On Dec. 9, the video game industry proposed a system to keep violent video games out of the hands of young children.
The system, based on the Sega Corp. system now in place, would give games one of three ratings: general, 13 or older, or 17 or older.
The move by the game makers was intended to head off Congressional action in the wake of complaints about video game violence.
The announcement capped a year of controversy over violent games such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap. In Mortal Kombat, the winner can remove the spine or rip the heart out of the victim. In Night Trap, the player defends a group of sorority girls wearing short pajamas against blood-sucking assailants.
On Dec. 16, Toys 'R' Us, the nation's largest chain of toy stores, said it had removed Night Trap from its 581 stores because of customer complaints about violence.
As the year ended, the maker of the game was considering pulling it from the market.
