freespeech

Taco-flavored kisses to you!

sandwiches

Zinv

MasterYong

MasterYong

art_zombie

HepCat

EmerilLIVE

SkutSkut

Politicians do this for 2 reasons.

1) They want to draw attention away from what they are doing (wrongly) or not doing (serving the public).

2) They are paid large sums of money from lobbyists in the movie, music, and TV industry who feel they are losing money from video games (and who also don't have federal laws of the same type restricting content).

peacefuloutrage

neojam

screamingslave

Then, what if the ESRB goes out of business or stops rating games for some (or any) reason. If the law still exists that requires publishers and retailers to post accurate ESRB ratings for games, but the ESRB doesn't rate games anymore or doesn't exist at all, does it just become de facto illegal to sell games at that point?

Keep in mind that this is the exact reason that movie ratings are not enforced by law. Some legal nerds might argue that this is called prior restraint of trade (or commerce) in that the government prevents publishing something based on an officially ordained censorship board.

[en.wikipedia.org]

teeth7

Since when was AO games a problem? last I checked, not one single major retailer sells AO games whatsoever. If any, maybe chinatown or ebay has them but thats another story.

And wtf is up with all this age verification crap? Its been bothering me for years and I just dont get it.

Of the 10(count) years i've lived here in california (north and south) every single retailer or store that I have been that sells videogames asks for verification everytime a "suspicious looking" person buys an M-Rated game. NOT A SINGLE TIME have I seen an underage person get away with buying a GTA or Halo or the other oh-so-plenty M Rated games out there. Maybe other states do things differently but in my case, this crap does nothing as its already enforced as we speak.

Ugh...

doesntlikedede

Tei

fresh1

However, I think a possible ideal situation would be retailers and publishers banding together in some way to prevent sales to customers under the ESRB rating (judging by some comments, it seems some retailers already do such, though I have not experienced this). Initiatives like these certainly wouldn't hurt the industry's image.

fiftharm

Ok, it technically has no scoring system, but if you consider "completion rate", you do have to rape every girl in every possible combination and have them abort their babies to avoid the Game Over screen.

Sure, it's not localized and Japan-only, but considering the large user-support for addons, language packs and english installers, it could be Hot Coffee all over again.

In closing I would like to add how completely awesome all games by Illusion are and heavily recommend you take the time to give them a try.

Blue_Six

Hell, I'm 25, a large-framed guy, and have been lazy so I haven't shaved in almost two weeks, but I still got carded when I bought GTA 4 (And then again less than 3 minutes later when paying with my debit card).

Hell again, I remember not too long ago, Consumerist ran a story about a Best Buy refusing to sell an M-rated game to a guy that had his little brother with him at the time, and then refused to accept his gift cards after leaving the store and coming back sans brother. Extremely ridiculous and misinformed in this case (Read the story here for the Best Buy retardedness), but the point still stands. The majority of big name stores actually follow the ratings systems pretty well. They probably even follow it better than many places follow the tobacco laws.

NinjaMarion

No wonder people are getting all up-in-arms about games being sold to minors! Suddenly everything makes sense! We have this law in the UK, and as someone who worked in games retail it is ace. Don't bitch about it, it just means you'll have to be slightly more imaginitive when buying adult games. Like getting them online or something.

To anyone working in games retail, you gonna have a lot of fun turning away sixteen year-olds with your new legal powers. Security! Remove this "customer"!

MrLister

julians

You shouldn't generalize. It's not just Americans. The mindset is common amongst many old fashioned (in terms of thinking) older people who exercise their voting rights.

I don't expect to have our problem solved until many of us become as old as them and actually use our voting power or represent our interests as actual members in some administrative capacity.

Aiwokote

dumblonde

dumblonde

That way you could actually say the 13 year old twerp can't buy GTA and if he did, then it's not the fault of the developers.

RaptorShadow

I love Kotaku whenever they post something related to Coming to America.

We should get together at E3 and talk in great depths about the movie. They don't make em' like that anymore.

MarkMan

Yes, only adults are allowed to buy them, and they're still cut. SCANDAL!

