video games are too violent

Totally in the wrong forum section, but whatever; I'll bite:

No. Games in general are not too violent. There is a wide selection of games available and some are more violent or are depicted as more violent than others.

Really the amount of violence is not really the problem at all, it's how visceral its presentation is. -- Here's a brain teaser for you: what is more violent; a fighting game monitored by a fair referee or Mario jumping on Goombas and splattering their brains all over the ground? -- It's how deeply ingrained violence is with the core narrative and how it drives plot and character motivation that can be a problem. While it is true that children are highly impressionable and exposure to lots of violent imagery can leave them jaded to it over time, it's not until said violence becomes a driving factor in plot and character that children will adopt and accept it as a norm for social interaction.

As for preventing children from being exposed to violence or adopting these behavioral patterns; it all boils down to educating the parents to raise their children. Many parents, especially those with double income / both holding jobs, don't stop to think when they purchase a new game for their kid. As long as it shuts the kid up and has the kid stuck in front of the TV and out of their hair, they're fine with it. Parents should take into account those ratings and should make informed decisions and perhaps withhold purchase of a game.

If parents cannot avoid exposing their children to a particular viscerally violent game, e.g., because a friend's parents were less caring and their child can go over to that friend's house and play it there, then parents should at the very least have a sitdown with their child and try to explain why they feel the child is not yet ready to be exposed to the game's content. They shouldn't outright forbid the child from playing (because they'll do it anyway and their friends will happily goad them on telling them "parents don't understand anything"), but rather they should switch to mitigating the impact as well as possible and make sure that the child understands that all of this is 'make pretend' and not how people should interact with each other in daily life. Children can be surprisingly reasonable. (Moreso than adults in some situations...) For the very same reasons, it's always a good idea to have a quick sitdown with a child after a play date and check up on what they've been doing.