New York state considers two bills banning sale of violent games to minors

[wraggster]

via engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/18/new-york-state-considers-two-bills-banning-sale-of-violent-games/)


It's about time. We're just sick and tired of all those whipper snappers, running amok in our deatmatches and stealing all our kills. Rep. Aurelia Greene (D) and Rep. Keith Wright (D), patron saints of mature gamers, have both proposed laws which ban the sale of violent video games to minors in the state of New York, and hide them away in an adults only section of the store. Rep. Wright's law concentrates on more scandalous forms of violence and racism, while Rep. Greene seems generally down on the whole general of video game violence. Keith Wright's law would require an ID check for anyone appearing under the age of 30 attempting to buy a violent video game, which seems to work so well at keeping alcohol and cigarettes out of the hands of minors.

[felonyr301]

under the age of 30 wtf??

[darthhaze420]

30 is to much but 21 is just fine but it will not work because most parents are stupid when it comes to video games most of them don't look at the esrb rating and out of the ones that do most don't care and will buy it just to shut up there brat i hated battlefield 2 MC and cod3 on the xbox 360 just for that reason someway somehow they will still blame all the worlds violence on video games

[gr42178]

under the age of 30 wtf??

They will just check your ID if you look under 30. The legal age to buy the game will be 18 most likely.

[F9zDark]

Well if it becomes a law where you walk into a game store and it says: "We ID for anyone appearing under 30, wishing to buy M rated games" then I think parents may realize what exactly they are doing and will stop to think about it.

Really, like that one grandmother that sued Rockstar because she bought GTA San Andreas for her 12 year old grandson, and was pissed off at the content.

Even a sign like that may have made the grandmother realize that an M rated game is bad enough to be illegal to sell to minors and that maybe she should have picked up her grandson something a little more kid friendly.

I grew up with violent video games and I turned out just fine. But my point is, is that if its illegal and the parents buy it for the children anyway, they have no recourse; meaning they can't sue the game company because they circumvented the law. This law aims to protect kids, but at the same time it protects the game companies as well.

Imagine a parent trying to sue a cigarette company because it gave their child cancer, yet they purchased the cigarettes for their kids... Needless to say, that suit wouldn't take flight.

[Hungry Horace]

there's nothing wrong with having game rated like films. the problem is, that the law is never enforced.

i think looking under 30 and asking for ID is a bit steep, but at least it might finally make the rating mean something and actually work to an extent. you'll never stop the problem, but it's better than some of the suggestions that have gone before.

[homebrew1973]

You must be 30 years of age to buy a "mature" game where you physically harm no-one but be in your late teens and you`re eligible to be a mind-controlled robot (namely the armed forces) and can kill for real.

What an upside-down world we live in...

[Broadus]

Y'know, I grew up on Mortal Kombat and DOOM and I'm not any more violent than the next guy. My dad and stepmom let my little brother and sister play the most violent games in existance, as long as there are no "bad" words. Which I can understand, because though they'll likely never go out and steal a car or kill someone, curse words are easier to pick up for small children.
Anyway, making an "adults only" section for games that simply contain XTREME violence is much too extreme. Yes, more extreme than the XTREME violence itself! Every time I've bought or rented an M game (had to have my parents around, of course), the employee would be like, "You're aware that this game is rated M for blood and violence, correct?"

[Napalm-Death]

I'll steal a line from House of the Dead 2 (the game).
"What the hell is going on in this place?!"

[Juanton3790]

Have to be over 30? wtf wat if a parent that is under 30 wants to buy a game, do they have to bring in their parents?

[tragedie]

As a precautionary warning to parents for a game's content, this is fantastic!

The whole 30 thing is fine. In Texas (Legal Drinking Age 21), you're supposed to check ID for alcohol if the customer looks under 70. Yeah. 70. Use your judgement there Haus, I think the bearded balding man with three kids can get away without ID. He needs his drink anyway.

