New York Senate passes game bill

[8th lutz]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6171292.html

 

Last month New York state Senators Andrew Lanza and Martin Golden promised that they would be introducing legislation that would "crackdown" on violent games. That bill surfaced last week, breezing through the Senate in just four days. Now it moves on to the state Assembly, where it must again be approved before it can go before the governor to be signed into law.

 

As expected, the bill would establish an advisory council to appraise the effectiveness and accuracy of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system, as well as parent-teacher antiviolence awareness program. While Lanza and Golden originally said the parent-teacher program would be formed to work on issues related to violence in games, the text of the bill makes no mention of games in that program's duties. According to the bill, the parent-teacher program is being established "in order to recognize and appropriately respond to students at risk for developing a propensity toward violent conduct."

 

The bill would also make rating labels mandatory on all games sold in the state, with punishments established for anyone selling or renting a game at retail "in contravention of the rating affixed thereto." On the mandatory labeling part of the law, no exception is specifically made for digitally distributed games or used games that predate the ESRB.

 

If passed, the ratings restrictions would take effect January 1, 2008, while the advisory council and parent-teacher program would be created immediately.

[n8littlefield]

Yup - and it will be shut down as unconstitutional in about a month or so

[Cheese007]

no exception is specifically made for digitally distributed games or used games that predate the ESRB.

Great, now a decent chunk of my games will be worthless because I can't sell them. Not that I planned on doing so anytime soon, but still. EDIT: good thing it's just for NY. Sucks to be you.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Cheese007

[Scumdogg]

no exception is specifically made for digitally distributed games or used games that predate the ESRB.

Great, now a decent chunk of my games will be worthless because I can't sell them. Not that I planned on doing so anytime soon, but still. EDIT: good thing it's just for NY. Sucks to be you.

 

 

Except that all knee-jerk, reactionary, and pointless laws start in either New York or California, then spread cross country like a plague. It could happen to you!!!.

That said, i highly doubt anyone will ever get busted for selling Atari games without an ESRB rating.

[Atariman]

I vote that they give all old games ESRB ratings - we can start with Combat: Rated M (for Mature!) : Realistic Violence

[rockman_x_2002]

I vote that they give all old games ESRB ratings - we can start with Combat: Rated M (for Mature!) : Realistic Violence

 

Actually, Atari Anthology and Activision Anthology have both been given E ratings in the past. So technically that means the ESRB has already rated a good portion of the VCS library (and a few of Atari's arcade titles as well).

 

Besides, we've all seen these laws come and go. This one will be no different. And even if it isn't thrown out, I can almost certainly guarantee that there will be some provision for used games being sold that happen to predate the ESRB rating system. It would be rather rediculous if there weren't.

[n8littlefield]

IIRC from the past any law that tries to force ratings on games gets shot down as unconstitutional because...

 

The government is not supposed to enforce ratings that they did not create themselves. So until the government rates games themselves, they can't enforce ratings that were created by a 3rd party.

 

The government cannot not create ratings themselves as that requires them to decide what is right for the average citizen, something they have time and time again avoided doing as it is pretty much impossible (and then starts to go into freedom of speech issues).

 

Therefore, like all the other laws, it cannot last as the first judge that looks at it will throw it out - or at least the part legally requiring the ratings.

[Segataritensoftii]

Pleasedon'tmakethislawcometoNewHampshirepleasepleasepleaseIamprayingtothealmightygodsoftheskynottomakeitcometo

tellyouthetruthmostunratedgamesareactuallyquiteharmlessandverygoodsoifyouputthislawintoeffectheremyfavoritegamestorewillgooutofbusinessbecauseitwillhavetoomanyunratedgamesthanks.

 

 

Bythewayhowdidyoulikemyspeech?

Edited May 23, 2007 by Segataritensoftii