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NY Video Game Bill Barks but It Doesn't Bite
joystiq.com — Last week New York legislature passed a controversial gaming statute. This is an in-depth legal breakdown of where this bill fails and why it is largely symbolic, perhaps designed to persuade voters that legislators are doing something to address that familiar cultural whipping boy, video game violence.
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- HairyGrapeNuts, on 07/01/2008, -0/+50Parents are so stupid. They see the Mature rating on a game and then give it to their nine-year old who proceeds to scream and sing on XBox Live like an asshat.
- drunknmunky1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+4Then they complain about violence in video games and how children shouldn't be allowed to play them. They bitch about how some sort of measure needs to be put in place to stop their children from getting these games.
... Common sense anyone? Is that still around? - vault, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3Kids ruin the headset experience on Xbox live.
- drunknmunky1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+4Then they complain about violence in video games and how children shouldn't be allowed to play them. They bitch about how some sort of measure needs to be put in place to stop their children from getting these games.
- SoopaflySAM, on 07/01/2008, -1/+13We cant talk on phone and drive, fireworks banned on 4th of july, gun bans, No smoking outside on the street...
... The government is controlling our lifestyle- Jett3, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2you can talk on the phone and drive as long as it's hands-free
in vermont, it doesn't matter if it's hands-free; it's still illegal. - Sle3per, on 07/01/2008, -6/+1This is are country
- spwpi10, on 07/01/2008, -1/+4lol
- varaon, on 07/01/2008, -3/+1***** guns.
- Jett3, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2you can talk on the phone and drive as long as it's hands-free
- WarpDigger1492, on 07/01/2008, -0/+32I just don't see why the government has to get involved.
Just put a rating on the box, and tell what is inside it.
Let the parents do the parenting.- twiztidsinz, on 07/01/2008, -0/+11But the parent's DON'T do the parenting.
They'd much rather have Video Games and TV do the parenting while they watch Jerry Springer. Not to say it's just them, but do you really expect responsibility from people who (had / started having) kids at 14?- btschul, on 07/01/2008, -1/+5That is still not the government's problem (no matter how much the liberals want it to be the government's problem)
- twiztidsinz, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1I could not agree more.
- sugarazor, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1Well parents not doing the parenting is not exclusive to video games... would you like the government to start regulating cable television, movies, satellite radio, books, newspapers and magazines as well?
- Hananda, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1"I just don't see why the government has to get involved."
It's the government, they and their self-righteous soccer mom constituency aren't happy unless they've got their fingers in every aspect of society. - johnmatias, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2I agree... parents should do their job. It's these kind of people who keep sacrificing our freedoms for security so they can feel "safe" in their 3 bedroom/2 bath house, living on American Dream Avenue and pretending they're more important than they really are.
I hate those guys...
- twiztidsinz, on 07/01/2008, -0/+11But the parent's DON'T do the parenting.
- idavidtang, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3"Parent-teacher violence awareness program"? I'd rather let them use my tax dollars on teacher-student tutoring programs over that. Do we really need other people to intervene on a parent's job?
- Seventus, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Teachers already have enough work and stress with their day to day lives. God forbid a parent actually takes on some responsibility and plays an active role in their child's development.
- twiztidsinz, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Well... when the parent's aren't, you need someone to.
While the teacher shouldn't have to, logically the one who's already teaching them would be the best choice.- Gregus1032, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1teachers teach? sense when?
- sugarazor, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1And you're a shining example.
- UnleashX, on 07/01/2008, -0/+15At first i was pissed to hear this... but then i read the law ... which basically requires systems to do what they already do ... and games to have ESRB ratings ... like they already have ...
This law just pretends to do something but infact adds nothing new.
Although i find it sad that i get carded more times buying M-rated video games than alcohol (I'm 21).- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Hey feel lucky, I stopped getting carded for alcohol 5 or so years ago, but get carded for video games.. It makes me think they think I look younger.. :) I take it as a compliment.
- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Hey feel lucky, I stopped getting carded for alcohol 5 or so years ago, but get carded for video games.. It makes me think they think I look younger.. :) I take it as a compliment.
- chaaalieboy, on 07/01/2008, -0/+10Not the government's job to do the parents' job for them. I think this country would be a better place if the government took that as a guideline.
