ECA Launches Campaign Against Videogame Warning Labels

[SoranMBane]

The process is almost entirely automated, requiring nothing more than a zip code [Americans only, I'm afraid] and a willingness to click the "Send This Message" button, so assuming you're eligible, there's no reason not to do your part. So take a couple of seconds out of your busy day, head over to action.theeca.com [http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5716] and get clicking!

Yes, this is an important issue and good on the ECA for doing something about it and all that, but that last paragraph... Seriously? Look, if you want to make a call to action, you can write an editorial about it or get a blog, but keep it out of the news articles. Just give us all the facts and relevant points of view on the matter and, by all means, give us the link to the site, but let us make our own conclusions and take our own action. Your opinions undermine any journalistic integrity an important news article like this might have had.

 

[Wierdguy]

Im just looking forward to 2030-ish when hopefully most people like that will have retierd and cant do any actually damage with the power they somehow managed to get.

With a little luck theyll be replaced by people who arent scared of "new" technology.

 

[weirdee]

Simplistically put, ECA is consumers, ESA is publishers, so if there's any kind of "us vs. them" going on, the ECA would represent us.

it occurs to me that perhaps they should have picked slightly more different acronyms

this bill wouldn't actually go through visibly, it might have worked if it was being sneaked in

it's a trap to draw attention to an otherwise completely forgettable man, i doubt he actually needs for the bill to succeed, he just wants publicity and a reputation for being a conservative who refuses to understand anything (in order to relate to similar voting demographics), and it was so easy to fall for it, wasn't it

i think we should instead be calling for a ban on politicians targeting video games for free publicity without actually meaning it

 

[doublenix]

Uh, requires more than zip code buddy. After zip, name, address, and so on are required to send letter. EDIT INBOUND!

 

[Baradiel]

As I don't live in the US, I doubt theres much I can do. However, I will chip in by saying the ECA logo is very nice. Took me a while to work out what letters were what. I'm very slow this afternoon -.-

 

[VonKlaw]

Engage controvery mode: will he also be campaigning for similar warnings to be placed on religious texts? *dives into nearest fallout shelter*

 

[Strazdas]

Ugh... And the people making these stoopid laws wonder why they are getting such a backlash from the public!

Seriously. It's like the Daylight Savings bullcrap us Western Australians had to put up with, 2 polls say NO so they force it in through the back-door as a 2 year "trial" after which another poll was held that gave a RESOUNDING NO! And they STILL try to get it in!

wait. Dailight saving change was made in WW2 when power was in huge lack of supply. nowadays anyone starting such a change should be closed up in a nuthouse. we are working on a way to remove it, why woudl any country want to make it.
oh wait. this is australia, yeah.....


On topic: remove all ratings. they are not needed. the sooner we stop classifying people by age the better. it has as much merit as the research this politician uses. There are only two strategies that are workable. 1. let the kid sort it out. many people saw what at those times were considered "worst horror movies" in their <10 years age and they turned all right. games are no different. or 2. make parents actually do parenting. dont have time for it? then dont have children until you find time for them.

P.S. capcha: battel royal, TROLOLOL

 

[Robert Ewing]

Hmm, it's like putting a 'may contain' nuts on a tub of peanut butter tbh.

Surely anybody with a brain stem can tell that games like we <3 Katamari isn't going to induce a widespread garrotting craze. While games like manhunt may do, and even that shits debatable.

But games like Manhunt aren't even in the freaking picture, it's for games rated E! What kind of psychological trauma will they freaking cause!? Will it give you an overwhelming desire to kill the first tortoise you see by jumping on it's arse?

 

[lacktheknack]

Hmm, it's like putting a 'may contain' nuts on a tub of peanut butter tbh.

Surely anybody with a brain stem can tell that games like we <3 Katamari isn't going to induce a widespread garrotting craze. While games like manhunt may do, and even that shits debatable.

But games like Manhunt aren't even in the freaking picture, it's for games rated E! What kind of psychological trauma will they freaking cause!? Will it give you an overwhelming desire to kill the first tortoise you see by jumping on it's arse?

You clearly never played Mysts one to three.

<youtube=0zZTiVwPftw>

Rated "E" for "Everyone Can Have Nightmares"!

 

[Dr.Sean]

I love how aggressively people like this are trying to ban vidya gaems for making people aggressive.

 

[Sylveria]

The process is almost entirely automated, requiring nothing more than a zip code [Americans only, I'm afraid] and a willingness to click the "Send This Message" button, so assuming you're eligible, there's no reason not to do your part. So take a couple of seconds out of your busy day, head over to action.theeca.com [http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5716] and get clicking!

Yes, this is an important issue and good on the ECA for doing something about it and all that, but that last paragraph... Seriously? Look, if you want to make a call to action, you can write an editorial about it or get a blog, but keep it out of the news articles. Just give us all the facts and relevant points of view on the matter and, by all means, give us the link to the site, but let us make our own conclusions and take our own action. Your opinions undermine any journalistic integrity an important news article like this might have had.

Is this the New York Times? No. This a website that has a demographic and an agenda. Oh, wait, so does the The Times.

Are you just one of those people that whenever anyone who's reporting says to support something, you claim have have no integrity? "Come out to the fair and support the community" "ZOMG NO INTEGRITY!" He didn't say "This is important so get clicking and if don't click you support terrorism;" that would be him forfeiting integrity. You sound ignorant of reality for making claims like this.

