72 Percent of Adults Support California Game Law - UPDATED

[Arehexes]

Holy shit that's a terrifying finding. Like, how much more is the industry supposed to do?

This is an uphill battle, and it's made far worse by people's ignorance and willingness to believe the worst. The most ridiculous part is that despite all the information the industry puts out, parents, even those concerned about violence still dismiss all games as kids toys.

Just yesterday, while working in a game store, I told a mother buying her 12 year old son a copy of GTA:Vice City Stories that the game was age rated 17+ and her response was:

"Oh, he doesn't turn the violence on, he just plays it for the racing."

wut.

-m

It is a problem with parents not willing to read anything on the game box talking about how it's not for kids under X age. Also my question is how do movies which have gore out the nose try to strive for the most realistic death yet no one bats a eye that ruining kids? I know video games strive to be "realistic" but that's still a stream of 1's and 0's, movies use real(well besides those that where green screened in but still they look real) people and animals in the movies. Now my parents were guilty of buying games not ment for me at a young age (Doom age 4 or 5, Duke Nukem age 9, GTA:SA(the banned version in the states)...I forgot when I got it but I was under 18 at the time). But the key thing is they told me and explained how video games != the real world. But parents don't like to read or watch their kids anymore when it games to video games. Because it has that stigma of being a child's toy, even though we have games like Grand Theft Auto(gang crimes), Shin Megami Tensi(Devil summoning), Gears of War(a shining example of a fps that ramps up the gore), and much more. But what can we do, until we make it the norm that video games are for everyone like movies it's going to carry that stigma.

 

[ALuckyChance]

A lot of this is because of a typical parent's stupidity and unwillingness to read large letters, and the idea that their children should get everything they want, which is already stupid in and of itself.

At least, that's what I think.

 

[TyphoidMary]

My mother was obviously a terrible parent, since she restricted what I was allowed to play herself. How dare she do that rather than let the government do it? Gods... Terrible parenting.

But in all seriousness, I understand not wanting little kids to get violent games. But most 16 and 17 year olds see and hear worse on the internet, or at school, or television and movies. But of course since video games are interactive, they have to be causing all the problems with kids being fucked up. Take some responsibility, deal with your own children. If you have a child, it's no one's responsibility but yours. Fucking deal with it. That or put it up for adoption if you can't take care of it.

 

[vanthebaron]

Oh hey, a poll that helps prove what I already knew. 72% of people should be forcibly spayed and/or neutered to prevent their bad genes from being passed on to future generations.

Christ, every time I read shit like this it just brings me one more step to seriously considering donning a lab coat and goggles and begin engineering a super virus to annihilate humanity.

can i help

 

[ucciolord1]

I hope somebody realizes that those games don't force you to murder hookers, they just allow you to. Being allowed to do something in no way encourages it. If you go around killing random civilians in games, then that reflects on you as a person, not on the medium.


[sub][sub]That was kinda hypocritical...[/sub][/sub]

 

[Littlee300]

Pardon me, but I thought its a job of fucking parents to protect their children from inappropriate content.

Cor Blimey...

Now if they ban all noneducational TV the parents will not have to do a damn thing but do stuff so they are eligible for school and buy TV dinners.

 

[Littlee300]

Holy shit that's a terrifying finding. Like, how much more is the industry supposed to do?

This is an uphill battle, and it's made far worse by people's ignorance and willingness to believe the worst. The most ridiculous part is that despite all the information the industry puts out, parents, even those concerned about violence still dismiss all games as kids toys.

Just yesterday, while working in a game store, I told a mother buying her 12 year old son a copy of GTA:Vice City Stories that the game was age rated 17+ and her response was:

"Oh, he doesn't turn the violence on, he just plays it for the racing."

wut.

-m

That kid is smart

 

[ph0b0s123]

Cannot say to much more as after 18 pages, I am sure nearly everything has been said. I am just suprised it is videogames that are being picked on, but not violent movies. Didn't violent movies use to be the big boogie man?

