President Donald Trump met with members of the the video game industry and interest groups on Thursday to discuss the issue of video games and their potential impact on real-world violence. And while the meeting was closed to the press, we have a good idea of how the event went.

According to The Washington Post’s Tony Romm, Trump opened the meeting with a montage of scenes from M-rated games, those that are labeled for gamers 17 and older. The scenes included images from games ranging from “Call of Duty” to “Sniper Elite,” with special attention paid to the more over-the-top shots of virtual violence. In fact, the White House released the clip with a disclaimer about its content.

The meeting comes on the heels of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. during which Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people. In the aftermath of the attack, Trump attempted to make a connection between that kind of real-world violence and video game violence.

Attendees included the executives of companies including Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), which publishes the “Grand Theft Auto” and “Red Dead Redemption” series, as well as ZeniMax Media, which owns the publisher of games like the “Fallout” series, Bethesda Softworks. On the other end of the spectrum were representatives for the right-leaning Media Research Center and Parents Television Council.

“We welcomed the opportunity today to meet with the president and other elected officials at the White House,” the Entertainment Software Association said in a statement following the event.

The ESA is the trade group that represents many of the gaming industry’s developers and publishers and puts on the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) each year where company’s debut their latest titles.

“We discussed the numerous scientific studies establishing that there is no connection between video games and violence, First Amendment protection of video games and how our industry’s rating system effectively helps parents make informed entertainment choices,” the statement continued. “We appreciate the president’s receptive and comprehensive approach to this discussion.”

Brent Bozell, of the conservative Media Research Center, said that the meeting “went terrifically well,” and that it was “very productive.”

Melissa Henson, from the Parents Television Council, meanwhile, said that the event offered constructive dialogue and proved helpful as it gave parents a place at the table alongside government officials and industry representatives.

Both Bozell and Henson said they believe the meeting was the first of what could be additional sit downs to discuss the issue of violence in various forms of media. But according to psychologists, the decision to focus on a link between video game violence and real-world violence is likely nothing more than a politically motivated waste of time.

View photos President Donald Trump has suggested that video games cause violence like mass shootings, and said he will meet with industry representatives to discuss the issue. More

Violent games and violent behavior

“There is very clearly no evidence to suggest that violent video games or violent movies or violent television contribute to violent crime,” said Stetson University psychology professor and expert on video game violence Chris Ferguson. “That seems to be, at this point, the consensus view among a majority of scholars.”

View photos ‘Doom’ has been referenced multiple times as a reason for youth violence despite no evidence of such links existing. More

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