FranUnFine

NinjaMarion

There really needs to be an ad campaign or committee set up to teach parents about parenting with gaming because they are the primary reason children are paying M rated games.

MasterDex

xkotaku

vega480

coldcalram

jspeed04

i hate your slippery slope argument, its totally ridiculous equating this bill to phone tapping is extremely ignorant.

I agree that nothing is really at stake here...everyone who makes a big stink over this bill is being dumb. Allow the bill to pass, no one can complain about the "EVIL" game getting into the hands of children..

Phishedone

This bill won't pass. There's already a legal precedent set when a similar bill was put forward in Michigan. The state had to pay a pretty significant sum to the ESA in lawsuit fees afterward, as a result.

I'd hate to see the federal government make the same mistake.

Mav

Chikebo

mikeko10

Xerxes 8933A

"What is wrong with making the ratings on games legally enforceable rather than advisory. What is the principle at stake here"

Are you serious? You're actually wondering what would be wrong with the government legally enforcing ratings on any media? You really don't know why that upset people? I'm not even going to answer that.

You're probably the person who says "Who cares if the government listening to our phone calls? Whats wrong with that? I dont have anything to hide"

CCCombobreaker

You didn't read my entire post I guess. Thats very frustrating since you completely make an ass out of yourself because of it. To sum it up, this is a slippery slope. If they let this pass it won't be too soon until we see fucked up stuff like the law in NZ that makes it illegal for a parent to buy an M game for their child.

Oh, and I don't own any firearms myself. Never plan to, but I still support the second amendment. I'm not really sure why you said the UN though since they would have absolutely nothing to do with anything even remotely similar to outlawing firearms in the US.

CCCombobreaker

Shad0X

josh51

Struct09

I like that this guy thinks there is a hi-score board for the rape game. What a pathetic individual. I bet he spent ages thinking that one up.

Dr Terror

In addition ask why is does not have a bill like this for movies as well.

[leeterry.house.gov]

Cephiros

accioaaron

Arteen

It's the same as an R rated movie. It's rated R, so if you're underage then get the **** out. If you're 15 and want to buy GTA or Manhunt, get the **** out.

I agree with Phoenicks. Let the bill pass. Sure it totally ignores all the *actual* problems regarding this issue, but at least it'll shut a lot of people up. It's even possible that Jack Thompson would disappear, although not likely.

sircuddles

Sgoast

Samos42

Phishedone

Then again, politics in the past 40 years can be summed up to "Find Boogeyman. Use it to drum up support for next election." Fear is an incredible tool for a person in control, and what could be scarier than a social outcast violating your children? I'm worried not for the individuals who choose to be irresponsible and sell those games. I'm worried for the reputation of those who don't.

Sgoast

Phishedone

sisedi

UmeShoryu

dd-toronto

Disregarding the murder, assault, and rape part, what's all of this "high score" hoopla? Most games have eschewed "high scores" many, many moons ago. That just shows that he's talking out of his ass.

ShaggE

dechire

it will get rid of the whole M/AO thing.

the whole problem is that when people see "M" they don't think "this game is for adults" i have no clue why(well that and parents are too stupid to understand the system)

Phishedone

Besides...
He's saying the parents are the ones responsible for the care of their children.
If you think the government has the right to choose how you raise your kids then please, go ahead and live somewhere else.
In the United States we are supposed to take responsibility for our actions, not blame them on the government or inanimate objects.

Games don't kill people. Stupid people do.

braagh

It's obvious that parents and retailers aren't doing a good enough job if stores only voluntarily enforce game restrictions and parents are oblivious or aloof or gullible enough to let their child play an inappropriate game, yet still complain about the content. All we have now is an endless cycle of "next big-name ultra-violent game hits/fame-whore "critics" come out and make exaggerated claims about the game".

Let the bill pass, I say. It will shut up the politicians and put the pressure on retailers breaking laws or ineffective parents - where you want to put the onus - rather than game developers who make "rape simulators". The sooner we can shift blame from game developers to lazy, uninformed, and ineffective Gamestop employees and parents, the better. Restaurants card young-looking people before they buy a beer; 7-Eleven cards young people if they buy cigarettes; you are often carded before you can enter a club (and often frisked as well); what's one more spot for young people to have to pull out a Driver's License? Is it really an inconvenience to have to spend the extra 30 seconds at the checkout counter to buy Grand Theft Auto V down the line and not hear about "rape simulators"?

