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wraggster
May 2nd, 2006, 18:33
News via Gamesindustry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16474):

US politicians have gained a new champion in their battle against the sale of violent videogames to minors, as New York Attorney General and Governor hopeful Eliot Spitzer voices his support of governmental regulations.

Spitzer asserts that political intervention, in addition to educational reform, is a necessary measure to protect children from negative or harmful media influences, stating: "Parents and schools need the government's help in curbing irresponsible behaviour by corporations that market harmful products to our kids."

Advocating a "uniform ratings system" that would be maintained and controlled by the government, Spitzer also supported recent legislative efforts introduced by California, Michigan, Illinois and, most recently, Oklahoma, although he admits the failure of almost all of those efforts on constitutional grounds and hopes to change that for his state.

He went on to largely dismiss the current ESRB self regulatory system, labelling it as ineffective and largely ignored, despite evidence to the contrary submitted by several industry trade bodies.

"The Entertainment Software Rating Board does have a rating system that warns consumers of content unsuitable for children, but it's often ignored," Spitzer stated. "Laws protecting underage kids from harmful products are nothing new - laws preventing kids from buying cigarettes serve as just one example. But currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying a game labelled Adult Only."

The industry was quick to return fire on the comments, Video Software Dealers Association president Bo Anderson issuing a statement which maintains that Spitzer's comments are based on a misunderstanding of the effectiveness of current ESRB ratings, commenting: "the latest findings of the Federal Trade Commission on the ability of minors to purchase Mature-rated video games shows a substantial increase in self-regulation, particularly by major retailers."

The VSDA provided figures showing a 362 per cent increase in the enforcement of store policies restricting the sale of M-rated games since the original FTC shopping survey in 2000, almost doubling between 2003 and the most recent study. The turn-down rate in national retail chains where the vast majority of games are purchased is currently 65 per cent, and much effort is going into improving that figure on a daily basis.

"The best outcome for parents and their kids would be for Attorney General Spitzer to add his name to the effort to remind parents about the game ratings system and assist and empower them in making informed choices for their children," Anderson concluded.

Adding comment to the debate, ESA president Doug Lowenstein, who remains actively involved in supporting industry self-regulation and opposes the various stringent legislative proposals introduced in recent months, stated: "A uniform rating system is a good idea in principle. But there are practical problems involved with applying the same standards to fundamentally different media that make realization of this ideal immensely challenging. By imposing a 'one size fits all' formula on these widely divergent entertainment mediums, a universal ratings system could actually create confusion, not simplicity."

Video_freak
May 2nd, 2006, 18:47
"But currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying a game labelled Adult Only."

wow, in california i can't even go into a store and by a "T" rated game (btw, i'm 14)

NeoXCS
May 2nd, 2006, 21:06
They dont even put Adult Only games on shelves in regular stores, not any that Ive seen anyway. O.o And Ive witnessed the self regulation myself. I tried buying Postal 2: STP two years ago at a gamestop and they wouldnt sell it to me. (I was 15 btw) I think the gov should just stay out of games and let the industry continue to regulate themselves. For some reason everyone suddenly has this huge incling that games are a horrible thing that infulence everyone to commit terrible acts. -_-

John Vattic
May 3rd, 2006, 00:06
Don't you people get it. just wait till you're 18 then you can kill for the government.
War is good and violent video games are bad.
get it now?

fake killing =bad
real killing=good
or at least thats how politicians see it.

maybe if government weren't slime, they could set a good example without sounding so absolutely INSANE.

i think seeing adults become trashy(watching eg. Sex and the City and starting eg. Iraq war) corrupts kids more than a video game.
I mean c'mon folks kids are not stupid.
Adults are stupid. this has been proven time and time again.

*Government is meant to be slave to the people, not enslave the people.

Cap'n 1time
May 3rd, 2006, 02:21
you tell em V
http://movies.apple.com/trailers/wb/v_for_vendetta/images2/poster.jpg

slayer2psp
May 3rd, 2006, 02:43
back in the 1800s when ther was no tv movies games or anything like that what did people blame killing on. they couldnt say rockstar games made me do it or evil rock music did they take the blame them or did they say witches made me do it or something crazy like that . if i go off and hurt a bunch of people it sure in the hell isnt becuse of video games if anything they keep from doing dumb ass stuff because i can do it on my tv and not go to jail. this one isnt as bad if your under 17 you shouldnt be able to buy a m rated game unless your parents are okay with it thats no big deal most game stores already do this anyways. states sure like to waste tax money on things they shouldnt even bother with why have games become the evil media of today its not real its a game normal sane people know the difference

John Vattic
May 4th, 2006, 03:35
I hate to tell you this but after the September 11th tragedy, sanity got thrown out the f****n window.

If you'll recall my fellow americans(now garbed in flags and troop magnets) bought enough duct tape to cover the globe twice. They scouled the french for not participating in an unjustified war of fear(basically like the drunk guy swinging at anyone at the bar because he tripped over his own feet). Hence "freedom fries" were born.

We value our ignorance and every effort must be made to prevent an "intellectual" attack.
our children must have their ignorance preserved to pass on to future generations.

video games require thought. therefore video games encourage"evil" and "violence"

it's all very simple. the 1950's were grand! so we must live them forever!

by the way, if you don't like President Nixon and senator Joe McCarthy, you are a f*****g communist devil!


"what luck for rulers that men don't think"-Adolf Hitler