72 Percent of Adults Support California Game Law - UPDATED

[VanityGirl]

Doesn't effect me. Yay adulthood!

But, for you minors, this would be dreadful news. While I do think that many game retailers should enforce carding rules, especially for 13 year olds trying to buy Manhunt P), I think making it a law is a bit extreme.
What would they consider to be a minor? 16? 18? 21?

I do also think it's the responsibility of the parent to watch what their kids buy/watch, that's why I think making this a law is a bit unecessary.

 

[johnsom]

Reminds me of a story. When I was young I bought the original resident evil game. No they didnt bat an eye at this. The thing was definitely rated M. After beating it in a few days I asked my mom if she would return it for me claiming she didn't want me to have a M rated game. To my surprise she agreed and I got my full refund.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Oh what misguided people, will they ever open up their eyes.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

Doesn't effect me. Yay adulthood!

Yes, it does.

The law operates on the miller test. The miller test is, basically, finding a random person and asking them if the material offends them, is pornographic by their definition, and lacks any value. Which means any and every game could potentially be removed from every shelf.

 

[Harn]

I don't really get this... back when I used to work at an EBGames, there were never any minors popping in to buy the M rated games, it was always the parents who came in and bought it for them, despite my warnings that the game wasn't suitable for a young child. [Although, about 1/10 did stop and think it over, and ask me how I knew this, was always delighted to teach them about game ratings]

The game's rating is right there on the game, it's not the industries fault if people are too stupid to pay attention to it.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

News Flash! It's not the Video Game industry's job to protect your kids from ultraviolent video games and whatever. That's YOUR job!!

"What we've learned from this poll is that parents want to be the ones who decide which games their kids play, not the videogame industry."

They already are! They don't have to allow their kids to play these games. God damn the level of stupidity here is staggering, even for me and didn't think I could even be shaken by human stupidity again.

 

[gl1koz3]

They surely know what to spend taxpayer money on and how to unnecessarily complicate things.

 

[Hawgh]

I suggest that the industry hire very large and angry men to patrol videogame outlets, and prevent children from purchasing video games that they are not entitled to. Additionally, they shall forcefully enter people's homes and reclaim any wrongfully possessed games.

Then none will complain that the video game industry doesn't do enough to raise their own bloody children for them.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

If the game is rated as mature or 18+ then kids shouldn't be playing them, so why does it matter if the player has to make the conscious decision to play the game violently? If you don't want your kids playing violent games then don't buy them for them. If they buy them behind your back then take the console of them as a punishment. If they keep disobeying you and choose to play violent videogames then you must have done a shit job of raising them.

I really don't care much either way for this law. I don't live in California and I'm already old enough to buy any game I want to without having to ask politely. If the American Government want to be even more hypocritical then let them go wild.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

I don't really get this... back when I used to work at an EBGames, there were never any minors popping in to buy the M rated games, it was always the parents who came in and bought it for them, despite my warnings that the game wasn't suitable for a young child. [Although, about 1/10 did stop and think it over, and ask me how I knew this, was always delighted to teach them about game ratings]

The game's rating is right there on the game, it's not the industries fault if people are too stupid to pay attention to it.

These political action groups feel that such corporate policies are too lax, and allow too many minors access to... well, video games in general.

What they want is if you, as a clerk, even suspect the product will go to a minor, that its illegal to sell it. Like cigarettes or alcohol.

If the game is rated as mature or 18+ then kids shouldn't be playing them, so why does it matter if the player has to make the conscious decision to play the game violently?

So, what you're saying is... if I sold you a baseball bat and you chose to smash a 6 year old girl's head in with it, I and the baseball bat's manufacturer are responsible?

I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, but that is the subtext of that statement.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

THIS IS BULLSHIT!

Someone told me that we have this law in the UK but guess what? I went off and tried to buy Killzone 2 the other day and did I get arrested? No... No I did not.

Parents, what do you mean that not enough is being done to prevent your kids playing violent games? The big label saying little kids can't play it? The fact that adverts for said games are not allowed to play until they're in bed? They're no different to watching a gory film, and in fact, I would say that films are more so since they are actually looking real while you can tell games are virtual. I want to go to California and defend games myself right now!

Arnold, California is in debt because people wanted more spending in Education but less Taxes, and now people want you to regulate sales on an entire medium which produces billions of dollars every year! Is this wise in the slightest? Is it? And while we're at it, why don't we regulate Terminator, since it has both sex, tits, and super violence as well as bad language and I'm sure kids go see that!

/rant

My rant will never be over. Not until we actually learn to defend ourselves outside of the internet and in reality. Anonymous is busy, and we can't expect them to do everything. We as one must stand up and fight, not as gamers from Xbox, or PC, Or Playstation, nor even Nintendo, but as gamers ourselves under one flag like Kevin Butler said, for we are gamers and this is going to effect us all, even if we don't live in the US. "If America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold."

Calumon: I wish we could help out...

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

"What we've learned from this poll is that parents want to be the ones who decide which games their kids play, not the videogame industry."

And yet, this law actually removes the ability of parents to decide which games their kids play and hands it to the government instead. Great logic there guys. Wonderful.

 

[2xDouble]

After a quick tally in the thread, I can safely conclude that 100% of the world disagrees with that poll, giving the data a negative rating. And a staggering 0% think that the numbers are accurate.

See? I can make a poll too. That means I win.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Woah, woah, wait... violence against women? What the fuck? What about games where you play as a women (or even a man), and go around killing just men? There is no "violence against men" rating. Oh wait, nevermind, forgot it can't be sexist if you are male...

 

[Javex]

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the norm? I got ID'ed to buy Mafia 2 the other day because the cashier didn't think I was 17 (I'm 21, lol). Isn't it already illegal to sell these games to minors? Isn't that why there's a rating system in the first place?

What will this Californian law change?

It is not illegal in the US. The industry self-imposes and self-enforces age ratings, but there is not currently any legal requirement for them to do so. If this law survives the supreme court, games will be considered a controlled substance, like cigarettes or alcohol, and not art or media, like film or literature.

This law is a big fucking deal.

-m

Well.... Shit. Not sure how exactly it will affect me, as a Canadian. But I assume that it will make game development a living hell for publishers in the US, and the industry as a whole. It's so frustrating how games get the shitty end of the stick when it comes to greater public approval.

 

[craddoke]

A few questions:

1) What was the sampling method of this poll?
2) How where the respondents contacted? Robocalls to landline numbers only?
3) How was the question being polled worded? (e.g., "Do you think games that promote violence against women, racial stereotyping, and murder need to be regulated more stringently?")

Never trust a poll number that doesn't come with extensive documentation of methodology.

 

[Kuranesno7]

Is't it possible that this is a small percentage of the actual parent population, Like how people who don't use computers or don't know the website or just don't give a shit enough about the debate to vote on that site won't contribute imput to this type of Bullshit.