Is it just simply that whatever the kids are doing, that is in fasion, will be blamed for screwing up kids and should be banned. Whether it be rock music in the 50's ? , movies as in the 80-90, games in the 00's.

If kids had not got into videogames and all played American Football religously, I am sure our modern scaring mongering media would be calling for it to be banned for kids as it is too violent.

So roll on the next entertainment kraze for kids to be the next boogie man, so games can be treated like violent movies are now.

 

[Necromancer1991]

May I point out that they lump reactions ranging from "meh" to "OMG THEY SUCK!" on the same half of the data, I can see how this makes graphs easier to draw but you pad your negative responses with the indifference of non-gamer adults in general.

 

[Dimbo_Sama]

The Film industry, and the Music Industry, are doing the EXACT SAME AMOUNT to prohibit the sale of excessive or offensive material to minors that the Videogame Industry is doing. The fact is, it's not the children buying these games for themselves. It's the parents, who aren't educated enough in the fact that this is a full medium now, and not just one for children.

I prescribe every single parent to watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYD06FpSwQU

 

[Jumpingbean3]

It's not the industry's fault these people are terrible parents. It's not the industry's job to protect your children it's YOURS.

 

[zombiestrangler]

Okay, I thought that video was hilarious. The Postal shit especially.
OT: There is a certain point where the gov't can't raise your children, the parents have to. They're just being lazy shits and just trying to push that action point as far back as possible. If you aren't going to raise the little bastards, don't have them. Flooding the Earth with human spawn is NOT helping.

 

[beddo]

You do realize that it is illegal for a store to sell an R rated movie to a minor, or theaters to sell minors tickets to an R rated movie, right? I was carded when I bought The Matrix. Yes it's up to the parents to actually parent their children, but at the same time, why shouldn't we provide them a helping hand?

The MPAA is not law. Like the ESRB, its an independant body that studios, theaters, and rental chains follow voluntarily. Not to mention, ticket booths and rental chains can't refuse to sell tickets unless its a NC-17 movie. But most cinemas will outright refuse to screen NC-17 films.

This law is about saying the ESRB is irrelevant and using the miller test to determine if games can be sold if even suspected for being for a minor. Rather than deal with this, most retailers will simply refuse to carry anything the law affects.

The absolute worst part about this law is it seems reasonable if you aren't exactly aware of the full ramifications and powers of the miller test.

But it's not going to ban games, it's just going to restrict the age at which they can be purchased and played.

This won't affect the industry just as it doesn't in the UK and Europe.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

But it's not going to ban games, it's just going to restrict the age at which they can be purchased and played.

This won't affect the industry just as it doesn't in the UK and Europe.

You are not understanding.

This law is a third party coming in and saying the r15(T) and r18(M) ratings are not strict enough, then through a completely arbitrary and subjective test, deeming games illegal to be sold if suspected for being a minor.

US video game retailers already refuse to carry AO games, thus restricting their capacity for development. This law is saying every game that trips the miller test should be treated like an AO game. Retailers will pull any offending games rather than deal with even the remote possibility of being fined.

 

[TheComfyChair]

So, basically, it'd be possible that all those screaming whining pre-teen asses who ruin online gaming on both the 360 and ps3 could face time in juvie if they buy the next awesome game?

All i can say is lol, between 9-3pm and 10pm+ in the UK are easily the best time to play games online, and i can imagine the US is ten times worse with the american whiny pre-teens being far far worse than the UK ones in my experience over the last 6 years of xbl. So this will have a positive affect on the gaming community overall. But it is not needed, just because a few annoying players may be removed it does not bode well.

