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New York Bill Aims To Restrict Games Containing Profanity
GamePolitics notes a new bill out of New York which seeks to prohibit "the sale to minors of certain rated video games containing a rating that reflects content of various degrees of profanity, racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a specific group of persons." It goes on to say: "These games, containing adult images such as morbid violence, rape, alcohol and illegal drug use, as well as other malicious acts, are not appropriate for children under 18. This legislation will regulate the sale of such games." The full text of the bill is available. It also suggests that children who are exposed to in-game crimes are more likely to participate in real-life crime.
"It also suggests that children who are exposed to in-game crimes are more likely to participate in real-life crime. "
So they think it's monkey see monkey do? They give children far less credit than I thought.
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson:
CALVIN: [as he's watching a TV show] Graphic violence in the media.
... Well, that's hard to prove.
Does it glamorize violence? Sure.
Does it desensitize us to violence? Of course.
Does it help us tolerate violence? You bet.
Does it stunt out empathy for our fellow beings? Heck yes.
Does it CAUSE violence?
The trick is to ask the right question.
(Credit: Written by a "GR" user on forum message 1008906 in websitetoolbox.com)
Do they even ask the opinion of experts like paedopsychatrists or anything before writing such laws?
You just got troll'd!
Another way would be if parents actually played the game first. Then decided based on their own childs maturity level.
I just bought Guitar Hero: Aerosmith it had a M rating (15 +) due to maybe a couple of cursae words in the lyrics. Would I let my six year old son play it. You damn right I would. My son has made it out of the house and has heard these words. He knows better than to repeat them. There is no way I can prevent him from hearing curse words, its not even remotely imaginable. The rating system is a farce, and poeple who practice parenting know this. People who don't practice parenting shouldn't be parents, sadly this isn't the case.
but outlawing a game you obtain:
1. for kids the game will instantaneously become 10x cooler to be played, just because it will be harder for them to get their hands on it.
2. if you have never played the game you'll be treated like a dork.
3. the game will be sold in the "black market".
Outlaw next GTA and RockStar will sell even more copies. It's just human nature to desire what we can't easily get.
- Human knowledge belongs to the world
This story would be more interesting if it was about a man named William from New York who aimed to put an end to all the game-playing by cursing at people.
So, let's pretend they have a point... why target games? You could remove every instance of the word "Game" with any other media (Books, Television, Movies, Music, Theater) and it would be the same thing. But no, if they tried to target "Theater" with a bill like this, they'd get laughed out of politics (and rightfully so.)
"Don't trust anyone over 25!"
When I first read the headline, I thought it meant that New York would use profanity to ban games. That could work.
Don't you dare buy that ****ing game, you ****, or I'll ****ing kill you!
I'll accept this restriction as long as the same restrictions are placed upon any books and movies that contain "various degrees of profanity, racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a specific group of persons."
Oh, what, you can't actually do that for other media? What makes you think you can do it for games, then?
Weekday Warrior, about a bored corporate drone struggling against office politics.
RuneScape has lots of resource-gathering activities (fishing, cooking, wood-chopping, etc.) that feels just like work.
There isn't a day where I play Metal Gear Online 2.0 or Gears of War 2 online where I do not hear someone say 'fuck' or 'shit' or 'dicklicker' using their headset or bluetooth mic or typing those same words into the in-game chat box.
Shouldn't New York State ban all multi-player games that have in-game forms of communication?
But what if they disabled communication in games? What if in Starcraft or any other RTS, the opposing player arranged his buildings to form the word 'cock' ? Shouldn't we ban Starcraft as there is the potential to communicate bad words?
What constitutes profanity? Swear words? Bad words? What is a bad word? Is taking the (fictitious) Lord's name in vain using profanity? I guess that means GOD of War is a DISGUSTING AND INAPPROPRIATE GAME!!!
These lawmakers will not stop until ALL games are banned.
I don't mind violence and profanity in games, I just want a software switch the bleeps or turns the profanity off. I just don't see a point in hearing curse words. Yes, as an ex-marine I do realize that real marines curse, however having it in a video game doesn't add realism. Real Marines scratch their junk constantly and talk about girls, sex, and racial sterotypes. Unless you are going all the way with the profanity I don't see the point. Call of Duty WaW comes to mind here, there's an inordinate amount of profanity but there's also a switch to turn it off, however for some stupid, stupid reason, it doesn't work in online play.
Yes. I did become a street fighter, after all. No, wait, I didn't. I wonder what game of my youth was about going to an office and working for hours and hours until my soul died.
I know a man (a friend's brother) who is in prison for parole violation. The crime he was paroled for? Grand Theift Auto.
AFAIK he never played any video games at all. He told his sister (the aformentioned friend) that he stole cars because he loved cars. When he was on parole having a beer with his sister and me, he was extatic that he had been given a ride in a Lotus. "My life is complete!" I thought "Wow, and people think we nerds are dorky!"
I've played GTA and know hookers, but I've never stlen a car (or anything else) and never shot any of my hooker friends in the face.
More to the story's topic: this law is a bigger joke than my friend's imprisoned brother. I can't understand why legislators keep passing laws they know full well are unconstitutional and won't pass muster in any court. WTF is wrong with people?
Free Martian Whores!
It is increasingly clear that the censorship crowd is using new media formats as an excuse. These new formats don't present a new problem. They should be censored exactly as much as the old formats, neither more nor less.
Physical objects sold--video games, CDs, DVDs, magazines, and books--need only one rule because possession of the object controls access.
Transmitted media--radio, over-the-air-television, cable television, the Internet (including games, music, and video)--need only one rule because possession of the device/account controls access.
We can debate what those rules should be, but this business of slapping stricter rules on new media than we had for old ones is just a sham.
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)