Vendors will apply the same judgement. They probably won't ID too many people, but it serves to warn non-gamers of content. They needed this ten years ago.

[Joe88]

doesnt really effect me anymore
besides a simple ID check

[Veskgar]

Whether or not travel is essential is a matter of personal assessment, based on each individual’s family or business needs, concern for one’s safety, personal knowledge of a country or region, and other issues.

The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the individual.

If the country you intend to visit is listed below, you may wish to reconsider your travel plans:

1.) United States of America

This country has been known to have viloent Video Games!

That's right, you heard correctly. No, in the U.S.A. you will not find genocide, mass ransom kidnappings of foreign nationals, or a nuclear threat. Nor will you wake up to everyday car bombings or terrorism. Moreover, the huge unflux of illegal immigrants running wild seems to cause no major concern.

No, there is something even more dangerous happening in America. Something so evil that has spiraled out of control so much that states are passing tougher and tougher laws.

What is this threat causing so much chaos in America?

VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES! :eek:

Before canceling a scheduled trip based on information contained in the aforementioned threat, you should discuss the matter with your travel agent, travel insurer, or airline. Canceling a scheduled trip abroad could cost you money. But hey, at least you won't be exposed to Video Games....
__________________________________

Just a friendly wake up call to fellow Americans to show how laughable this makes us appear in the eyes of foreigners.

[Poem58]

Lets just get right down to it...we don't need to keep violent games from kids...We need to ban irresponsible and inattentive people from reproducing.

I've played violent games, and watched looney tunes.
I've never jacked a car or used dynamite...

Why?
My mom said it wasn't reality and my dad would have beat my ass if I tried. Besides I've fallen off a bike before...kinda was enough to tell me you couldn't run off a cliff and turn around and go back.
Simple.

Dennis Leary on natural selection: "The kid who ate marbles didn't grow up to have kid's of his own"

[snkrock25]

I say do it. Might make people like Jack Thomson shyt the hell up...

[gr42178]

Lets just get right down to it...we don't need to keep violent games from kids...We need to ban irresponsible and inattentive people from reproducing.

I've played violent games, and watched looney tunes.
I've never jacked a car or used dynamite...

Why?
My mom said it wasn't reality and my dad would have beat my ass if I tried. Besides I've fallen off a bike before...kinda was enough to tell me you couldn't run off a cliff and turn around and go back.
Simple.

Dennis Leary on natural selection: "The kid who ate marbles didn't grow up to have kid's of his own"
That just says it all :thumbup:

[Hungry Horace]

Lets just get right down to it...we don't need to keep violent games from kids...We need to ban irresponsible and inattentive people from reproducing.

wow, sterilisation. I think Hitler had similar ideas as i recall.



"The kid who ate marbles didn't grow up to have kid's of his own"

i agree with the principle of such an idea, but your viewpoints regarding basic human rights issues leaves so much to be desired, i almost wish i didnt.

[acn010]

it must be 21 not 30!!! what is wrong now!

[BlueCrab]

I'm all for this type of law. M rated video games are meant for people 17+, much like R rated movies. If I'm not mistaken, its illegal for a person under the age of 17 to go to an R rated movie alone, or buy an R rated movie in a store. Why should it be any different for video games.

If we make it so that kids can't get M rated games without their parents, what harm is it going to do? None.

If we make it so that kids can't get M rated games without their parents, what good will it do? Plenty. It will cut down on stupid lawsuits because "OMG my kid saw the violence in this game, and I didn't want them to," or "My kid played this game, and that might be why he decided to bring a gun to school."

My $0.02.

Edit: And to those of you not reading it properly, it says that the person must be of age, but like with cigarettes if the person appears to be under a certain age (in this, and the case of cigarettes I think, its 30), you are REQUIRED to check their ID. Any legal adult in the US should have some form of government issued ID, so that's not a problem.... Of course, if you can't read the other replies (and the news story) stating the same thing, you aren't going to read this one either.