Rhode Island Attorney General Issues GTA IV Warning

Well, duh, however it seems that common sense isn't all that common.

Hey, what is this guy doing in politics? Politicians are supposed to blow things out of perspective, make rash judgements, use ninth hand information to propose laws about video games, and assume it is up to the publishers to prevent kids from buying the games. This type of common sense and rational reasoning doesn't belong any place in government. And expecting the parents to be involved with their children past the age of four? Insanity.

Finally, one with a brain in his head..

seems nice.

how old is he?

^^^ Hear hear.

I gotta say, I like this guy.
It's good to see a lawyer with a brain.

All of this hoopla against GTA IV is just plain silly. There is all kinds of misinformation about games and this game inparticular. If you want to see some interesting paralles and get a good laugh go rent "Reefer Madness" and you'll see the same type of manufactured hysteria. I swear, its fear mongers like Jack Thompson stirring up the sheep (uneducated right wingers and Faux News). Get a life losers.

so my eb games id'd everyone who bought the game including people well into there 40's and anyone over the age of 30 was asked if they were buying it for their kids.

"you do realize the second mission consists of you mass murdering a group of prostitues and slaugtering police in your escape attempt."

not very accurate but effective nonetheless

Is it just me or does he look like he isnt old enough to purchase the game himself?

Ugh. Enough with the goddamn frenzy!!! Any parent who doesn't already know about GTA is a goddamn recluse and needs to get out more. Or at least get a TV.

Next up, a warning that water is wet and submerging your head/face in it can cause drowning.

When I was younger my mother bought me a Nintendo 64, she would only buy me E or T games...she understood M rated games werent for my age bracket, she also paid close attention to what was in the T rated games. If my mom understood the ESRB system how come its so hard for other people to? Especially this day and age with all the ESRB education panphlets.

Looks like this one has his head screwed on straight. Still, it seems odd that such a simple content rating system has to be taught to parents.

Rhode Islanders, keep this guy in office. The only way we are going to keep winning little battles like this is if we all remain politically vigilant.

A moderate message from a lawyer?

Whatever next?

Hey, at least he's not being a D-bag about it. He's just giving a realistic warning about something that's not meant for kids.

@jack thompson

I really wish you were Thompson, we could have a fun conversation. Unfortunately from what I hear he's blocked from posting on this site.

Oh, and I would like to make a prediction: Most parents will either ignore this or take offense, saying he's trying to raise their children, whilst they simultainiously cede their parental rights over to crazy broads like Hillary Clinton. Oh the irony.

An educated response from an educated politician, there are so few of them nowadays

I'm confused. Why do parents need to keep games like this away from kids? There has never been ANY evidence at all of ANY link between violent video games and violent behaviour. I mean he's saying that kids need to be kept away from completely harmless entertainment. Doesn't this guy have better things to do with his time than warning people about entirely harmless stuff? And those who are praising him for his more even-handed approach (i.e. praising the fact that he isn't acting like the Witchfinder General as other attorneys general - i.e. Elliot Spitzer - have) are kind of missing the point that this politician is wasting public resources by bringing up this non-issue. I mean what does it take for some folks to realise that politicians like this are wasting our tax money chasing wild geese?

@ Ian Cooper

I agree with you in context, but in context only. You wouldn't let a six-year-old watch something like, say, any horror films, correct? The same would be said for something like Resident Evil.

Now, say, along the lines of a 14-16 year-olds, that's where parents can step in and choose depending upon the development of their individual child which, for some reason, politicians of most shapes and sizes don't seem to get. If specific parents sheltered their child and they're traumatized at the sight of blood, they wouldn't want said child to get something like Mortal Kombat. If, however, the actually succeeded in starting to prepare their child for the real world, (you know, like parents are supposed to do, just give bits in gradual doses. Baby steps.) they might buy it for them despite the M rating, because, contrary to the belief of the inept, the human mind does not sit in an eggshell until the magic age of 18.

By the way, tomorrow I'm going to do the responsible adult thing and let my 5 year-old daughter play GTA IV. She will play the game, wander the streets of Liberty City without engaging in any violence at all and be as happy as can be playing the game nonviolently. She might even get into a car and drive happily and very slowly and carefully around the neighborhoods. This will prove (at least to me) that the ratings system is nonsense, that all the hoopla and negative publicity about this game is nonsense and that politicians who are using this as a political football need to get a life and start worrying about REAL issues.

Later in the day, I'll play the game. I'll doubtless kill numerous simulated cops, simulated innocent people and simulated prostitutes, I'll steal, I'll commit mass murder, I may even have simulated sex in the game with the simulated prostitutes, then in the real world I'll behave quite normally without harming or stealing from anyone and without cheating on my wife with a prostitute (or anyone else) because I, like almost everyone else in the world, can tell the difference between a game and reality, and because no game can ever influence me to place my morals and judgment on hold in the real world.

You know what else - even my daughter can tell a video game from the real world, and she's only FIVE!

@Jack Wessels

Indeed a fake. The real deal always capitalizes,adds slashes when not needed, and labels himself an attorney(And will likely continue to after disbarment)

Watch the real one fire off twelve emails for not controling the posters.

@the article.

Where were all these intelligent politicians when this started?

@ Ian Cooper:

The fact is that the issue was brought up when GTA IV was first announced and it hasn't stopped yet. It expanded with the release, but that is to be expected. The issue was here, so he just added his input. But those are just semantics.

I would rather have a politician attempting to educate parents about the ESRB system than having them call for an outright ban. The fact is that this kind of thinking is a good step forwards. He places his belief that M rated games should be kept from children in his statements, but that is to be expected. Politicians act within their beliefs. Personally, I believe that it is up to the parents to decide what is right for their children. But those who realise that a video game won't hurt a child usually don't need a politician to explain the ESRB to them.

@Ian Cooper

Michael Jackson. That's a person who did not come to terms with the world soon enough.

My parents wanted to shelter me, but that fell apart when I watched Robo Cop at a neighbor kids house. My parents then became what Ian Cooper has described. If we watched a scary sci-fi movie, action flick (my dad loves Commando with The Governator), or anything else, we would talk about it. Talking about these things with your kids is the best thing to do. For me, I felt respected when my parents had discussions about current issues with me and listened to my opinion. They've never really treated me like some kid when I was younger, of course unless I did something to deserve their fury. Heh, the good ol' days.