72 Percent of Adults Support California Game Law - UPDATED

[brunothepig]

1. Would you support or oppose a law that prohibits minors from purchasing videogames that depict killing, maiming or sexually assaulting an image of a human being?

They're just twisting the poll. It didn't tell people what they wanted to do specifically just that they wanted to prohibit the sale of violent videogames. That's what ratings are for. My god. As Chalk said, with parental controls, a rating system, and laws that should stop any minor from buying these games (except here in Australia, without our R rating) it's easier for kids to get porn or something. Especially considering they likely have internet access.

 

[minimacker]

You know, there is a REASON the games are rated 18+. I WONDER what it can be...
I guess we will never know.

 

[Terramax]

This poll clearly shows once again, parents giving more control to the government, because they refuse to be parents. Grow up, it's not the government, or societies job to make sure your kids acquiesce to your rules. That's your job.

Amen.

I don't know why the thread wasn't locked after this first post. Everything that needs to be said has been said here.

 

[Cartman2nd]

This poll clearly shows once again, parents giving more control to the government, because they refuse to be parents. Grow up, it's not the government, or societies job to make sure your kids acquiesce to your rules. That's your job.

This is clearly a very intelligent man. Instead of saying "first", he actually makes a valid point.

 

[nohorsetown]

It's a testament to the amazing stupidity of (mostly old) people that "video games" are somehow considered inherently more evil than any other form of media or entertainment, but of course I'm not surprised.

People oughta realize that video games are *games*, on a *screen*, which can be violent or nonviolent or what have you. They're really popular because the computer can process all kindsa shit for you, and the screen can display it, so you don't have to move a million pieces on a board, or build tons of rules/props when you're playing "cops 'n robbers". It just makes sense. But idiots can't put two and two together, so they fork out the money, and then freak out because the "monster in the TV" is doing exactly what they paid it to do: simulate stuff really efficiently.

I really hope this doesn't go through, just because the vidja'game industry is so gargantuan, that a serious blow like this would frickin' cripple the economy worse than it already is. But honestly, if that could be avoided, I'd be interested to see what happens if "M" (and probably most "T") games became unprofitable, and got phased out of existence.. because personally, I've got enough of a backlog as it is to last me the rest of my life.. always plenty of old gems to (re/)discover. Part of me wonders if games might eventually become more genuinely mature/artistic if violent games became a thing of the past. Maybe if we make every damn thing illegal, people will finally start to see the building blocks, the freakin' logic in front of their faces. They'll have to question what the hell the *point* of all this censorship is, when their kids are left with nothing but ponies and kittens, and the ponies still trample the kittens/kids every so often.

I dunno; it's late, and I'm a little hazy. I still have hope in humanity, but it bums me out that we might have to weather a dark age to actually learn how to pay attention again. I'm probably extrapolating way too much from this. Aw hell, I'm on page 14 anyway, so who cares? G'night, escapists.

 

[jamesworkshop]

I still don't understand what this California law does exactly.

It sounds like just what we have in the UK to me.

Its an attempt to circumvent all the currently established ratings and base what can be sold to minors upon a very open legal concept called the "miller test."

Basically, the test is finding an "average person" and asking him/her:
Do you find this offensive? y/n
Do you think this is pornographic? y/n
Do you think it has any value or merit? y/n

The problem is, to the average person, all three questions are just the same question with different wording.

All retailers have their own carding policies, this law is saying, in clear language, they are not good enough, and video games should be treated like cigarettes or alcohol.

Meaning retailers would have a choice between simply not carrying anything that trips the miller test or forcing their employees to quiz every customer. Take a wild guess which one they're going to choose.

-snip-

Well, the fact you called it a R18, rather than M kinda proves you're a bit outside of this equation, so I'll help a bit. Someone else mentioned the average age of people who play video games is 25-40. When was the last time you saw anyone even make an AO rated game? Never. Because all retailers refuse to carry them rather than deal with the hassle of ensuring they weren't going to minors.

This law, basically, makes it so any game that trips the miller test isn't worth the hassle it'd take to carry it.

Thus, defacto ban.

Plenty of games are AO in effect the biggest retailer in the UK sells bioshock 2 a game rated 18+ that is legaly enforced and is only purchasable by adults.

plus the law doesn't change the age ratings having violence doesn't make content an AO it only adds a legal check on sales of content not that certain content must have a higher rating

 

[Eponet]

It's a testament to the amazing stupidity of (mostly old) people that "video games" are somehow considered inherently more evil than any other form of media or entertainment, but of course I'm not surprised.

People oughta realize that video games are *games*, on a *screen*, which can be violent or nonviolent or what have you. They're really popular because the computer can process all kindsa shit for you, and the screen can display it, so you don't have to move a million pieces on a board, or build tons of rules/props when you're playing "cops 'n robbers". It just makes sense. But idiots can't put two and two together, so they fork out the money, and then freak out because the "monster in the TV" is doing exactly what they paid it to do: simulate stuff really efficiently.

