Poll: Do you think parents know the consequences for banning/restricting the sale of games?

[RatRace123]

I'm honestly convinced that many parents are just jumping on the fear train and latching on to news stories about "evil" violent videogames.

It's been discussed in depth in several topics now, and I'm pretty sure this'll be the last I have to say about it for the moment; but if the Supreme Court passes the law and video games fail the Miller Test, they won't be protected by the first amendment. In short, this means that games rated M and probably even T can be restricted and basically treated like porn. Developers will make less of these games, if not stop making them all together and then, worst case scenario: the entire medium dies.

Do you think parents realize that, or much like their acknowledgment of the ESRB, they don't check all the details?

Note: This doesn't refer to all parents, just the ones who are stupid enough to make this case a reality.

 

[Sacman]

my dad does he plays more games than I do... but not my mom...

 

[Evilsanta]

Well....I dont think that all of them will. And i still think that most parents sees videogames as something only kids does.

 

[Devi Darkside]

Honestly, I doubt it would go that far. Besides, that wouldn't stop kids from getting them.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Censorship of any medium mostly creates more problems an issues then it solves because, well at least in my opinion, the more you take something away or restrict a product or a service the greater the demand becomes and certain people try and go above and beyond to obtain the forbidden treasure.

 

[N1ceDreamz]

I hope they realise that supporting this they could play a part in making thousands lose they're jobs because they don't want little jimmy to be playing too violent games, a job easily done by keeping an eye on what they're playing/watching. You know like what good parents are supposed to do.

 

[Autofaux]

Short answer, no. Long answer, noooooooooooo...

 

[jowo96]

Well that is unfortunately the effect of biased news, but hopefully the court takes the side of the informed few over the misinformed majority

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Obviously not, considering they keep allowing such stupid laws to potentially pass like they are in California right now.

 

[gamer_parent]

They don't know, and they don't care.

 

[SimuLord]

I think they know. I don't think they care. "Land of the free" is something we sing about in our national anthem and teach to our kids in schools, but if Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and the rest were around today they'd be considered "homegrown terrorists" and locked up.

They had courage of their convictions and a constant eye toward the betterment of their fellow man. I suspect the Founding Fathers are looking down upon America and thinking "if we'd known this was how it was to turn out, we'd have stayed British."

 

[Yureina]

Since i'm 22, I don't give a damn what my parents think about games anymore. But, as for "in general", I would say that recent events and how all of these anti game laws are being passed in complete ignorance of the medium, I would say that its pretty bad.

It will probably take a generation or so before this kind of crap stops happening.

 

[fleischwolke]

My parents have not a single clue about games. They'd go with the "moral majority", even though they are quite liberal in all other aspects of life.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I would say that those who answered the poll in such large numbers don't know about how banning or restricting the sale of games don't know how it will impact videogames at large.. but I also would say they probably don't care.

 

[gamer_parent]

of course they don't care. Now, if it would effect their viewing of Matlock re-runs, people will care.

 

[Firehopper]

The way I see it, once our generation becomes parents then the problem will right itself.

It will just take time.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

I don't think most parents even know what the entire ordeal is about. All they hear is that the government is doing something to protect their kids and making it easier on them and they go along with it.

 

[Abanic]

Judging by all the 12 year-olds playing Halo, Modern Warfare, Left 4 Dead, & all the other MATURE rated games; we know that parents don't pay attention to ESRB ratings and retailers are not voluntarily enforcing the rating recommendations. While I don't think that selling games needs to be restricted by law, I do think that parents and retailers need to restrict MATURE games from the little kids that shouldn't be playing them in the first place.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

The way I see it, once our generation becomes parents then the problem will right itself.

It will just take time.

I'm 34 so I'm from the first generation that grew up with video games and computers as things that were seemingly always available for our homes. The thing is while we are now the parents, we aren't the ones getting elected to office as to have a real say in the matter. We're still forced to vote for the people that were in office when our parents were teens. Term limits are helping some, but they aren't taking care of the real problems: the people that have been serving the better part of 40-50 years. Since they were in office when term limits passed, they are immune to them and now that we are in bad shape, people aren't sure if they should trust the new guy or go with what they know.

Thankfully it seems more and more people are learning about how the government works and seeing things based not on the R or D at the end of the persons name, but the issues and how the candidate stands for them.

I don't know everyones ages here, but if you can't run or vote don't feel like you are helpless. Get informed and get involved with candidates campaigns that adhere to your core beliefs and principles. That is something you can do at any age and can help whatever cause you believe in more than you know.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

You know games are legally restricted in the UK and many other countries and things are just fine. To be honest I really don't understand a lot of the fuss over this. Sometimes I think the Constitution can be more of a legal barrier than a help. Freedom of expression and speech are enshrined in culture, and so just restrict the sale of mature games to adults and leave it at that. I mean DVD stores stock all but the highly pornographic movies and still sell the 18 rated films and games like Manhunt. If stuff is ok for kids rate it for kids, if it's ok for teens rate it for teens, everything else rate for adults. Simple.