California Congressman Demands Videogame Warning Labels [Again]

[ReservoirAngel]

The only thing video games made me have aggressive tendencies towards is stuffy old bastards that don't know shit making massive assumptions about my mental state just because I enjoy playing video games.

Seriously politicians, will you fuck off with this shit already?

 

[Nurb]

Game devs have a responsibility to no one, just like TV and movie industries don't have a responsibility, and those two things have children watching them more than playing games. Bullshit legislation from a bullshit old white man wanting to get votes from soccer-moms who believe this bullshit.

Making me break out the chart again.

 

[MrBaguette]

Only two words for this guy: "B*tch Please"

 

[Rad Party God]

Why do all of these old farts suddendly forget that we already have a rating system?, also, if a kid gets his filthy mitts on an M rated game, that's because of bad parenting, because these products already aren't sold to underage little bastards.

I wouldn't like to see a mindless and stupid warning label on my games like if I'm buying a damn box of cigarrettes.

 

[algalon]

Oh great. Now I have to go back to HBO.com and recast my vote for stupidest state.

 

[Atmos Duality]

"FOR THE CHILDRENS!"
Yeah. This is just more lobby-whoring with tunnel-vision scientific "proof".
Keep the proud tradition alive; Generic Rich Old White Guy.

 

[Wintermoot]

with a all due respect sire BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE SINCE 1994!
is it that hard to run ESRB PSA,s? I think Penny Arcade already had posters on it simply print them and put them up near gaming stores.

 

[ElPatron]

"WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior."

So far I have not seen any "decent" study capable of making that link.

I have seen one where violent videogames stimulate the exact same areas of the brain if you censor the violence.

 

[Charli]

The industry does inform families and parents, and most of them just don't care, because people are stupid and negligent and enjoy remaining free of accountability in their own heads.

Bottom line. Fuck. Off. Dude, unless you can cure the human race of stupidity this just puts another meaningless hurdle in the way of publishers and impedes both profitability of the industry and creativity.

You. Douche.

I can also safely say that studies might also find over 80% of legislation submitted to congress is utter bullshit forwarding agendas that profit mainly the person that submitted them.

Fancy that.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Introduced on Monday, Baca's third kick at the can is H.R. 4204 [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.4204:], the Violence in Video Games Labeling Act, which would mandate that games rated E (Everyone) or higher carry a label reading, "WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior."

Could someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought violence in video games was linked to causing earthquakes and watching Arnie films was linked to aggresive behaviour? Or was it Beyonce that they linked to aggresive behaviour (I can never remember)?

Oh and grapefruits cause tumors, the iPad causes the polar ice caps to melt, the moon is linked to wine going off and I've not been linked to anything because I'm far too wily, like the fox.

 

[Risingblade]

Oh god it's assholes like this that are bring our state into greater debt.

 

[Otaku World Order]

Mr. Congressman, since you seem so interested in psychology, did you know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

Just sayin'.

I swear, these California politicians never learn. Did Leland Yee's epic failure teach them nothing?

 

[ThePS1Fan]

...OK, if you say so. Watch as nothing happens (parents still buy their children "God of War", for heavens' sake) and you'll add more stress to your booming economy that's generating a massive surplus.

...Wait.

That got me thinking, imagine how many people who buy Call of Duty every year are under 17/18. Millions and that's just one example look at other huge selling games like Mass Effect or GTA. The idea is to keep all these sales from happening, that's a huge amount of money that isn't going anywhere then.

 

[GiglameshSoulEater]

The only thing negative(?) video games has taught me is to never trust politicians. You had me going there for a second Councilor Udina. You jerk!

Politicians are the weeds of the galaxy. Oh, do I hate politicians.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Seems like another politician who doesn't know how to interpret scientific research results, assuming the studies he's referring to are indeed reliable and from a reputable, independent source. Things like 'correlation =/= causation' or 'may cause =/= will cause'.

But I'm sure the congressman is a wise and worldly man who does know these differences. After all, that is why he is in office and we aren't, is it not?

 

[HalfTangible]

...Really, Congressmen?

THAT is the most important thing you can think of to talk about?

 

[Aprilgold]

I'm all for it. If this means parents will think twice before buying their 12 year old kid call of duty or halo or whatever M rated game then yes, do it.

But right there is the rating. Go look at the bottom right or left part of either side of the box and you will see a rating, guaranteed. Whats going to stop a parent from buying their kiddy-wink Call of Duty when there is already a warning system in place for it.

A parent must decide what is right or wrong for their kid, and its every parents right to let their kids play whatever they want, regardless of age.

The problem with out right saying that "THIS GAME THAT IS RATED E IS GOING TO TURN YOUR CHILD INTO A SEX CRAZED, DRUG ATTIC CRIMINAL WHO MURDERS SMALL BABIES THEN EATS THEM!" When there is enough evidence to the contrary, along with the fact that Kinectimals is not going to train your child to do any of these things. He choose the lowest rating out there for the baseline which is just incorrect. EA is Early Childhood, and there are very, very few games out there with this rating.

Once again, the government shouldn't be telling parents what their kids are allowed to view, because you can bet your grandpas knickers that they will find out one way or the other to view something that they aren't allowed to. Either playing it over at Tommies house, or straight up stealing it, they will find a way themselves. There is not one person who won't be tainted by the media around them.

Its like with porn, nothing is going to stop a horny twelve year old from finding a way to jerk off, so why try to stop them.

-------------------

Do I have to say anything more, there already is something for this, its called the ESRB.

 

[RatRace123]

God, if only we had something like this:

You know, if we had a system that looks at the content of games and gives it a rating based on which age groups the game is appropriate for... a "rating system" if you will.

And, if only that rating system could have labels that are stuck on the back of a game's box and if they could inform you of the content that's within the game.

Too bad we don't have something like that. I guess this politician, who in no way is trying to advance a personal agenda, is right. We totally need to have labels that warn people of the content in videogames.
I mean surely if we had something like that, all of these "concerned parents" would actively look at the ratings and never buy an inappropriate game for their kids.

 

[ryo02]

"WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior."

but that would be false advertising silly politician

 

[weirdee]

the only real outcome to this would be that some parents would be hit with the alarmist text and never buy anything for their children that the children would actually enjoy, and that most of these parents would actually ignore this label due to its meaninglessness

however, the IMAGINARY effect that retailers and publishers would perceive will change their behavior, possibly leading to a cascade of changes that would impose increasingly inane procedures in the process, that would then adversely affect our hobby

i'd say let the stupid guy have his labels to make himself feel more important, if it weren't for how stupid people can get over something insignificant