The committee of gaming evil

[narwhalman218]

I have believed for about two year that there was a constant group of 3 people who wished to see gaming ruined. Those people were Michael Atkinson, Jack Thompson, and Bobby Kotick. How ever, this spring Michael Atkinson was replaced in his position as South Australian Attorney General. Recently a person has come to take his place, Senator Leland Yee. Senator Leland Yee (for the uninitiated) is the man who orchestrated the California law which prohibits the sale of violent video games to minors. Tell me what you think.

 

[katsumoto03]

I think the prohibition of violent game sales should be lowered, but only slightly. In North America M rated games are sold to 17+. I personally think it should be 16+, but that's probably only because I'm pretty much 16 myself...

 

[RowdyRodimus]

I would put Gabe Newell on that list for apparently eating every bit of food that the UN had set aside for starving Ethiopians and creating a pretentious niche of gamers who worship everything they do no matter how good or bad it is (sort of like Nintendo fanboys).

 

[twistedheat15]

I thought laws that prohibit minors from buying violent games was already in place? In Philly anyway I've seen lots of 16 y/o guys hanging outside game stop asking someone to buy them GTA or Halo and such. Kinda fun to go back outside and tell'em you just bought the last copy and watch their world shatter but ya, mebbe if less minors get a hold of games like GTA then lawmakers will have to get off their ass and find new targets to go after instead of the gaming industry, like say, the massive rise of extreme bulling that seems to go off unpunished.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I would put Gabe Newell on that list for apparently eating every bit of food that the UN had set aside for starving Ethiopians and creating a pretentious niche of gamers who worship everything they do no matter how good or bad it is (sort of like Nintendo fanboys).

Great, you've delayed Episode 3 for another year.

OT: I'd say it's less that a specific number of people want to see gaming ruined than it is the baby boomers not understanding the medium, with a few of them in positions of power using it as easy reelection capital. By the time the millenials are 40, gaming won't have too much to worry about on that front -- although there will probably be a new scapegoat for the politicians of my generation to attack by that point.

As for the people who think that it should be illegal to sell games to minors, or that it is already illegal, I'd like to point you in the direction of the arguments that have been all over this forum for quite some time. Basically, it's not illegal, nor should it be -- any more than it is or should be illegal for minors to buy an R rated film. However, I'd rather not have to have this argument again, because it's getting old.

 

[DustyDrB]

You've missed the biggest threats to gaming

Spoiler: Gertrude Allbright

and

Spoiler: Dennis Mitchell

Those two are always scheming against my games...

 

[Dango]

Every Villain Is Lemons...?
I'm sorry, I had to.

But I don't really care, I mean it's not like preventing minors from buying violent video games is bad...

 

[superbatranger]

Every Villain Is Lemons...?
I'm sorry, I had to.

But I don't really care, I mean it's not like preventing minors from buying violent video games is bad...

True. They'll just find other ways to get their hands on those games. Like they always do.

 

[JaysonM]

It annoys me a little bit how we can't have some games brought out into Australia because we have some ignorant Attorney General, but it must still be remembered that games have only been in the market for not that long (30-40 years now). It may seem to be a long time, but it really isn't, considering most people who are in politics weren't in a generation where they were exposed to video games and have probably never even played one.

I think you'll find that over the coarse of around 10 - 20 years that more computer literate people will be in parliament, and that video games will be seen as an art form rather than a toy.

And no, I wouldn't consider these people exactly evil, they are actually really good people who are willing to stand against something to protect children and risk there positions to do it. A lot of people would like to see lesser restrictions on video games, and these politicians are willing to stand up against them.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Add Joe Lieberman. He's a well-known opposer of violence in video games in the Congress/Senate.

He's not that bad, but he gets pretty annoying.

 

[Lullabye]

Urm, I don't think a law that prohibits the sale of violent video games to minors is bad.

...like, at all.

it is for the industry. For all the industry. And it will have implications on other forms of media entertainment as well.
I think learning to parent would be a better solution to this apparent "problem" people have with children playing certain videogames. But that's just my opinion.


Um, so they basically upgraded to a guy with better teeth?
Well, that's just one less thing i can make fun of.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

Did they pass that law? I have a burning curiosity. For those of you who dont know the couter argument is that the man will then start down the path to regulating everything from movies to CDs. (Those are store enforced, like gamestop and the ERSB). They also want to circumvent the ERSB and institute theyre own rating system.