the CDC, let the National Institute of Health go out and look at the pathology that's behind this, if there is a pathology. We shouldn't be afraid of the facts."