NY Governor Spitzer spitting mad about games

[wraggster]

via joystiq

"It is now pretty well established that certain types of videos and images have an effect on behavior," New York Governor Eliot Spitzer told reporters yesterday. Spitzer wants video games that are "degrading" to minors regulated the same way as cigarettes for those under 18. Retailers who would sell or rent these "not appropriate" games to minors would face fines.

The Democratic governor plans to give details about his plans this Friday in a Manhattan speech before Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Like wagering how many times President Bush will bring up 9/11 in a speech, start placing your bets now on how long it'll take Spitzer to bring up the VT massacre in his speech.

Spitzer's proposal is sure to be in good company with other New York-based bills looking to regulate games. Spitzer better watch his back, the courts have not been kind to taxpayers for overzealous politicians who ignore Constitutional Law 101.

[Thanatos 2.0]

[i]Like wagering how many times President Bush will bring up 9/11 in a speech, start placing your bets now on how long it'll take Spitzer to bring up the VT massacre in his speech.[i]

hmm depends on how long I'd say 1/3 of the way into his speech.

[Basil Zero]

Just another gamer hater

[Zargon]

Doesn't he realize the current laws are very similar to those already in effect? You can't buy games that are "degrading to minors" because a group (ESRB) decides they are for age 17+ adults and adult-like people. If they sell to anyone under 17 a M-rated game, there are already large fines set up! I wish politicians would start think about the rest of their world other than games. HBO, for example, should be banned entirely if you want to keep people away from graphic things such as nudity and sex. Don't know if anyone has seen HBO at 2 AM, but I can tell you, they aren't showing family friendly, educational television.

[jmendes]

these dumbasses never learn...

[Welshboy]

How many movies since movies have been made have included graphic and violent images? it's the same paradox? we look at the exorcist 20 odd years ago and the fuss that created..............it's just another scapegoat to blame on because they don't want to admit that some people have mental problems....be it with or without video games. Why don't they try addressing the issue of people with mental health problems and trying to get some reformation?........more of a long term solution.

[ficksucker]

Look up the term "Moral Panic" and you'll know what all this BS is about. People don't know the statistics in thier own country so some idiot politician can convince them that they need harsher prison sentances to combat crime even when crime has been going down for the last 10 years. Very simular situation to video games. If you have read the studies about how much they affect behaviour, it's not much more than TV and much less than alcohol.

And I dunno why we ban nudity at all. At least there's some tangible reason, no matter how weak, for restricting violent tv or games, but not much for restricting nudity, I think that's mostly a cultural thing.

[woods05]

lol

are they going to restrict Microsoft Flight Simulator so terrorists can't learn to fly.