I really hope this doesn't go through, just because the vidja'game industry is so gargantuan, that a serious blow like this would frickin' cripple the economy worse than it already is. But honestly, if that could be avoided, I'd be interested to see what happens if "M" (and probably most "T") games became unprofitable, and got phased out of existence.. because personally, I've got enough of a backlog as it is to last me the rest of my life.. always plenty of old gems to (re/)discover. Part of me wonders if games might eventually become more genuinely mature/artistic if violent games became a thing of the past. Maybe if we make every damn thing illegal, people will finally start to see the building blocks, the freakin' logic in front of their faces. They'll have to question what the hell the *point* of all this censorship is, when their kids are left with nothing but ponies and kittens, and the ponies still trample the kittens/kids every so often.

I dunno; it's late, and I'm a little hazy. I still have hope in humanity, but it bums me out that we might have to weather a dark age to actually learn how to pay attention again. I'm probably extrapolating way too much from this. Aw hell, I'm on page 14 anyway, so who cares? G'night, escapists.

There's another problem, it's a poll asking adults whether they want to prohibit sale to minors. If it wont effect them either way, and they're too lazy to do any research on the subject, then of course they'll go with what is on the surface, the safer option for them.

 

[ninjapenguin981]

I'm confused, how are these kids buying video games that are rated above their age? If their parents are buying them for them then what's the law going to do?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I'm confused, how are these kids buying video games that are rated above their age?

MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY
MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY

*sigh* Ok...here it is.

Uh madam, that game is labelled 18.

DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT MY KIDS CAN'T DO!

...

OH MY GOD IT'S FULL OF BLOOD, WILL NO-ONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN? HOW DARE YOU SELL ME THIS GAME!

 

[viciouspen]

*point up*

Bingo, exactly.

This is precisely the same problem that has popped up time and time again.

LAZY parents that don't want to bother. The second something pops up, they don't take responsibility, they scream bloody murder so that no one pays attention to how they're falling short.

People, I swear.

 

[DoctorObviously]

This poll clearly shows once again, parents giving more control to the government, because they refuse to be parents. Grow up, it's not the government, or societies job to make sure your kids acquiesce to your rules. That's your job.

This. Let it be known throughout the modern world.

 

[DontHassleTheHoff]

GOD DAMN, this makes me angry. If a shop sells your child GTA or Manhunt, then that's the shop's fault. But then you find out, and you can confiscate it from your child. If you buy your child a game because they ask you for it, and it's not appropriate, that's YOUR fault, as a parent. If your child has a video game that's not appropriate for them, there isn't a situation I can think of where you wouldn't be able, as a parent, to stop them playing it.

Laws like this are just designed to compensate for fucking laziness in American parents, nothing more.

 

[Jaeke]

Am i the only one who thinks this is the best montage ever made.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

It isn't the industry's job to keep the kids from buying games, it's the parents. If you can't keep a hold on your kid's wallet, you're doing it wrong. Grow up, take your responsibility, and learn to take care of your child.

A parent can't watch their children 24/7. It was pretty easy for me to leave my house, or especially after school, and spend my money on games, especially considering they couldn't look at my bank account.

I think people seem to overestimate how easy it is to use subterfuge on your parents.

I literally don't see the problem with this law. A 10 year old shouldn't be able to walk into BestBuy and walk out with GTA. I played GTA at that age, but I had my parents permission, and they bought it for me, since the shop wouldn't sell it to me. (Actually, I did once get GTA Liberty City Stories from the market, but he wouldn't sell it to me, so I asked a random guy to get it for me, literally in front of the seller.)

Basically, parents don't have infinite capacity to watch their children, it's good to have parents know what their kids are playing. As far as I see all this law does is make sure that parents know what their kids are playing, and if a parent doesn't think it's suitable for their kids then they don't get it.

But doesn't this law include legal punishment for buying games with the intention of kids playing them? Including if the parents are buying it.

And many kids below the age of 16 (which should be the maximum age for a rating in my opinion) don't have a job or any income outside what the parents give them, so the parents have more control than you might think.

 

[jaketheripper]

its not the games that make me homocidal, its these fucking politicians and parents that make me want to kill hookers, cops, and babies, lol, leave britney(violence) ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JWAN]

You dont need videogames to promote violence against women and police enforcement, your acceptance of illegal immigrants has done that already.

 

[JWAN]

and in the proud liberal tradition purge anything deemed not politically correct. 50 cent helped MAKE that game by lending his voice to it.

 

[Rossiar]

Can someone please explain the problem here? I know this was covered in last Thursday's episode of Extra Credits but I fail to get my head around it.

I live in the UK - does this make the difference? - and minors are under 18, I believe the same is true in the US unless in other states it is 21. Ergo would a law enforcing the restriction of sale to minors be pointless as it is already illegal to sell under the PEGI system, is it?

Furthermore I also believe - and this has been said before - that it is the parents responsibility to not buy the game in the first place and allow the minors access?

Is this more about how if video games are restricted it will lower their artistic standard as a medium or is there actually a law being made here? Can someone clarify?

 

[JWAN]

This poll clearly shows once again, parents giving more control to the government, because they refuse to be parents. Grow up, it's not the government, or societies job to make sure your kids acquiesce to your rules. That's your job.

Indeed.
DAM YOU AMERICA!
ruining games for the rest of us.
[small]No offence to America, Just Americas parents and government[/small]

California, the streets are paved with gold, polished by illegal immigrants.
DO NOT base your opinion of America off of the scum in Cali.
(I know your not Im putting it here for everyone else)

 

[Tipsy Giant]

72% of American parents believe they can't raise their own children, theres the headline from the survey