The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) is closing down, reports Gamasutra. The game industry watchdog group has often been at odds with industry publishers and retailers in its 14 year history. It is shutting down in conjunction with founding sponsor Fairview Health Services, but claims it is in talks with non-profit organizations that may continue its work. "Over the past two years the Institute's board of directors has been in strategic discussions about succession and the Institute's evolving mission and goals," said founder Dr. David Walsh (right). "The current challenging economic environment accelerated those discussions making this the right time to begin transitioning the programs to other organizations who share our mission and values."

Walsh said he is "grateful" to their donors, and calls the work "far from finished." The annual industry "Report Card" was its most well-known contribution, rating the industry on proper efforts for kids. Research from the institute usually sparked ire from gaming circles, but sometimes had kind words when they saw progress. The ESRB was praised as a positive force for keeping Mature games out of kids' hands, and often NIMF would lay the responsibility of managing game time at the feet of parents. Their studies ranged from game violence to addiction.

While it would be easy for game fans to take this as a win for the industry, we shouldn't be too quick to cheer. NIMF may have disagreed sharply with publishers and game fans, but they brought a sense of accountability to the business that may have helped legitimize it in the eyes of people who would otherwise write it off as too insular. And as with any organization shutting down, be it developer or watchdog, we hope anyone affected by the closing lands on their feet soon.