North Carolina considering gaming bill

[8th lutz]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6165611.html?...newstop;title;4

 

As reported by Game Politics, North Carolina State Senator Julia Boseman introduced Senate Bill 87, which would add violent video games to the list of material considered harmful to minors. If it became law, the bill would make it illegal for anyone except a parent or legal guardian to sell, rent, or otherwise expose a minor to a game deemed harmful to minors.

 

Retailers and arcade operators would not be able to advertise that the games are available or display them except in a separate section of their stores labeled "adults only." Also, all retailers and arcade operators, regardless of whether they carried games that qualified as harmful to minors, would be required to post signs explaining the industry's game-rating system.

 

As for what games would be covered, the law would classify as harmful to minors any game featuring "the realistic visual depiction of serious injury to human beings," if it was found to fail a modified version of the three-pronged obscenity test. The graphic violence in the game would need "a predominant tendency to appeal to a morbid interest of minors in violence," the violence would have to be "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community concerning what is suitable for minors," and the game would have to lack "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors."

[Cheese007]

Yet they don't put R-rated movies in adults only sections. Which is what M games are equivalent to.

[Shannon]

Oh boy.......

 

Really even if this thing does pass. Your still gonna have irresponsible parents allowing their juvenille deliquent, uh I mean children, access to this stuff.

 

Where the problem has always existed.

[Jess Ragan]

The great thing is that this bill WON'T pass. Ever. We have this crazy thing called the Constitution that protects us from overzealous politicians, looking to score brownie points with the country's soccer moms and religious nuts.

 

JR

[Atariboy]

Yeah, since athiesm is the only proper idea that mankind should believe in.

[Cheese007]

Note that he said nuts after religious.

Edited February 9, 2007 by Cheese007

[MCHufnagel]

I'm probably one of the oldest members here at AA and I have two kids (boys aged 14 and 11). I can tell you that some kids are more mature than others. My oldest I allow to play some M rated games (Oblivion and Fable) because he can handle them without being stupid. My youngest on the other hand, well lets just say he won't be playing them at my house until he is a lot older. These laws covering video games are pure rubbish because they excuse poor parenting. The parents allow their kids to do things they aren't ready for, but the parents are too lazy to pay attention. Fortunately these laws never seem to pass constintutional muster.

 

And my wife is a soccer mom, and she feels (like I do) the average M rated game isnt't nearly as bad as the average R rated movie. Yet nobody ever wants to restrict them. Of course how many of these people that want to ban games ever play one?

[RxRated]

I can't help thinking about Jack Nicholson's quote about the problems with ratings. "If you suck a tit, it's an X, if you cut it off with a sword it's a PG-13."

[jetset]

I can't help thinking about Jack Nicholson's quote about the problems with ratings. "If you suck a tit, it's an X, if you cut it off with a sword it's a PG-13."

 

 

Jack Nicholson is the best on so many levels.

[Shannon]

As a parent I agree. There are several games that are rated the same. Some he can handle, others not so. The ones he cant handle I don't let him play and on top of that I explain to him WHY I do not let him play those.

[shadow460]

A similar law fell flat on its face here in Oklahoma recently. Violent video game restrictions are a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, just like bad parents are a complete waste of chromosomes.

[JamesD]

Oh boy.......

 

Really even if this thing does pass. Your still gonna have irresponsible parents allowing their juvenille deliquent, uh I mean children, access to this stuff.

 

Where the problem has always existed.

The parents are usually the problem anyway. They pay no attention to what their kids are doing and expect them to turn out ok.

I'll never forget leaving a Best Buy behind a woman and what had to be her 8 year old. She was buying what he wanted... a rated M game and a cheat guide to another rated M game. I guess she thought her child was mature or just didn't pay attention.

One of the things I hate about the M rating is it's more obscure than an R or PG type of rating.

[ManShowBoy]

Just wait till Hillary becomes president. Bye bye videogames altogether......

[joeybastard]

Just wait till Hillary becomes president. Bye bye videogames altogether......

 

Huh? Where did you get that nonsense? Her suggestion was to add fines to the rating system. Retailers couldn't sell M Rated games to minors or they would get fined. It doesn't stop anyone from making adult games or advertising them to adults. It just adds some teeth to the ratings system because as it is now, it doesn't stop any store from selling M games to kids if they want to. It doesn't stop any adult from obtaining or playing the games.

Edited February 9, 2007 by joeybastard

[maibock]

I'm probably one of the oldest members here at AA and I have two kids (boys aged 14 and 11). I can tell you that some kids are more mature than others. My oldest I allow to play some M rated games (Oblivion and Fable) because he can handle them without being stupid. My youngest on the other hand, well lets just say he won't be playing them at my house until he is a lot older. These laws covering video games are pure rubbish because they excuse poor parenting. The parents allow their kids to do things they aren't ready for, but the parents are too lazy to pay attention. Fortunately these laws never seem to pass constintutional muster.

