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NY Governor to Target Violent Video Games

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the answer-to-all-the-worlds-evil-obviously dept.

NoMoreGuns writes to tell us that Governor Eliot Spitzer is planning to target violent movies and video games in a new bill. "Spitzer said he wants to restrict access to these videos and games by children, similar to motion picture regulations which prohibit youths under 17 from being admitted to R-rated movies without a parent or adult guardian. Under Spitzer's proposal, retailers who sell violent or degrading videos or video games to children contrary to the rating would be sanctioned."

8 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. Election time already? by TomRC · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Back to focusing on trivial things, while important problems go un-addressed.

    1. Re:Election time already? by Convector · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I might add that this was before the gunman's NAME had even been established, and there was no way to know if he had ever played a videogame of any type.

  2. Bad headline! by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless I'm really misreading this, he isn't targeting the violent games at all. What he's targeting is the sale of violent games to minors, in the manner of R-rated movies.

    I expect that sort of misleading headline from the mainstream press, but Slashdot should really have fixed it.

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    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
    1. Re:Bad headline! by SEE · · Score: 5, Informative

      There are no laws enforcing the movie ratings system. It is perfectly legal to allow a six-year-old to rent or buy a film rated R or NC-17. It is merely social custom and private policies of vendors which restrict such activities.

      Laws prohibiting the sale of indecent materials to minors do exist, but they exist independent of the ratings system, and already fully apply to video games.

    2. Re:Bad headline! by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There are legal restrictions preventing sale of porn to minors, but no legal restrictions for violence. If your blockbuster won't let twelve year olds rent "Death-Death-Death-And-Blood 7" it is due to store (or corporate) policy, not due to regulation.


      It's a matter of local and state laws, not federal laws. There are no federal laws banning the sale of any movies to minors, AFAIK. However, most states have laws regarding the sale of pornography or movies with strong sexual content. Surprisingly, most states do NOT have laws concerning violence.

      So what we as a society are saying is that it's okay for kids to see people shooting, stabbing, kick boxing, or whatever else to each other in a violent rage, but HEAVEN FORBID if any minors see NAKED PEOPLE or, worse, two people engaged in a perfectly normal act that is part of our biological survival process as a species. Hmmm, I wonder which would inhibit the development of a child more...?
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    3. Re:Bad headline! by RedHat+Rocky · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "So what we as a society are saying is that it's okay for kids to see people..."

      Incorrect. The body of law may seem to imply that, but certainly I as a parent don't. And I'm sure most of my fellow parents feel the same way.

      Parents should be responsible for their children, not the government.

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      Anything is possible given time and money.
  3. I don't see the problem with this law by SilentChris · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe I'm missing the big picture, but what's the problem with preventing minors from buying games specifically market for adults? I know legally there's been no teeth in it up until now (and parents should really be watching out for their kids) but what's the objection to this? The only group I would think could possibly object is minors.

  4. While we're at it... by KenshoDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Lets ban children from watching, listening to, or reading the news. There are all kinds of accounts of anti-social behaviors contained in the news. Shouldn't we be "protecting the children" from that too?

    Besides, are social problems like school related shootings really being encouraged by video games, or is it possible that massive news coverage plays a larger role? I mean, I take what I see on TV to be a lot more "real" and "possible" than anything I see on a video game.