A Brief History of Videogame Legislation

Joystiq is running a new column by Dennis McCauley (who you may recognize from the Game Politics blog). This week, he's got a post up looking at the history of gaming legislation. Starting in the 90s with the creation of the ESRB, McCauley walks us through some of the more notable skirmishes gaming and the body politic have had with each other. From the article: "In 2002 the city of St. Louis took the Indianapolis law one step further, prohibiting not only coin-op play, but retail sale or rental of violent games to minors. Different approach, similar fate. The 8th Circuit Court tossed the law for much the same reasons that doomed Indy's. A city attorney expressed bitter disappointment, called the Federal Court ruling 'a blow to the parents of St. Louis County and the kids.' That was three years ago, and, last time we checked, St. Louis hadn't been overwhelmed by a GTA-like wave of youth violence. As a matter of fact, youth crime levels have been trending downward for years."

Comments

Derelict Legislators

[Anonymous Coward]

The bill's author, Democrat Sandra Pappas, rather famously told GameSpot, "Legislators don't worry too much about what's constitutional."

I think this quote pretty much sums up the discussion.

Mid 1990's Carmageddon contributed to violence

[saskboy]

I wonder where the wave of car violence was in the mid 1990s when everyone was playing Carmageddon and Carmageddon II Carpocalypse Now where the aim of the game was to crash into other cars, including police, and run over pedestrians in creative ways? I see my CD label shows the game was set as M for Mature by the ESRB. So maybe no children ever played it because parent didn't buy M games for kids back then? ;-)

Re:Mid 1990's Carmageddon contributed to violence

[saskboy]

What is wrong with you buddy? The people scream and go splat with eyes and guts going everywhere. If that isn't a realistic enough depiction of it, I don't know what is. You want to smell the guts before you'll admit it's a depiction of real gore? Where's the blood in Roadrunner?

Goes back further than 1990. Even 1980.

[Tackhead]

Before politicians whined about GTA, they whined about the fatalities in Mortal Kombat.

Before that, they whined about Exidy's Death Race (1975), and Chiller.

And at home, in 1982, there was Custer's Revenge for the Atari 2600 console.

And from its very invention up until the 70s, people had to go to court to prove that pinball was a game of skill, not a game of chance, and that pinball machines were therefore not illegal gambling machines.

For everything fun, there's gonna be some idiot with a (D) or an (R) beside his or her name telling you not to do it. Fuck 'em all.

Video Game Law

[bigbigbison]

Of interst may be Jon Festinger's book Video Game Law which covers the various videogame laws that have been passed, but also lawsuits involving videogames from the cases involving Ralph Baer's patents up until Blizzards suit against makers of the bnetd project. It seems to have been published only in Canada, but if nothing else it can be ordered from the publisher.

Re:Goes back further than 1990. Even 1980.

[soft_guy]

Before that it was D & D, pool, cards, bowling, etc.

Eventually the old farts will die off

[grapeape]

Most of the legislation today isnt introduced by parent aged politicians its grandparents. This is no different than politicians speaking out against rock & roll in the 50's or Long Hair on men in the 60's its basically just something that they arent familiar with and do not associate with other forms of media such as books, movies, etc. I have no problem with the ESRB in fact I think its a good idea, but until parents are responsible to buy into it, its not going to work. In the meantime the old folks who dont understand will raise a stink about the erosion of values and need for regulation. Its the same old story different generation.

The Political calculus

[bmasel]

A year ago, when I confronted Sondy Pope-Roberts, the Democratic State Assembly sponsor of Wisconsin's vidgame bill, she said "the pollsters" (I presume Hillary Clinton's,) had told her "This polls higher than anything else we asked."

Sondy's subsequent press release asserted that "86% of 16 year old boys play these [violent] games." Asked why she'd want to alienate 86% of (then) 16 year old boys, some of whom will be eligible to vote this November, and the rest by her next re-election cycle, she responded, "They won't vote anyway."

This, like the DOPA Myspace censorship legislation that just passed the US House with only 15 dissenting votes (roll call) seems to me pretty shortsighted for a Party that will be competing in elections not just in '06 and '08, but on into the future.

I'm surprised

[rolyatknarf]

I'm surprised (unless I missed it) that some legislator has not tried to ban flight simulator games because they could be used to practice using an airplane as a weapon. Maybe I can get one of my state politicians to do this on my behalf and I can get my 15 minutes of fame doing a few sound bites on CNN standing next to my Senator with a shit eating grin on my face. I could get them to add a ban on Google Maps as well because they would provide an excellent method of locating targets. This could work because it seems much more serious than just some kid running over a few people with a car or shooting a couple of police officers.

Re:Goes back further than 1990. Even 1980.

[himurabattousai]

By the 1970's, all pinball machines had flippers and drop targets and the like. Flippers were introduced as far back as 1947 http://www.pinballhistory.com/lpins.html and were standard fare by the 50's, even though the flippers didn't always flip the same way. At the time when the lobbying to have pinball de-classified as a game of chance was going on, it had evolved into a game of skill. Granted, there is still an amount of luck involved, but very few things are truly independent of chance.