Am I the only one who thinks California is right?

[Nieroshai]

if you're under 17 you CANNOT buy an M-rated game. Maybe they simply mean to increase that number by one for the ESRB, but the California law treats it like the ESRB doesn't exist.

 

[Pist0l 07]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

That doesn't make me think the ESRB failed, that makes me think the parent failed.

 

[Random Name 4]

california is full of nothing but hippies and stoners. a californian will believe ANYTHING you tell them and are wrong 100% of the time. the rare times they do pick a real issue to face they ram through it like neanderthals saying "i am helping!".

REALLY?

My experiance of California involved mainly either working people, high tramps or blue colar republicans. I did not meet a single hippy in three weeks, and I was in San Fransisco and Santa Cruz.

try LA, hell i seen entire MARKETS selling gas mask-bong combos and other drug items.

Smoking weed does not make someone a hippy.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I think we're fighting more for the fact that it is a breach in the First Amendment rights to regulate the sale of video games with this law, that's why it was struck down in the first place. Most stores are forced to inform they're shoppers that the game is rated M. Believe me, even I want to side with the 'Don't sell kids rated M games.' part of the law, but I'm not gonna say that Video Games don't deserve the same rights as Movies and Televisions to do it.

 

[Random Name 4]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

That doesn't make me think the ESRB failed, that makes me think the parent failed.

But surely then a law would be more effective

 

[Pist0l 07]

A parent goes in a buys a M game for their kid(s) despite the fact the store clerk tells the parent the game is M which means years 17+. Making it a law just adds one more year where parents have to come in to do that. Basicly, I don't think a law is more effective, its bad parenting and that can't be helped eith way.

 

[cobra_ky]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

That doesn't make me think the ESRB failed, that makes me think the parent failed.

But surely then a law would be more effective

Why? all this law would do is prevent the sale of games to minors. Neither the ESRB ratings nor this law are intended to stop them from getting on Xbox Live.

 

[theultimateend]

Violent Music doesn't make you violent.
Violent Games don't make you violent.
Violent Movies don't make you violent.

There is no reason at all that a kid can't play the games, watch the films or listen to the music.

There is no reason at all.

Wait...did I not say that clearly enough?

There is no reason at all.

There is no study that wasn't funded by a group with predisposed interests that shows that there is a connection between Violent Media and Violence.

In fact in the four years I was in college talking ad nauseum with Psychology professors there was not one of them, nor one colleague of theirs, nor one colleague of their colleagues, regardless of state, who supported the idea that there was a connection.

The best evidence anyone has is that if you are already unstable these things won't help. But most of the time in that case it is just a matter of a violent game sending you over the edge now, or a hummingbird sending you over the edge a year from now.

Violent Video Games have been getting more graphic and more common since what...the 80's? The amount of violence amongst youth has on the whole since then been on the decline.

If there was any correlation, even to a single percentile, we would have hundreds of thousands of violent people in the US alone stabbing the ever loving shit out of everyone.

This whole nonsense is almost worse than abstinence education, it's just a big circle jerk because someone somewhere thinks that their faith gives them the right to regulate what everyone else does. Whoa Dude? Really...you brought faith into this? Yes, because I'm hard pressed to believe anyone thinks you should ban violent games from kids because it seems rational. But I'd be willing to open my mind there if I catch a level headed person with any sort of evidence backing the matter.

Keeping in mind that evidence needs to be strong, since there are tens of millions of people playing World of Warcraft Alone, then all the Halo Players, then all the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor Players.

Lets not forget Team Fortress 2.

What am I at? Over a hundred million people easy? I think so. Of which the entire population has, and I guarantee this, no higher nor lower chances of any violent criminal activity over their non violent game playing versions (assuming equal economic status per person).

 

[Lullabye]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

What does th ESRB have to do with it? I think its the PARENTS WHO PURCHASE THE GAMES who are in effective. Outlawing selling it to minors won't make a difference, because they are not the ones buying it in the first place.
The only reason this is even an issue right now is because its election season, and certain assholes want votes, at the cost of our medium.
California is wrong, plain and simple. Their 'argument" could apply to anything form books to movies, but they don't pursue that because those are mainstream, and would only serve to damage political reputations.

 

[Tdc2182]

I don't think you understand the law.

You get the general idea but in the US it's already illegal to sell a game to a minor, just like it is here.

California are trying to ban the game from even hitting the shelves. The problem won't be minors buying the game, it'll be no one buying the game.

Exactly.

It is a cause and effect of game sales very rapidly dropping, leading to shittier quality and higher pricing. It will become like cigarettes. No more TV ads and billboards.

The gaming market will be screwed. The problem is most of these parents voting for this to go through are the idiots who are buying them for their kid in the first place.

 

[MetroidNut]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

That doesn't make me think the ESRB failed, that makes me think the parent failed.

But surely then a law would be more effective

a law is useless. the world is not run by laws, but by those who enforce them.

And retailers already enforce the voluntary ESRB policy with an iron fist. Trust me, heh. This law makes nothing better, and opens the door to Orwellian censorship.

 

[Pist0l 07]

By the way, why does everyone say it will be like Orwellian censorship if it happens. Yes it could cripple the video gaming industry much like the Comic's Code, but its not the end of society as we know it.