 

And my wife is a soccer mom, and she feels (like I do) the average M rated game isnt't nearly as bad as the average R rated movie. Yet nobody ever wants to restrict them. Of course how many of these people that want to ban games ever play one?

 

 

I mostly agree with your points there, but I also agree that there definitely needs some legislation to categorize the games and not allow minors to purchase them. I try my best as a parent, but I'm not going to have the time to research every game that comes out. So, if my kids want a game, the rating helps me decide right off the bat, then if I think it's worthy, I'll go research the game. This law is putting those options in my court, since my kids wouldn't be able to go and buy them on their own(not that I doubt they would). For me it's just another tool to help me parent my kids better.. That's good legislation there..

[MCHufnagel]

I'm probably one of the oldest members here at AA and I have two kids (boys aged 14 and 11). I can tell you that some kids are more mature than others. My oldest I allow to play some M rated games (Oblivion and Fable) because he can handle them without being stupid. My youngest on the other hand, well lets just say he won't be playing them at my house until he is a lot older. These laws covering video games are pure rubbish because they excuse poor parenting. The parents allow their kids to do things they aren't ready for, but the parents are too lazy to pay attention. Fortunately these laws never seem to pass constintutional muster.

 

And my wife is a soccer mom, and she feels (like I do) the average M rated game isnt't nearly as bad as the average R rated movie. Yet nobody ever wants to restrict them. Of course how many of these people that want to ban games ever play one?

 

 

I mostly agree with your points there, but I also agree that there definitely needs some legislation to categorize the games and not allow minors to purchase them. I try my best as a parent, but I'm not going to have the time to research every game that comes out. So, if my kids want a game, the rating helps me decide right off the bat, then if I think it's worthy, I'll go research the game. This law is putting those options in my court, since my kids wouldn't be able to go and buy them on their own(not that I doubt they would). For me it's just another tool to help me parent my kids better.. That's good legislation there..

If a law was passed that said T rated games couldn't be sold to anyone under 13 and M rated games couldn't be sold to anyone under 17, then I wouldn't have a problem. But when laws that have vague descriptions attached to them are passed, then I have a problem. And the courts seem to have the same problem. What exactly is "harmful" content? Would a law enforcement official have a different standard than the ESRB and T rated games would be prohibited? I just don't understand why state governments trust the movie ratings but not the game ratings. I guess being anti-gaming is the "flavor of the month" for busy bodies.

[Gabriel]

As a parent I agree. There are several games that are rated the same. Some he can handle, others not so. The ones he cant handle I don't let him play and on top of that I explain to him WHY I do not let him play those.

 

That's great. You keep on doing that. I heartily endorse your supervision of your child.

 

However, the second it conflicts with my ability to buy what I want, then we're gonna squabble. And that's what a law like this does, it's made to create a situation where I can't get what I want.

 

Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy aren't going to create a special sealed off section just for these "Adult" games. They'll just take the games off the shelves and not stock them anymore. Of course, that's assuming such games would even exist anymore. Without a large market to sell them, developers will just quit making stuff.

 

I'm sorry that you have to check everything your child views. But, I refuse to be restricted because you or anyone else unrelated to me made a decision to raise a child.

[The MilkMan]

Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy aren't going to create a special sealed off section just for these "Adult" games. They'll just take the games off the shelves and not stock them anymore. Of course, that's assuming such games would even exist anymore. Without a large market to sell them, developers will just quit making stuff.

 

Man, I hope it never comes down like that. I was thinking maybe more on the lines of helping things out. Imagine what game developers could reeeeeally make with an adult game (I don't mean xxx stuff) with out having to worrying about adding kid safe content.

 

Like JoeyBastard said...

It doesn't stop anyone from making adult games or advertising them to adults.

Yeah, I hope this would be the case.

Edited February 9, 2007 by The MilkMan

[joeybastard]

Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy aren't going to create a special sealed off section just for these "Adult" games. They'll just take the games off the shelves and not stock them anymore. Of course, that's assuming such games would even exist anymore. Without a large market to sell them, developers will just quit making stuff.

 

Man, I hope it come down like that. I was thinking maybe more on the lines of helping things out. Imagine what game developers could reeeeeally make with an adult game (I don't mean xxx stuff) with out having to worrying about adding kid safe content.

 

Like JoeyBastard said...

It doesn't stop anyone from making adult games or advertising them to adults.

Yeah, I hope this would be the case.

 

You're mixing it up a bit. I was talking about Hillary Clinton's take on the subject since Manshowboy brought it up. The North Carolina bill is MUCH stricter than the one I was referring to.

[JB]

As soon as they legislate access to movies based on MPAA ratings and music based on the parental advisory joke, err, warning, I'll support legislation restricting access to video games.

 

Actually, I'll move to a nation that DOESN'T use the "protecting people from themselves" argument as an excuse to censor the people's media. But such nations are growing fewer.