Phoenicks

Greo

UltimatePancakeSensation

icelight

Ratfoot

Please, ethanol fucked up the food prices, knowing the government, they would fuck up the rest of the fucking world just to lower gas prices by 5 cents. I do not want to be paying $50 just to take a bath because 30% of the Earth's fresh water supply is being used to reduce the gas prices by 50 cents, and in 3 months have it rise up to where it was originally. NO
Let them piss their time away with this, then we can all yell TOLD YOU SO when it backfires on them

Raften

friscom99

Lone-Gun

playaj

josh51

tralfaz23

No. You're missing the point. The government shouldn't be able to enforce this. This is up to the parents and the retailers. The government shouldn't get to say what they can and can't sell. It doesn't matter if they already do what the bill is asking. It's the principal of the matter.

@RedRaptor:

Nooo dont ask them to try and fix that again!! Remember that corn ethanol crap? yeah it was supposed to lower gas prices, but in reality all it did was fuck up the food prices and gas is still really expensive.

CCCombobreaker

josh51

Instead of trying to enforce policies most game stores already enforce VOLUNTARILY, how about doing something about the FOUR-DOLLAR-A-FUCKING-GALLON GAS PRICES?!?

RedRaptor

The Maginomicon

option-g

It doesn't matter if it affects you. The reason it won't pass this time, and hopefully never will, is because it almost violates our rights as citizens and it's an example of the government trying to control our lives and what we do with them.

Sure this isn't too bad right? It'll just stop kids from buying M games and were all over 17 so who cares? Fact is, if this were to pass I'm sure we would see similar completely illegal laws like the one in New zealand. Talk about fucked up. It's illegal to buy GTA IV for your kid. Yeah kids probably shouldn't play it, but guess what? That's not the governments decision. Nothing like that should EVER be the government's decision.

500 politicians don't have that right.

CCCombobreaker

So, why not pass a law to ensure kids don't get their hands on Saw IV, while we're at it? There are movies out there with FAR WORSE content that any video game on the market, and yet there's no huge controversy there.

I'm not against enforcing ratings. I think it's a good idea (since we can't expect parents to monitor their children, heavens no!), but once again it feels like the game industry is being villified while the other forms of entertainment are not.
It's annoying enough we have huge ESRB icons on the front of game boxes, even though there aren't MPAA ratings on the front of movie boxes...

BPMμ

VitFer2007

graze81

There's a difference between company policy and law. If it becomes a law, then companies will be required to card whether they want to or not.

Jeff Paine

j.howlett

are they playing games from Japan instead from US?

icepick314

GoKeithGo

VitFer2007

Denalin

If it will shut Jack Thompson up, let the bill pass! I'm 28, and my 3 and 6 year old girls play nothing but Mario games, so it doesn't really effect me either way.

Phoenicks

MonkeyBiz

Whatever. It won't get anywhere.

CCCombobreaker

Xcite79

I just wish they would use the same system in places that actually matter and stop wasting my time for a simple drink in the city.

Fyren

I_fit_in

TheExiledLeader

Eh, again, I think most of the politicians stick to the media hyperbole, but I think as long as the legislation is exactly as listed above, I'm all for it. Kids really shouldn't be playing M or AO games. They certainly don't make kids into raging psychopaths, but they certainly don't help developing kids either, so it's probably best to keep them away from them until they've developed good discretion.

Or they turn 17, I guess, according to this legislation.

TalKeaton: A Force to be Reckoned With

braagh

Jeff Paine

Erwin

I'm all for stores confirming identity, but calm down with trashing this particular form of media. There's worse stuff out there. Just read People.

JocktheMotie

Sounds like a promising new genre that children and adults alike can enjoy around the dinner table.

I_fit_in

Ashkihyena

Señor Vorpal Kickass'o