Yes.

Downloading games from the Internet is pretty safe. It's not as safe as downloading from an online service, but it is OK if you stick to well-known sites.

For instance, if you download a game from gamespot.com or ZDNet's Software Library (both Ziff-Davis-owned sites), they're absolutely safe because they are very carefully checked for viruses. The Software Library checks software for viruses with four different programs before posting it!

Some download sites are not as careful with virus scans. The only really risky place to download from is an incoming directory. These are directories where files are posted without being checked at all. Anybody can put a file in there.

If you're worried, most antivirus programs, such as those from Norton, Dr. Solomon's, and McAfee, can be programmed to automatically scan your downloads for viruses.

Downloading isn't commonly a source of viruses. You usually get viruses from sharing disks. In fact, many of the most common viruses cannot be downloaded at all; they can only spread if you attempt to boot from a disk that has a virus. These are called "boot sector viruses."

The second most common type of virus-- the kind that is spreading rapidly-- is called a macro virus. These come in Microsoft Word documents or Excel spreadsheets, so you won't get one from a game. These viruses are written in a macro language, the programming language of an application. Leo suggests you should be much more careful about reading attached Word documents in email than about downloading games.