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GA Proposes Restricting Game Sales to Minors
HarryCaul writes "The Georgia Legislature has a bill proposing the restriction of sales of video games to minors. This bill is independent of the voluntary ratings in that it would prohibit the sale of "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel" games to children. Another bill from the same legislator would take the more reasonable step of requiring stores to post a sign explaining the video game rating system. From the article: "The video game proposal is one of several like it being introduced across the country. Lawmakers in North Carolina, Illinois and Michigan are among those considering similar measures."
Glad this wasn't around when I was like 12 and buying Doom. I still have never had anyone id me to buy an M rated game though. My 13 year old brother got ided when he bought GTA and they still let him buy the game.
i dont know why this is really news, i mean, they've had this in washington state fer a while now, and im shur a lot of other states too.
When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
On the one hand, this seems like a good idea. It holds the stores responsible for not enforcing the policies that they have in place - mainly fining them for selling (or renting) M-rated games to minors. Great, I guess.
On the other hand, I'm not really sure that this will fix the problem of uninformed parents buying and renting the games for their children. I don't have a problem with people deciding that it's ok that their child plays a game. I have a problem with parents not knowing what the game is and getting it for their kids because "my friend's mom said it's ok". That happens all the time. Are these parents going to be fined, too?
I won't say "You can mod me down if you want, but..." because I hate it when people say that.
But...
I think this is a Good Thing(tm). They've been doing it with movies for ever and I don't remember it destroying my civil liberties when I was a child.
Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
(yes, i know there are responsible youth gun owners, but which requires more responsibility... guns or video games?)
This just in:
In a nationwide first, all 50 states have agreed to pass state-specific laws relegating parenting to the government in various degrees. Local governments will ensure that children play the appropriate games, watch the appropriate movies, and hear apprporiate radio stations. In addition 'teen-camps' will be set up with handy drop off zones for parents (most open 24 hours). Parents are not required to pick up their children, or actually know the childs interests or first names.
Local residents appear to be largely in favor of this bold move. Sandy Jones of Smithington, PA said "Well it's about time. I can't tell you how many times whats-his-name has done some stuff to piss me off. You wanna hit 'em, you know? But you're not allowed to these days. It's a big relief to know I'll be able to drop the devil spawn off into the hands of a responsible, accurate, and accountable organization like the US government."
Some city services are already beaming at the economic opportunites. The transit authority is in the process of setting up a VIP program for parents, picking children up at their very front doors.
Reasonable, intelligent people could not be reached for comment.
-- I have fans? Wow.
Depending on usage, it can mean opposite things. If you restrict game sales to minors, that's supposed to mean it limits their ability to buy, but as dictionary.com points out, restricting land to recreational use means it should only be used for that purpose.
I always thought that there were actually two phrases, restricting from as well as restricting to something, but apparently that's not common usage.
Why should the gov't be responsible be people not raising their kids right. i agree with you that your LB shouldnt be playing that kind of a game, but what more can the gov't do to prevent this. they cant send someone out to watch over every parents shoulder and when a parent lets their kid do something that they shoudnt, that man cant be there to slap the parents fingers and tell them "no!" the government can not control the way that parents raise their kids, it all comes down to old fashion parenting.
I was in Walmart not too long ago, and there was this Mother and her 9 to 11 year old son with her. She was buying him a copy of "Max Payne"--an M-Rated game--for the PS2. Most kids don't have the $20-$50 it takes to buy a new game, it's the parents that buy most of them, so what difference does it make if the parents are buying M-Rated games for their kids?
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
I KNEW it. Big Brother IS watching us!
Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
When I was a kid I barely had enough money to buy a comic book once a month. Now it seems that kids have enough cash flow to buy M-rated games and what not at the drop of a hat. I think I grew up in the wrong generation. :P
Back on topic, I agree that kids shouldn't be allowed to buy M-rated games. It's the same deal as movies, books, or any other medium. Of course, it's ultimately up to the parents and how they want to bring up their kids. What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander.
I know when I was younger my parents were generally always making sure I wasn't doing things I wasn't supposed to, but on those occasions that they allowed me to run off by myself, if I wanted to go see a rated R movie, I wouldn't have been able to get in. I ask you, really, what is the difference between enforcing laws that keep kids from watching movies that have been deemed too violet or sexual or whatnot, to keeping them from being able to buy games of the same nature without parental consent? Nothing really.. If the parents allow it then the kid can still do it, this will hopefully just make the parents realise that maybe they shouldn't get their kid "game x" because it is rated mature, maybe they'll pay a little more attention to what they buy now.
If they restrict the sales of video games to minors, how will us adults purchase our video games?! Soon, we'll have to stand outside of the local game shop, asking 14 year old kids if they'd be willing to buy a game for us, and...
Oh, wait. They mean that sales of video games to minors will be restricted. I suppose that's a little different, then.
That green slime had it coming.
No, the ratings system has never had any force of law behind it. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) was established by a software industry trade association and is voluntary. It has been presented to Congress and praised, but nothing is formalized.
Keep in mind that the parents and adults who push for these laws are seldom concerned about their own kids getting hold of these games. They are positive that won't happen. However, they think that no moral, intelligent parent would ever buy anything with violence or sex in it for their children. There are a good number of parents who don't know or care what music their children listen to, what television shows they watch, what internet sites they access, and what video games they play. There are also parents who don't view violence and sex in entertainment as a massive evil - who are involved in the decision-making and who talk to their kids about what is represented in the games. To the parents who push for these laws, any parent whose kids play such games are the same: immoral, uncaring, irresponsible parents whose poor kids must be protected. Untrue and not logical, but a law is nothing more than an inconvenience to those of us who will buy the game for our kids anyway.
I was taking one day at a time, but then several days got together and ambushed me. (from a Rhymes with Orange comic)
...this is why organized religion should be put in its place. Most parents like myself are intelligent enough to know what is and is not suitable for our children. There are those who spent far too many years under the collective whip of the Catholic Church to be able to think on their own and rely heavily on their congregation for guidance...sort of like one of my ex's cousins who think along your lines. After listening to him, I gave him a swift verbal lashing on the subject of who impregnanted his wife (him or the good minister) I said it is your responsibility to take an active interest in your child and address any potential interests they may have especially what they read. Regardless of the subject matter...be it Harry Potter or others. It is up to you to educate or even better READ THE BOOKS your children wish to read to you can make an EDUCATED decision on wether or not they are prepared rather than letting the good preacher decide for you. By the way the only one of the series that caused a major uproar was "Order of the Pheonix" in that the student body was force to mutiny it's abusive headmaster. The message is this is what can happen if corrupt government politics interferes with the well oiled runnings of a good school. Also if you hadn't noticed there is ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION of devil worship in the series...in fact the school pushes a class called "Defense Against the Dark Arts" so if I were you I'd let your children READ, the more they read the more educated they will become. The more educated they become the less likely they will me so easily manipulated like yourself by powers that seek to cripple you. They'll go farther ahead in life than you.
Other times the terrible mind warping stuff was books, movies, or music. Now it's videogames.
Doom, GTA, neck snapping in Price of Persia 2, and virtually storming the beaches at Normandy in Day of Defeat isn't going to turn kids into rampaging pairs of Harris & Klebold any more than D&D turned me and my friends into throat slashing demonically possessed murderers.
This is *stupid* and so are the legislators pushing it and the people who support it.