- btschul, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2That is what Ron Paul and Bob Barr want to do.
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -1/+0Unfortunatly someone has to do the parents job when they won't. Who?
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+0Not answering questions today, eh? Good Job. No, really? Who? Responsibility is a bitch because even though parents don't want to be parents, someone still has to. If you don't want to answer my question, thank you for proving the truth hurts pansy fake parents like you.
- sugarazor, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1Um, no... someone does not have to do the parents job when they won't. The responsibility of raising a child rests solely on the shoulders of their guardian. "It takes a village" is just a saying.
- Cable, on 07/01/2008, -1/+2I'm just surprised the New York State Senate actually passed SOMETHING.
"In 2002, 16,892 bills were introduced in the New York legislature, more than twice as many as in the Illinois General Assembly, whose members are the second most prolific. Of those bills, only 4% (693) actually became law, the lowest passing percentage in the country. In 2004, over 17,000 bills were introduced."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_New_Yor ... - TheHayze, on 07/01/2008, -1/+8I have played violent videos games since I was a kid. Do you see me shooting up the joint, or picking up a hooker, then after the deed, beating her to death with a baseball bat? No. Why? Because me, like most (read 99.9%) people who enjoy doing such things in virtual worlds, keep it in that virtual world. Ugh. We might as well go ahead and blame gun manufactures (o wait..), and baseball bat manufactures because their products KILL!
- PhantomZmoove, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Hey, she earned that money! I never kill the hooker for a refund.
- antdude, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Yes, I saw you shoot up the joint, pick up a hooker, beat her, etc. [grin]
- TheHayze, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Damnit! I thought I disabled all the security cameras in the nearby area! Heeeeeeeeey.. wanna go out for ice creme?? muahahahaha.....
D:
- TheHayze, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Damnit! I thought I disabled all the security cameras in the nearby area! Heeeeeeeeey.. wanna go out for ice creme?? muahahahaha.....
- Chimone, on 07/01/2008, -1/+8I'm so glad that the US has fixed all their other problems before tackling something like this first. Good to see we have our priorities straight.
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -1/+0Yes, our children(future) shouldn't be an issue for people who are pursuing their dream of an even bigger SUV that they don't deserve.
- YURGAY, on 07/01/2008, -3/+0CRYSIS Cant Be Stopped!!!!!!!!!!
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Except by pirates?
- Branchex, on 07/01/2008, -0/+6The part requiring parental controls on consoles, would that apply to handhelds like the DS and PSP, or computers and other devices that play games? Parental controls seem like an unnecessary burden for electronics, why don't the parents just keep tabs on what their kids are doing?
This whole law is idiotic and shows why people don't like most politicians, there wasting tax money for PR *****. As a New Yorker I feel a bit of shame.- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -1/+0Did you see why this crap gets passed? The ability of people to prove to the government(an organization dedicated to doing as little real work as possible) that parents aren't doing their jobs.
- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/01/2008, -0/+6The world is full of morons. I think it was quite ambitous of the ESBR rating system to think people would understand such a cryptic rating system. They should have half the game cover real estate to say in big bold red letters on a black background:
"HEY PARENTS THIS GAME IS FOR MATURE AUDIENCES, NOT YOUR 9 YEAR OLD KID! IF YOU BUY THIS FOR THEM STOP AT THE PORN STORE ON YOUR WAY HOME AND GET THEM DOUBLE FISTING NURSES 3, BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY LACK THE ABILITY TO EQUATE MATURE RATINGS WITH AGE APPROPRIATENESS"
Sure a bit wordier, but hopefully it can get the point across better than "Rated M for Mature"...- coyote1284, on 07/01/2008, -1/+1E, E10+, T, M, and AO is just as cryptic as G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, X, and XXX
- MortVent, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1well unlike movies they can look at the back and see just why it got that rating... if they bothered to look at the box
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+0Not when it says ON THE BOX M= MATURE
- coyote1284, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1You misunderstand, I was arguing AGAINST "I think it was quite ambitous of the ESBR rating system to think people would understand such a cryptic rating system."
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Could move to a system more similar to whichever country uses the age as the symbol. No way to screw that up.
Not that it would matter because no one that the ratings really apply to looks at them anyway, apparently.
