June 22, 2007 -
Details are few at this point as New York State legislators worked late last night to wrap up the current session.
As expected, the Senate and Assembly reached agreement on video game legislation. However, time ran out before the measure could be passed in both houses. Legislators expect to formally pass the bill when they return in July. At that point the video game bill will go to Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), who is expected to sign it into law.
WXXA-DT/TV (Albany) reports:
Republican Senator Andrew Lanza (left) who represents Staten Island describes the type of video games his legislation is trying to label for parents: "Games that, for instance, reward you for shooting and murdering New York City police officers."
[Senate Minority Leader James] Tedisco says, "Nobody walks up to me on the streets and says, 'Because there's violent video games, I'm leaving the state of New York.' They say, 'I'm leaving the state of New York because I can't afford to live here.'"
Meanwhile, Lower Hudson Online has this:
Two agreements were announced yesterday.
One would place limits on who can see violent video games. It would make it a felony to sell violent and obscene video games to minors. In addition, manufacturers would have to equip game consoles with parental-control devices, retailers would have to label games that are violent and obscene, and the state would establish a committee to study the problem.
"We were all always on the same page in protecting children. We just had to come up with ways to compromise," said Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, D-Brooklyn, co-chairman of the joint conference committee.
GP: Based on an inaccurate news account, we originally listed this bill as passed. In checking with Sen. Lanza's office, we learned that it has been agreed upon but not yet officially passed.
Comments
Manufacturers already include parental controls.
I know, because I'm a game tester and we have to check every game to make sure the rating syncs correctly with the level allowed on the console.
The GameCube, PS2, Xbox, Wii, PS3 and Xbox360 all have parental controls built in already (but only for the North America units).
PS2, PS3, Xbox, and Xbox360 also have parental controls for movies, as these consoles play DVDs.
I think it's pretty ridiculous they are trying to pass a law like this. The game industry already does everything in the bill, and then some.
Consoles already have parental controls; video games already include ratings on the box, and more in-depth ratings can be found at the ESRB website; stores already do not permit anyone under 18 to buy an M rated game.
I went to GameStop with a friend of mine to get 'Zone of the Enders'. It's a somewhat older PS2 title where you are a giant robot fighting other giant robots in space. There's no blood, no sex, just fighting robots, and it still got an 'M' rating. I went to pay for it and they asked for my ID. I'm 24 and I shop there all the time, but they still needed my ID. Then they wanted my friend's ID. I explained that he's a year older than me, and that it didn't matter anyway, because I was buying the game, and the bastard simply would not sell me the game.
I don't know why anyone needs a bill when you've already got the whole industry dancing along to the politician's tune already.
I've had success. My U.S. Congresswoman replied with a personalized response. Now, I'm not saying it was actually her, but it was purely about the issue I wrote to her about, which was a Net Radio bill that would have taxed and essentially bankrupted most small net radio stations. So I take comfort in the fact that my personal thoughts were considered by at least one politician.
Eh, what?
If something as insignificant as video games are these people's top priority what does that say for all the other issues that are happing in their fine state?
I suggest that if they legislate laws such as these that they most show their opportunity cost. "Yes, ma'am we passed the video game law to protect your children from going to Wal-Mart and buying mature games. However, we had to pass up on legislation to further keep pedophiles from school zones and family neighborhoods."
What about, oh I don't know....the BIG FUCKING M ON THE FRONT OF THE GAME THAT SAYS MATURE 17+?! There is your fucking warning! Or how about the back that also tells you what the game contains, like blood and gore, language, etc. Stop bitching at the gaming industry and take responsibility for yourselves as parents or even just the dick heads you are and get a God damned clue. Assholes!
Also, to quote George Carlin, fuck the children! I'm sick of seeing this same lying bullshit every god damn time. "We are protecting the children." Bullshit! Has nothing to do with the children, because if it did then you need to, as already stated, take responsibility as parents and make sure they don't play the games that you feel with "harm" them in some way. Don't make bullshit laws and/or attempt to ban shit in order to "protect the children", because then you're just pissing on the rights of every single other person for the sake of your own delusional expression of "protection".
That second "both" (the one that's not bold shouldn't be in there.
Can't afford to live there because of the exhorbitant taxes resulting from the legislature wasting time and funds on blatantly unconstitutional laws. It's a vicious cycle eh?
Twain may have lived well before the digital age, but a hell of a lot of his writings are still accurate.
Ironically, some of Mark Twain's works have come under the censorship hammer in the past.
Booting up and defragging their lawyers, I would imagine.
That quote just wins on epic proportions.
More like.... What a crappy year for the game industry.
...and NONE of you thought labeled retailers FELONS was extreme? Good to know my calls/letters/emails got through to you morons.
@Rob
That whole paragraph jumped out at me. I realize the author is just summarizing the bill, but failing to mention the redundancy (parental controls, labeling, etc) makes the bill actually sound like it's accomplishing something.
I assume they're looking at the GTA series, But I know for a fact you do NOT get rewarded for killing cops... Actually I recall that raises your wanted level more than killing some random bystander...Which is technically a punishment.
Last time I checked, having a "high wanted level" in the real world isn't very rewarding...
when if the kids were not being tought different that video games are for fun, enjoyment, relaxation there would be a whole different effect. Its not the video games, its the violence around the world. So I guess if I buy an R rated movie and my son watches it thats wrong huh. I guess I shouldn't let my son watch or go to school to learn about history either. Alot of violence is in that.
There is always somewhere to put the blame expect in the right place.
It's called free-speech. If you don't like it, don't play it. Just like movies, tv, music, etc.
Answer here:
http://lawofthegame.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-york-gaming-bill-what-is-cl...
"§ 120.01 Reckless assault of a child by a child day care provider.
§ 120.03 Vehicular assault in the second degree.
§ 120.30 Promoting a suicide attempt.
§ 125.10 Criminally negligent homicide.
§ 125.40 Abortion in the second degree.
§ 130.25 Rape in the third degree. ("Statutory Rape")
§ 130.40 Criminal sexual act in the third degree.
§ 135.10 Unlawful imprisonment in the first degree.
§ 150.05 Arson in the fourth degree.
§ 230.05 Patronizing a prostitute in the second degree. (A person over 18 patronizes a prostitute who is under 14.)
§ 176.15 Insurance fraud in the fourth degree."
All of these are the equivalent of selling a violent game to a minor? :Q
I wasn't aware that it was as bad as arson and rape.
-Kevin C.
So does he oppose the law? Or does he actually think it's a good thing, just not something they should spend time on right now?
Not true. God of War wasn't rated AO, and there were plenty of boobies.
So yeah, I live in New York and I've been following this issue and writing my state representatives. Did anyone else here see anything about the other bills proposed in the NY Assembly? There were two that would keep retailers from displaying violent games where minors would see them. So if they want to display them, they'll have to have a separate area off limits to minors, or just not let minors in the store. And then another bill would require retailers to keep game copies present and playable for "authorities" (which from what I could tell, were unspecified) to play as spot checks.
I'm just becoming more and more floored here. This state is so screwy some times. It's like living in a place where everyone has senile dementia and is struggling to understand a changing world. They try to understand, fail, and then act on things anyway. I seriously think I'm starting my own country somehow. Kind of like the guy with the abandoned oil platform in international waters. Anyone know how he went about all of that?