Did you take the same stance when this website was reporting on SOPA and telling us to take action to stop it?

 

[SoranMBane]

The process is almost entirely automated, requiring nothing more than a zip code [Americans only, I'm afraid] and a willingness to click the "Send This Message" button, so assuming you're eligible, there's no reason not to do your part. So take a couple of seconds out of your busy day, head over to action.theeca.com [http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5716] and get clicking!

Yes, this is an important issue and good on the ECA for doing something about it and all that, but that last paragraph... Seriously? Look, if you want to make a call to action, you can write an editorial about it or get a blog, but keep it out of the news articles. Just give us all the facts and relevant points of view on the matter and, by all means, give us the link to the site, but let us make our own conclusions and take our own action. Your opinions undermine any journalistic integrity an important news article like this might have had.

Is this the New York Times? No. This a website that has a demographic and an agenda. Oh, wait, so does the The Times.

Are you just one of those people that whenever anyone who's reporting says to support something, you claim have have no integrity? "Come out to the fair and support the community" "ZOMG NO INTEGRITY!" He didn't say "This is important so get clicking and if don't click you support terrorism;" that would be him forfeiting integrity. You sound ignorant of reality for making claims like this.

Did you take the same stance when this website was reporting on SOPA and telling us to take action to stop it?

So, demanding good journalism of a journalism site and actual news-quality reporting from a reporter makes me "ignorant of reality"? Really? Any news article where the writer shows their bias is a news article whose facts cannot be trusted, and with something as significant as this (another instance of the government attempting to regulate the media), unbiased reporting is especially important. And, yes, in the case of news stories I would take the same stance if the issue was SOPA. In fact, I would be even more adamant about keeping the stories unbiased because that issue was even more important. The exception is, as I said, editorials, where the author can expound on their position all they want, but dressing up opinion pieces like they were news stories is just not okay.

 

[boag]

ECA Launches Campaign Against Videogame Warning Labels

The Entertainment Consumers Association is calling on people join the opposition to California Congressman Joe Baca's bill calling for health warning labels on videogames.

Rep. Joe Baca stepped back into the spotlight a couple days ago with his third attempt at imposing legislation in California that would require all videogames rated E (Everyone) or higher to be labeled with warnings [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116420-California-Congressman-Demands-Videogame-Warning-Labels-Again] that "exposure to violent videogames has been linked to aggressive behavior." Baca tried the same thing in 2009 and 2011, neither of which went anywhere, and the ECA wants to make sure that his 2012 attempt ends up the same way.

To that end, the ECA has launched a new action campaign calling on consumers to express their opposition to Baca's bill to their own Member of Congress. The Association says Congress is "misinformed" on the issue, noting that while Baca cites scientific studies linking games to violence, there are a great many more studies which say there is no causal link between violent videogames and "negatively aggressive behavior," and that some new studies have actually demonstrated that videogames can have a positive impact on the development of children.

It also warned that Baca's call for warning labels on virtually all videogames - only those rated EC (Early Childhood) would be exempt - could also lead to confusion and undermine the ESRB labeling system that already exists and which is, we will once again remind you, the FTC says [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103555-Retailers-Turn-Away-80-of-Kids-Trying-to-Buy-M-Rated-Games] is the most effective media rating system on the market.

The process is almost entirely automated, requiring nothing more than a zip code [Americans only, I'm afraid] and a willingness to click the "Send This Message" button, so assuming you're eligible, there's no reason not to do your part. So take a couple of seconds out of your busy day, head over to action.theeca.com [http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5716] and get clicking!


Permalink

After the whole SOPA/PIPA thing, they can go fuck themselves and fight their own battles.

 

[tipp6353]

snip

After the whole SOPA/PIPA thing, they can go fuck themselves and fight their own battles.[/quote] That was the ESA who did that, not the ECA

 

[I'mANinja]

snip

After the whole SOPA/PIPA thing, they can go fuck themselves and fight their own battles.

The ESA was backing SOPA not the ECA, pay attention -.-'

 

[vxicepickxv]

Could someone please vote this troll out of office? There is no reason why this walking yeast infection should still have a job.

actually I believe Baca is up for reelection this year, so come on district 43, you can do better.

As a member of the House of Representatives, he is up for reelection every two years. His district is very small, and is made up of wealthy older folks, typically movie and music company execs. He's basically trying to get the old people out to vote for him, because nobody else lives in the area.

I remember the letter to the editor last year from the Escapist in the News & Observer, as that is the district I'm registered to vote in(by absentee ballot). The district rep is much more aware of these studies, and has actually talked to a publisher who resides and works in his district. He typically is referred to around here as CliffyB.

 

[Eternal Visitor]

am I a bad person for thinking this guy's name is baka for a reason? (yes I know, one letter off, but I say it the same way)

almost nothing makes it to shelves with an EC rating, nobody makes children's games for consoles anymore, and with blindingly good reason.

well, worst case scenario is he kills a few markets for games and gets the whole industry after his boiled brain case, best case is he gets laughed out of office and never gets a political job again.


as always, my twisted take on what might be called reality.

 

[alandavidson]

I'll probably keep saying this until the day that I die: Not every video game is designed for children. Just like there are books, movies, and TV shows that are created with an adult target audience and contain material unsuitable for children, video games are exact same way.

We don't need warnings on video games, we need parents who are better informed.

Captcha is trying to sell me a car now... I'm getting worried.