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
-Laurie Halse Anderson
It would make bandwagon jumping a look before you leap process, and more or less kill off the "think of the childeren" throw away legislature for votes.
after all many (im guessing round 70-90%) politicans dont want to do something that could get them thrown in jail or give there opponents come voting time some good dirt.
We live in a culture of fear where everyone is just scared shitless and most of this is due to the mass media which is constantly bombaring us with death, destruction, violence on the news and then rather then placing the blame of the individuals commiting the violence, they blame it on a third party.
12 year old Johnny didn't kill his friend because he was fucked up in the head and had mental problems, or the fact his parents were negligent crack addicts who didn't bother to raise or even care for their child. NO, it's because he played GTA: SA, watched Scarface and listened to 50 Cent (actually 50 Cent would probably drive me to kill, not becuase of the contents of his lyrics, but because he just fuckin' sucks so much).
A 550 pound obese man isn't at fault for being fat, even though he eats fast food three times a day and biggie sizes it, it's McDonald's fault for having so much fat and calories in their food.
Today's society just fuckin' sickens me to know end. Now one is responsible for their own actions anymore and the nanny-state has to come in and protect us from ourselves. We are being babied and infantised by the government (esspecially young people and teenagers), and more and more laws and restrictions are being put on us every year that goes by. The worst part is people just sit by let it happen. Of course i'm just sitting here complaining on the internet, but i'm not a citizen of NY state. If i was i'd definelty write letter of disapproval to my state reps about this kind of stuff but in the end i feel in the end it would make no difference. The only way to make a difference IMHO is to vote against both the Democrats and Republicans. No more of this lesser of the two evils crap. The fact is both parties are equal when it comes to incompatance and placing more and more government restrictions and regulations on our lives. Whether it be for morality or protecting us from ourselves.
If this actually holds up in court (which it won't), I'm imagining something like the fireworks situation, where people just go across the state boarder to get their stuff. All in all, what a useless law.
What a mature adult plays is up to them, what a minor plays should be controled, as there is no evidence to show that a 8 year old needs to know all the details about pimps and drug dealing.
An 18 year old should be able to play Manhunt 2 for exapmle, but not an 8 or even 16 year old, becuase although the difference of maturity between two 16 year olds can be vast, a standard that can gauruntee that the majority will be mature enough to understand the game, so therefore a ratgin system useing 3 key ages, as in New Zealand works.
These are the ratings we use down in NZ; R13 (Canis Canem Edit, not very common) R16(SOCOM, God of War) or R18(GTA)
Excellent article - thanks for sharing!...