- coyote1284, on 07/01/2008, -1/+1E, E10+, T, M, and AO is just as cryptic as G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, X, and XXX
- PolishLogic, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3FTA: "This group would examine the potential impact of violent media"
Of course that means "violent video games". God forbid they ever lump television or film violence into the same category as video game violence.
Also, as others have commented, where exactly is parental responsibility in all this?- tkstock, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3Parental responsibility? What is that? That was one of those ideas that was forfeited for the sake of children's privacy. God forbid you actually try to parent or discipline your child!
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Parenting! What?! Who has time for that while I'm busy with my REAL life: chasing the next big promotion, SUV, house, significant other, TV show ect. Let's get real, today's parents only want children when it's gonna get them attention. That's what happens when you think it's ok to let a 12 YEAR OLD have a kid.
- tkstock, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3Parental responsibility? What is that? That was one of those ideas that was forfeited for the sake of children's privacy. God forbid you actually try to parent or discipline your child!
- emanuelamonica, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Aren't all the good video games violent? Would you prefer someone to be out there and shoot you with a real gun? Isn't it better that you can reverse your nerves on a game?
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Every video game is violent, to someone.
*imagines one of those sign carrying religious parents explaining to their kid why Wii Sports is too violent*
"But mom, I promise I'll never play the boxing!"
"No! That's not good enough, besides, we can't give our money to those violence-supporting companies and, God forbid, support them!"
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Every video game is violent, to someone.
- hades8408, on 07/01/2008, -1/+0I just don't see the benefit of parental controls. I just bought my 9 year old son a PS3 for his birthday and as I was setting it up I came across the parental controls and I couldn't figure it out. I had to ask my son how to do it!
- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Rather than read the damn instructions yourself? Good Job. PARENTAL CONTROL=FAIL
- hartley, on 07/01/2008, -0/+3You're expecting parents to parent their kids?
Idiotic parents will always infringe on our freedoms. Some people actually want a nanny state.- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+0Some people want kids raised with morals, be it from nannies or parents, I could care less as long as someone figures out that people can take care of kids, VIDEO GAMES CANNOT.
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Does that mean Nintendo's next Wii Title (after Wii Music) should be Wii Nanny?
On second thought...
- pointsguy, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1T O O M A N Y L A W S
- syedakram, on 07/01/2008, -1/+0Video games do not kill people...stupid people yes!
- Weezergames, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1why cant parents take responsibility for what they did. Instead they have to ruin it on everyone else just because they made the mistake of giving their kid an M game.
- zavats, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Bad idea
Bad NY law
And picture not from NY - protogenxl, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1"I've also learned that the video game industry has been promised two of the 16 seats. One will go to the ESA, representing game publishers, while the other goes to the EMA, on behalf of game retailers."
At every meeting of this council those poor people will lose 2 hours of their life that they will never get back- Dauntless1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+0Retailers and publishers that both say the same thing: " What? You people can't read? The rating is on the damn box!"
- alexf, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1"Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?"
-Reservoir Dogs - MechaFalcon, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Am I the only one who thinks parental controls on consoles still aren't going to help as much as they should? I can see some dumbass parent buying their nine-year-old GTA4, taking them home, only to have their child complain that their new game doesn't work, leading to the parent disabling the parental controls.
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Maybe. I'd say there are a few levels of responsible (and not so responsible) parents.
- The ones that check the ratings and game in general in the first place
- The ones that buy whatever, but use the parental controls to filter out whatever the kids shouldn't play
- The ones that buy whatever games, and don't use the filter
- This guy: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/Othello/Sill ...
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Maybe. I'd say there are a few levels of responsible (and not so responsible) parents.
- highps3, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1With all thats going on in the US why the .... are we worrying about video games. They really cant think of anything more important to tend to? USA at its best. At war and we are worried about video games....
- KillsTheWeak, on 07/02/2008, -0/+0Wonder how come they don't rate books :P
- chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1No need. They just ban those.
- M724, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1You're just as likely stop the movie industry from producing violent movies.
You know something? Video game controversy is the topic to have the majority of people turn a blind eye on bigger, more urgent issues. And since gamers tend to have more analytical mindsets than non-gamers, they want to distract them by attacking the biggest titles about topics that existed in movies and books for ages.
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