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CT Considers Making Shoot 'Em Ups Adults Only
Adam writes: "Connecticut bans shooting arcade games. I dunno about you but I played these things all my life and have no will to go out and kill anyone. I think passing of a bill ike this inspires a hell of alot more anger then playing a game where I get to shoot animated villans.
Story Here" Actually, note that the governor of Connecticut has not yet signed (or declared an intention) to sign this bill, so right now it's not a law. If it's passed, offering arcade games in which fake guns shoot simulated people would not be banned per se, be they would be out of bounds for anyone under 18. (Considering arcade demographics, that might not be such a big difference, though.)
After this bill passes could some youth in Connecticut please go on a horrible shooting spree.
Thank You
Most ball-sports are based on war. eg. baseball is based on sieging a castle, football is 2 armies trying to "take" the others castle (=score a goal)..
should those be outlawed under 18 too?
What about martial arts? They're definately violence based. but there is ONE big difference: the difference between violence and played violence. Kids know the difference between playing and real. If violent games are outlawed there are a lot of things that shoulkd be outlawed:
-under 18, you cannot play a part in any play that contains violence/murder/whatever. (sorry kid, you can't be McBeth..)
-ballgames (most, not all. However I highly doubt kids will go: Yeah! Bowls! what a cool sport... )
//rdj
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness.
--Sheikh Abd-Al-Kadir, 1587
ALBUM: The Music Man
Sad really when you think about it...ARTIST: Meredith Willson
Most players don't understand that, but some actually know enough to repair destroyed pulse sensors and destroy enemy units.
Sometimes, I'll do a suicide run into an enemy-controlled zone just to figure out how their defences are set up -- then attack appropriately on respawn (one of the values of infinite lives).
Team Fortress has a spy character that can be used for intelligence gathering.Some people just use it to backstab. Others use it to full potential. Some Tribes mods (Renegades comes to mine) also have spy characters. Just because you don't use a capability doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
It's far easier to stop an enemy if you know where they are/what they're doing. Ignore that point at your own peril.
--
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
Yes they do, and suprisingly, parents are finally learning them. While they may not be as recognized as the motion picture rating system, I've seen a far greater number of parents referring to video game rating designations then I have since they first came out.
Thief is a really cool game, I like the way the AI works, I hear its written entirly in LISP.
The Lottery:
"Not my manner of thinking but the manner of thinking of others has been the source of my unhappiness." - M
I nearly died laughing when I read that one.
This Harp fellow has deluded himself pretty badly if he even remotely seriously thinks that passing this bill will prevent "youth shootings". mmmmm panacea.
Once again we see legislatures looking to offload personal responsibility from parents and law enforcement and instead scapegoat easy targets (namely, video games).
Also the first link is busticated.
Ryan T. Sammartino
Ryan T. Sammartino
"Ancora imparo"
"We hope these type of games disappear from the landscape," Lawlor said. "People that makes these kinds of things have gone too far."
Now, are any of you game designers deterred from creating yet another shoot-em-up game because of this (possible) CT law? Do you feel that you have gone "too far"? I thought not...
Now, here is an idea I'll toss out for you designers to consider. Robert Heinlein made a big deal about the role of intelligence-gathering scouts, yet I have yet to see any arcade or computer game that has the player perform in this role. Wouldn't it be a hoot if one or more of you were to design a game in which the goal is to not get shot while gathering and transmitting back information? Your only weapon would be your wits and the cover provided by the environment, as well as the med-kit on your belt as you get winged by "the bad guys."
Being a scout, you would be considerably lighter on your feet than the typical weapon-toting warrier. Oh, RAH allowed a knife in his stories, but the point was that the scout is the rabbit, not the lion. So design accordingly.
The game prizes would be microdots, but you get the points only when you successfully transmit them back to base. The survival of the scout is not the object, only the transmission of information. Dying well would be a winning move if the information you send back is valuable enough -- in other words, a sacrifice may well be the play that keeps you going, as the reward could be a new life or complete repair or something.
If you use this idea, all I ask is that you give me a little credit. No money required.
Congresscritters do this because it is a win/win situation for them. If they pass a bill that is supposed to fix a morality problem, then they get to declare it from the podium during the next election. If little Billy still goes out and shoots someone, nobody will blame the congress critter for the failure of his bill.
This is an excellent substitute for doing real work. If the congresscritter tackles a real issue, he could certainly claim credit if he is successful, but there would be the risk of blame if he screws it up.
We (citizens collectively) fall for this old gag every single time.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.