COMMENT: Camerons attack is worse news for him than us

Not against the social ruin of gun-toting UK youth, however. (A responsible example laid down by that confrontational rhetoric, though Dave.)

No, the time has come for us all to ‘fight back’ against an enemy much more directly damaging to our business. Namely the ill-informed desperation of top Ministers to blame tragic occurrences on our gem of an industry.

Politicians need to realise that games can have a positive impact on young people’s lives.”

Not my words – but those of Cameron understudy Jeremy Hunt in MCV last week, proving that we’re part of the way there already.

And for the first time, we hold a seriously powerful weapon at our disposal to educate even more of those in the highest echelons of power, folks. One that scares the Y-fronts off any leading politician: mainstream popularity.

Cameron’s desperate attempt to proffer tabloid-tickling one-upmanship over Gordon Brown during Parliament’s summer recess is no real surprise.

But if it’s acclaim he’s after (and obviously needs, after his little NHS debacle last week), surely he’s barking up the wrong tree?

The Tory leader’s decision to highlight the apparently flimsy BBFC (let’s pause to let Rockstar reclaim their cornflakes here) just highlights how out of touch the would-be PM has become.

If ‘bike-riding, webcamming Dave’ is so desperate to be seen as down-with-the-kids, maybe his ‘cool’ gurus (sorry, ‘strategy advisors’) should have a quiet word with ELSPA.

Then they might learn that Wii has shifted a million units in nine months – to fun-loving consumers who see Parliament’s cronies as comically out of touch.

Or that PS3 and Xbox 360 sit pride of place in the entertainment epicentres of affluent young men’s homes – rather than hidden in the dark bedrooms of Columbine-copying loners.

Dare I say it, but Alistair ‘cynical-finger-on-the-pulse’ Campbell would probably have Tony Blair singing our praises from the rooftops by now – rather than playing a brazenly outdated blame game.

Cameron’s misjudged attack means he risks being seen as behind-the-times by an increasingly games-savvy electorate – one which may be even less likely to vote for him after his reactionary foolishness this week.