Dem lawmaker introduces bill to ban sales of violent video games to minors

[ScottsdaleHokie]

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-va...ames-to-minors

The industry already self regulates using ESRB ratings. Walmart will not sell you a video game rated M without an ID.

It’s just another power grab. Liberals can’t bear the thought that private industry is doing something very nicely without government intervention.

BTW, I hear comics are pretty violent too. Better ban them, or force them to make comics with fluffy bunnies and unicorns hugging rainbows or something.

[Garnier Fructis]

This is stupid. Parents would just buy the game for their kids anyway and bypass the law. Dumb happens on both sides of the political spectrum.

[Sorensen]

Yeah you can't buy M rated games without an ID to show you are 17 already why make a law for that?

[Tinykong]

Redundant legislation is redudant.

I love this kind of stuff, bureaucrats that are completely out of touch with technology and consumers come up with this do-nothing bill, and cheer for themselves. Parents buy their children these games everyday, and they can be downloaded illegally by anyone with basically no effort or risk faster than it takes to drive to the store and buy them.

[Rukentuts]

Is movie ratings for R (and requirements of audiences thereof) a regulation or a law? Because it should be consistent.

[Sorensen]

Is movie ratings for R (and requirements of audiences thereof) a regulation or a law? Because it should be consistent.

no it is regulated by the movie industry itself not by law.

[Flatspriest]

Wow, yet another way to add more government oversight and payroll. The object is to LOWER spending, not keep increasing it with redundant policies and oversight.

[Depravitty]

O you mean make a thing for something that is already a thing? Sounds legit lets also make red lights mean "stop".

[Rukentuts]

no it is regulated by the movie industry itself not by law.

Then yea, it's hypocritical to target one form of entertainment over another in this case.

[s_bushido]

It’s just another power grab. Liberals can’t bear the thought that private industry is doing something very nicely without government intervention.

Yes, because those filthy Liberals have a monopoly on an irrational distrust of the media.

Wait...

[Deadvolcanoes]

Yeah this is dumb. Not much else to say.

[Kraenen]

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-va...ames-to-minors

The industry already self regulates using ESRB ratings. Walmart will not sell you a video game rated M without an ID.

It’s just another power grab. Liberals can’t bear the thought that private industry is doing something very nicely without government intervention.

BTW, I hear comics are pretty violent too. Better ban them, or force them to make comics with fluffy bunnies and unicorns hugging rainbows or something.

You know barely anyone abides by that "self-regulation", right? I could get M rated games from anywhere back in the day. Maybe things have changed since then.

[Reg]

Except there is no punishment or enforcement of the ESRB. It's more of a suggestion, not a rule. I know for a fact I bought M rated games underage with no questions asked. This makes it an actual law.

[anveena]

As if kids parents wont purchase the games for them like they already do...

[Reg]

As if kids parents wont purchase the games for them like they already do...

This logic makes absolutely no sense. "It won't stop ALL kids from playing violent games, so we shouldn't even bother..."

[Sorensen]

As if kids parents wont purchase the games for them like they already do...

Pretty much all this would do is make kids parents buy the game for them instead of sometimes now the parent isnt there when these games are sold.

[Deleted]

So kids are allowed to see decapitation, blood, torture, severing of limbs in movies (as long as they don't show boobs)
But doing it for themselves in videogames is a bridge to far? Oo

[Elegiac]

Except there is no punishment or enforcement of the ESRB. It's more of a suggestion, not a rule. I know for a fact I bought M rated games underage with no questions asked. This makes it an actual law.

And that changes that it is stupid and ineffective how, exactly? It's gotten even easier to purchase M rated games because of digital downloads through Steam and Amazon.

[Zonas]

Not really sure how it is in other places, but where I live you can't get any M rated games unless you have an ID, or look obvious that you're older than that.

Though, it's not like parents don't buy their kids games like this anyway. My mother didn't care what the rating was when I was a kid, and I'm not running around shooting whores and stealing cars and collecting hidden packages. It's just an attempt to demonize video games as a bad influence on children. Because, you know, we need those scapegoats when something bad happens.

[tombstoner139]

Except there is no punishment or enforcement of the ESRB. It's more of a suggestion, not a rule. I know for a fact I bought M rated games underage with no questions asked. This makes it an actual law.

Even if it is an actual law all it means is "mom/dad buy this for me...." or better yet get an older brother/sister of you or your friend to get it for you.
later on in life once this skill has been acquired it can be applied to obtaining alcohol... so yea good law....no unintended consequences.