The Video Game Voters Network issued an alert yesterday recommending that its members contact New York Governor David Paterson (left) to urge that he not sign pending video game legislation into law:
This bill would waste NY residents hard earned tax dollars on investigating video games when the facts are already in. We have much higher priorities for our resources and dollars than this kind of crusade.
As GamePolitics reported last month, the New York State Senate overwhelmingly passed a measure sponsored by Sen. Andrew Lanza (R). An identical bill also cleared the State Assembly.
While the VGVN, which is owned and operated by game publishers trade association the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is opposing the measure, the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), a group which represents game retailers, apparently does not plan to take action. In a statement issued following the bill's passage, the EMA said:
The bill is unnecessary and seeks to solve a problem that does not exist. But we do not anticipate that video game software retailers will have a problem complying with its requirements.
GP: As I pointed out in my Joystiq column, the Lanza bill is largely symbolic (see: NY Video Game Bill Barks, Doesn't Bite.
Comments
Regardless of how symbolic the bill may be, gamers and the industry should still oppose it for singling out video games for this treatment. Where's the law establishing an advisory board to suggest content ratings for books? Where's the law to force movie theaters to include parental filters? Where's the law stipulating that CDs have to have content ratings on their packaging (note: I don't consider "Parental Advisory" a rating comparable to the ESRB or MPAA ratings)? I'm more than a little surprised that GamePolitics isn't more vehemently opposed to this.
What are they investigating? Other games besides WOW to pass time when they should be signing all those important bills and taking note of the crap condition some of the cities outside of NYC are?
Waste of taxpayer money indeed, I wonder if the bill sets aside funds to "enforce" these "new" rules, at the very least the new board it creates is pointless. No wonder the state is hitting me up for more taxes, they spend money in such horrible ways.
The Bill is nothing but a waste of money. It's trying to solve a non-existing problem, and waste money on enforcing a law that is completely unnecessary.
Nanny state BS. Typical of New York these days.
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