It really does show how terrible the parents are in the US, and really shows they shouldn't be having children. Many minors are easily mature enough to play some of these games, i for example played games like gta vice city when i was 13, unreal tournament when i was 11 ect. and i know that it is perfectly fine as long as a parent does actually pay attention. Most of the games do not explicitly tell you to do anything 'ultraviolent' at all, it is usually player choice. If a parent does not notice that their child keeps spending 5 hours a day brutally beating people into the ground with baseball bats in gta, then the blame lies upon them for not trying to curb the unhealthy behaviour. Games do not make people evil, people will just use games as a medium for other frustrations (e.g. having terrible, unloving, uncaring parents). It really isn't surprising that some people blame video games for their kids, they are easily the most useful way to shut that brat up for the longest amount of time for the least amount of money comparatively, after all, they've got affairs to commit and drugs to take as part of their useless parent lifestyle.

Anyway, such a law would never pass in the UK, just because we value both freedom of choice and accept it is the parents choice to buy these games. Plus, on release days of games like call of duty, anyone who even looks under 25 gets ID'd in shops like GAME. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the percentage of ID'd people in the UK who are underage is closer to 99% than 80%.

 

[beddo]

But it's not going to ban games, it's just going to restrict the age at which they can be purchased and played.

This won't affect the industry just as it doesn't in the UK and Europe.

You are not understanding.

This law is a third party coming in and saying the r15(T) and r18(M) ratings are not strict enough, then through a completely arbitrary and subjective test, deeming games illegal to be sold if suspected for being a minor.

US video game retailers already refuse to carry AO games, thus restricting their capacity for development. This law is saying every game that trips the miller test should be treated like an AO game. Retailers will pull any offending games rather than deal with even the remote possibility of being fined.

I doubt that the test is entirely arbitrary, they must employ a certain amount of consistency in order to be able to operate efficiently. Irrespective, no games will be banned from adults.

Where there is demand, there will be supply, companies like Walmart and Target will likely not sell them because of the image they want to maintain. Moreover, most games are not AO but if they are put into this category the shops would not just remove them all as it would be too detrimental to their sales.

Also, this may prove a good thing as it will open the way for new or specialist game shops that will sell these titles. Furthermore, with moves towards more digital downloads it will be easier to get hold of content in future without having to worry about a middle America moral panic resulting in un-stocked shelves.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

I doubt that the test is entirely arbitrary, they must employ a certain amount of consistency in order to be able to operate efficiently. Irrespective, no games will be banned from adults.

Where there is demand, there will be supply, companies like Walmart and Target will likely not sell them because of the image they want to maintain. Moreover, most games are not AO but if they are put into this category the shops would not just remove them all as it would be too detrimental to their sales.

Also, this may prove a good thing as it will open the way for new or specialist game shops that will sell these titles. Furthermore, with moves towards more digital downloads it will be easier to get hold of content in future without having to worry about a middle America moral panic resulting in un-stocked shelves.

I shall detail for you, the entirety, of the miller test.
"Find an average person. Ask the average person the following questions:
1. Does this offend you?
2. Is it pornographic?
3. Does this have any artistic merit?"

Thats it. Three entirely subjective questions without a single objective or solidifying factor that if answered y/y/n, and that game gets a defacto AO rating. Every average person I've ever encountered would be confused as to why he was asked the same question three times.

The miller test was invented as a part of 'obscenity' law. Another completely abstract and subjective concept. The most visible example of obscenity law is its illegal to ship 'obscene' materials through interstate means. Chew on that for a second. That means it is illegal to ship porn or even view internet pornography. Why haven't countless sites and even playboy been fined into oblivion, shut down, and the owners/webmasters been thrown in jail? Because no one can physically see internet pornography traveling through the internet and anything remotely pornographic in nature is always shipped in opaque containers.

As far as games being banned for adults, when was the last time you saw an AO game in gamestop, walmart, best buy, or any non-porn retailer? Remember fahrenheit? The game that got censored for american release? "It could've been sold in porn shops!" is not an argument for locking yourself out of the largest retail chains.