The National Institute on Media and the Family is closing its doors on December 29 after 14 years (via Gamasutra). The organization plans to hand off its operations and initiatives to other nonprofits.

The self-proclaimed watchdog group has been a vocal critic of gaming in general, and the ESRB’s regulatory performance in particular. During its lifespan, the NIMF was behind research suggesting that nearly ten percent of gamers are clinically addicted to the hobby. It threw gasoline on the hot coffee scandal. It tried to blacklist Stubbs the Zombie for featuring cannibalism. The institute even tried to establish killographic (a violent alternative to the word pornographic) into common language to describe certain games.

Not all of NIMF’s actions followed this apparent agenda, however. The institute was responsible for research that showed games can facilitate surgical performance. They publicly hamstrung Jack Thompson‘s credibility. Perhaps most tellingly, the NIMF has always advocated parental responsibility when it comes to selecting child-appropriate gaming content.

The NIMF has probably been more trouble than good to gaming and gamer rights over the years. Just remember that they weren’t completely evil when you wear your party hat to the funeral.

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