Kotaku
Nothing quite mucks up the political process like more politics. The New York video game bill I wrote about last week that seemed destined to pass is now likely to be replaced with a new, Democratic bill that pretty much covers the same ground with a few, significant differences. Most notable among these is a provision that would make it a felony to sell a minor games that include "depraved violence."
While the definition of depraved violence is quite specific (rape, dismemberment, torture, mutilation) and the penalty only a Class E felony - the least severe in the state - nobody wants to end up with a felony record because they sold Mortal Kombat to a fourteen year old.
The bill also calls for game consoles to contain parental controls, which is nice because then they can take credit for making sure consoles that already have them...have them. Thank goodness.
I think that there is a pretty god chance this one will make it into law, though with a severability clause attached that allows for bits to be removed without canceling out the whole thing, I'm not sure what form it will take. There's a chance it could end up the same bill as last week, only with Democratic sponsorship instead of Republican, which would of course just be a whacky coincidence.
ANOTHER N.Y. Game Bill - Democratic Proposal Could Turn Retailers into Felons [GamePolitics.com]
