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New York Bill Aims To Restrict Games Containing Profanity

Posted by Soulskill on from the legislation-versus-parenting dept.

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.

11 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Monkey by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "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.

    1. Re:Monkey by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

      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.

    2. Re:Monkey by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Interesting

      So they think it's monkey see monkey do? They give children far less credit than I thought.

      You obviously don't recall the mid to low level hysteria of the 90's.
      Beavis & Butthead setting things on fire
      Children playing at being Power Rangers
      Kids emulating WWF in their backyards
      Mortal Kombat
      Rap music (2 Live Crew and Jack Thompson is just one example)
      etc, etc, etc

      And the thing is, there was always a kernel of truth embedded in the media and parental fear mongering. Eventually a few kids did get hurt, a house or two did get set on fire, but it was never nearly as many as the 'omg think of the children' types made it out to seem.

      The new millennium has had its share of hysteria too. GTA & Bully are the only two that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure /.ers can give other examples. The 2000s have been less about suppressing depictions of violence and more about repressing sexuality.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    3. Re:Monkey by tepples · · Score: 4, Funny

      I wonder what game of my youth was about going to an office and working for hours and hours until my soul died.

      Not in an office, but Animal Crossing is damn close.

    4. Re:Monkey by tepples · · Score: 4, Funny

      Kids emulating WWF in their backyards

      WWF? Isn't that panda wrestling?

    5. Re:Monkey by steelcaress · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I dunno if it's so much "Kids are going to become violent" as "Kids might not understand the violence." I know people have points of contention with "The A-Team" and "Tom & Jerry" -- those are two shows where very dangerous things have been played with (dynamite, guns), very real things. And what happens? Does anyone die? No. They fly through the air, or get their fur blackened, but nothing shows the viewer what really happens when people get shot, or a grenade explodes underneath them. Did I enjoy watching those shows? Well, I like the A-Team. Do I go out in a black van and shoot up people and blow them up? Only in video games, and mostly I prefer the "carve them up with a sword" variety. I dunno. There is a case, too, where some kid beats his friend's brains out with a baseball bat, because the both of them wanted to know what it was like to be dead. And when they died, they'd come back to life and kill the other one, and each of 'em would know the experience of being dead.

      What do they live with? What do they know? One person gets raised a pacifist, the other kid gets taught how to hunt animals for sport. Is either of them likely to be more or less violent? I know my 4 and a half year old is not allowed to play or watch some of the games I play (like GTA). He is not allowed to watch Robot Chicken, Family Guy, South Park, Appleseed, or any of the more mature content cartoons (certainly no violent movies like the Transporter or Bloodrayne). He watches Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles, but I sometimes have to ask myself is it any different from what I don't let him watch? Are the things I let him watch by their very nature sanitizing real violence? I guess that's my question...what determines whether someone turns out one way or another? Whether someone accepts punishment, or grabs a gun and says "close your eyes dad, I have a surprise?"

  2. Correlation ... by troll8901 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson:

    CALVIN: [as he's watching a TV show] Graphic violence in the media.
    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? ... Well, that's hard to prove.

    The trick is to ask the right question.

    (Credit: Written by a "GR" user on forum message 1008906 in websitetoolbox.com)

    1. Re:Correlation ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson:

      CALVIN: [as he's watching a TV show] Graphic violence in the media.

      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? ... Well, that's hard to prove.

      The trick is to ask the right question.

      I wouldn't say it does all the things you said. Glamorizing yes as it is something the media does but the rest is how it affects our personalities.

      I am 19 years old, played DOOM etc. as a very small kid, began playing a LOT when Operation Flashpoint (a shooter aiming for as much realism as possible) was published when I was 11 or so. I played that game practically daily for three years. Afterwards I have played violent games such as Max Payne, DOOM 3, CS (both 1.6 and source), Battlefield 2, Painkiller, Manhunt, the Punisher... The list goes on. I also watch my fair share of violent movies.

      How have I ended up? I am a pacifist, physically disgusted to see any real violence.

      Why? Well, I think that my father (a software engineer and a gamer to some extent who also happens to be a pacifist) likely had something to do with how my morals ended up. Much more than any videogame of which I know "THIS ISN'T REAL".

      So while my single case is not enough evidence for or against anything, I am sure I am not alone in my situation. So until I see some real evidence that graphic violence in media desensitizes us, stunts our empathy or helps us tolerate violence, I really don't believe it one bit. I guess could believe statistics showing that violent people look for violent media to project themselves into but not the other way around.

      Unless you were talking about news of course. I admit that after seeing starving children so many times in the news it might get easier to push it to bury the feelings to some part of your brain and try to not care. I just assumed you referred to video games, movies, etc. when speaking of media.

  3. Re:When will they learn? by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  4. outlawing them will NEVER fix anything by crazybit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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
    1. Re:outlawing them will NEVER fix anything by fastest+fascist · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why would a minor worry about being unable to buy a game in a store anyway? I'm pretty sure The Pirate Bay doesn't check for age. Legally binding age restrictions on games will increase piracy.