 

[Random Name 4]

Violent Music doesn't make you violent.
Violent Games don't make you violent.
Violent Movies don't make you violent.

There is no reason at all that a kid can't play the games, watch the films or listen to the music.

There is no reason at all.

Wait...did I not say that clearly enough?

There is no reason at all.

There is no study that wasn't funded by a group with predisposed interests that shows that there is a connection between Violent Media and Violence.

In fact in the four years I was in college talking ad nauseum with Psychology professors there was not one of them, nor one colleague of theirs, nor one colleague of their colleagues, regardless of state, who supported the idea that there was a connection.

The best evidence anyone has is that if you are already unstable these things won't help. But most of the time in that case it is just a matter of a violent game sending you over the edge now, or a hummingbird sending you over the edge a year from now.

Violent Video Games have been getting more graphic and more common since what...the 80's? The amount of violence amongst youth has on the whole since then been on the decline.

If there was any correlation, even to a single percentile, we would have hundreds of thousands of violent people in the US alone stabbing the ever loving shit out of everyone.

This whole nonsense is almost worse than abstinence education, it's just a big circle jerk because someone somewhere thinks that their faith gives them the right to regulate what everyone else does. Whoa Dude? Really...you brought faith into this? Yes, because I'm hard pressed to believe anyone thinks you should ban violent games from kids because it seems rational. But I'd be willing to open my mind there if I catch a level headed person with any sort of evidence backing the matter.

Keeping in mind that evidence needs to be strong, since there are tens of millions of people playing World of Warcraft Alone, then all the Halo Players, then all the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor Players.

Lets not forget Team Fortress 2.

What am I at? Over a hundred million people easy? I think so. Of which the entire population has, and I guarantee this, no higher nor lower chances of any violent criminal activity over their non violent game playing versions (assuming equal economic status per person).

There is a reason. I am not saying videogames should be singled out, however I can tell you that kids are heavily influenced by the media they consume. Just talking to a child should make that obvious. You wouldn't let a kid watch Saw, or play God of War.

 

[Pist0l 07]

There is a reason. I am not saying videogames should be singled out, however I can tell you that kids are heavily influenced by the media they consume. Just talking to a child should make that obvious. You wouldn't let a kid watch Saw, or play God of War.

Of course, but that is the parents responsibilty to control. You don't buy your kid Saw if you don't want them to see violent content, it is the same for games.

 

[Random Name 4]

Guys, think hard about this. How often do you encounter underage players on Xbox Live or whatever. Do you really think ERSB is effective?

That doesn't make me think the ESRB failed, that makes me think the parent failed.

But surely then a law would be more effective

a law is useless. the world is not run by laws, but by those who enforce them.

And retailers already enforce the voluntary ESRB policy with an iron fist. Trust me, heh.
This law makes nothing better, and opens the door to Orwellian censorship.

No. Have you even read 1984? "Orwellian censorship" is basically the same as what happened in Stalin's Russia. So, when kids can't buy GTA will the government start pretending Rockstar don't exist? Will they put Infinity Ward into room 101? Will they direct hate everyday toward the evil Activision?

NO, they will make it slightly harder to play certain games.

 

[cobra_ky]

Violent Music doesn't make you violent.
Violent Games don't make you violent.
Violent Movies don't make you violent.

There is no reason at all that a kid can't play the games, watch the films or listen to the music.

There is no reason at all.

Wait...did I not say that clearly enough?

There is no reason at all.

There is no study that wasn't funded by a group with predisposed interests that shows that there is a connection between Violent Media and Violence.

In fact in the four years I was in college talking ad nauseum with Psychology professors there was not one of them, nor one colleague of theirs, nor one colleague of their colleagues, regardless of state, who supported the idea that there was a connection.

The best evidence anyone has is that if you are already unstable these things won't help. But most of the time in that case it is just a matter of a violent game sending you over the edge now, or a hummingbird sending you over the edge a year from now.

Violent Video Games have been getting more graphic and more common since what...the 80's? The amount of violence amongst youth has on the whole since then been on the decline.

If there was any correlation, even to a single percentile, we would have hundreds of thousands of violent people in the US alone stabbing the ever loving shit out of everyone.

This whole nonsense is almost worse than abstinence education, it's just a big circle jerk because someone somewhere thinks that their faith gives them the right to regulate what everyone else does. Whoa Dude? Really...you brought faith into this? Yes, because I'm hard pressed to believe anyone thinks you should ban violent games from kids because it seems rational. But I'd be willing to open my mind there if I catch a level headed person with any sort of evidence backing the matter.

Keeping in mind that evidence needs to be strong, since there are tens of millions of people playing World of Warcraft Alone, then all the Halo Players, then all the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor Players.

Lets not forget Team Fortress 2.

What am I at? Over a hundred million people easy? I think so. Of which the entire population has, and I guarantee this, no higher nor lower chances of any violent criminal activity over their non violent game playing versions (assuming equal economic status per person).

There is a reason. I am not saying videogames should be singled out, however I can tell you that kids are heavily influenced by the media they consume. Just talking to a child should make that obvious. You wouldn't let a kid watch Saw, or play God of War.

there's a difference between influence and harm. People of all ages are, to some extent, influenced by the media they consume, but there is no evidence of any lasting effects.