Well F*ck what do we need parents for!? I mean damn, I guess we should just give the kids to the government! Here ya' go! :D

Really now.
Would you not think that our goverment would have better things to do. You cant stop rock & roll, so you cant stop anything that kids want to get. Maybe they should turn there foucus on Human Trafficing & Meth Labs.

in my opinion, propaganda is more dangerous then any video game.

I'm a heavy gamer and all I can say is bravo.

I mean kids can't go and watch R-rated games, so why should they be able to buy R-rated video games? These restrictions are good, but at the same time we need more educated parents that don't just let their kids have whatever they want, because that's what will end up happening. But the law is good and I support it.

Why can't we be more like IRAN??

Iran bans Western Music...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4543720.stm

kidding ;)

lmao...

Well, it would solve all our problems with RIAA...

Hillary, get on that, would ya?

Oh this is bulls***. All the new systems coming out will have parental controls to begin with...so if a parent doesn't want their kid playing inappropriate games...then so be it.

The fact of the matter is, the government is trying to be an idiot babysitter who doesn't understand the gaming industry.

This bill will only solidify the fact that parents suck at being...well...parents.

"the government is trying to be an idiot babysitter"

But isnt that what the liberals want? More power to the government? You vote someone like this into office, and this is what you get.

But onto the topic: I am for restrictions of selling Mature and Adult-only video games to minors under the age of seventeen. But we all know this won't stop kids from playing those games. They'll most likely figure out how to get ahold of them.

Anyway, I think they are too conservative to the extreme, if porn is involved then should violence be included as well?

I'm at a loss for what your comment has to do with the story.

Me too. Maybe I missed it but where does it mention "God" in this article?

The sad part of all this is, is that young people (

AMEN! :)

I thought Clinton was a democrat?

"requiring retailers to abide by the ratings that are meant to keep children from purchasing violent video games."

"make it illegal for a Mature, Adults-Only or Ratings Pending game to be sold to minors under seventeen"

What's the point in having an adults only rating if retailers are selling it to minors? It's comparable to selling/renting out pron or extreme violence movies or cigarettes to minors.

What's the point of having parents if they are not ... parenting?

Parents are 1 level of the issue.

This issue addresses the level where the retailer knowingly sells an 'adults only' labelled product to a minor.

It has nothing to do with your dim antagonistic response.

Depends on how you view the label...as a suggestion, or a law.

Right now it's a suggestion. Why is it the retailers responsibility to check the kids age? Does (s)he not have parents?

The retailer, at no point, should be held responsible for what someone's kid buys from them. If the kid is not responsible enough, the kid should be accompianied by a parent who is. If the parent is not responsible enough, it is the parent who should face the consequences, not the retailer.

The ratings are meant as a guideline for parents not a restriction on sale, to give parents an idea what the game is about and what it contains. So that the PARENTS can decide what is right for their children. Not every child is the same, some can seperate fantasy from reality without issue and therefore the parent is less concerned about letting their child have the game. Other kids have a more difficult time with it and the rating then arms the parents with what is needed to determine if the game is appropriate.

Let's assume it became law (let's avoid if it should or shouldn't be for the moment). Just like selling booze to a minor, the retailer is resonsible.

Child porn is illegal for children and adults because it exploits and corrupts. There is mounting evidence that young minds are exploited and corrupted by scenes of extreme violence - be it in movies, video games or elsewhere. If there is sufficient proof of the negative effects of violent video games then there is a valid reason to outlaw their sales to minors and place the responsibility on the retailer, after all they are the point where the transaction of controlled substance (game?) occurs.

"Let's assume..."

Let's not.

"There is mounting evidence that young minds are exploited and corrupted by scenes of extreme violence - "

All anecdotal or highly suspect.

"If there is sufficient proof of the negative effects of violent video games then there is a valid reason to outlaw their sales to minors and place the responsibility on the retailer, after all they are the point where the transaction of controlled substance (game?) occurs."

Sure. If they could narrow it down to something more than "We think", or "We believe", or, God Forbid, back it up with undeniable proof.

They say it about D&D, hell there were even movies about it. They say it about TV, and drinking, and movies, and nudity....

And yet in countries where drinking, nudity, realistic performances depticting graphic violence, etc...none of these issues arise.

I strongly believe the problem is with the US society (lack of responsibility/self-control on a MASSIVE scale), not with the movies, games, music, or choice of alcoholic beverage.

"There is mounting evidence that young minds are exploited and corrupted by scenes of extreme violence"

Well let's see how much violent crime goes down when it becomes law. Ill wager... it goes down 0%

Wait till she is voted president, b**** will turn Martha Stewart style on us.

OMG, I just might move to Australia if she becomes president.

Canada, man....Canada.

Death first.

(I'm just kidding! Please don't kill me Canadians! I love your caribou.) =p

*reaches for flame retardant*

roflmao...

Get the suit, man. Cheaper than the spray in the long run.

Apparently TV violence is good and video game violence is evil.

Is this going to stop anything? An underage kid will just get their 18 year old friend to buy the game for them.

Oh, sorry, I forgot, we're talking about liberals.

Wow PC_Tool that was pretty far off base. I think the point of this bill is to avoid all those wasted taxes being used on idiotic lawsuits being leveled at every retailer and game company out there. You have to think what this law is hoping to accomplish... to make it illegal to sell those supposedly damaging video games to minors.

I mean, let's take the average case. A parent regularly buys violent video games for their child. Then the child misbehaves in someway and the parents quickly look for anyone else to take the blame. So they sue video game companies and/or retailers. Passing this bill would effectively eliminate that option. Instead of trying to pass of the responsibility of what their faulty child rearing has caused... they're now forced to face up to the fact that they purchased the game for their own child. At the very least it eliminates any responsibility game publishers or retailers could have.

I think perhaps you guys are too eager to kick and scream anytime anyone mentions "bill" "law" and "violent video games" in the same sentence. Hell I'm one of the first people to jump into those arguments to point out that violent teenage crime has gone down by 50% while violent video game sales have continued to rise. However in this case the government is doing something pretty great for us. In the end this will mean retailers can safely offer games to those of us adults who wish to play them without risking lawsuit after lawsuit.

Except that retailers wont see it that way. All they will see is the liability of stocking "adult" games and having some store clerk screw up and sell it to a 12 year old and then get the company fined and maligned in the press. Therefore they refuse to stock those games and then everyone loses.

"the end this will mean retailers can safely offer games to those of us adults who wish to play them without risking lawsuit after lawsuit."

Which they should be able to do now.

This law isn't making it easier for retailers to sell games. It's making it easier for parents to stop parenting.

It's not the governments responsibility, nor is it the retailers. It is the parents. Let's levy the fines and punishments on them, not the retailers or the taxpayers.

Should parent's be allowed to sue the retailers? Even now?

No. Not ever. The parents let the kid get the games, not the retailer. The retailer offers a service, the parents decide (usually through lack of effort) what their children can get from that service.

Why is it no one understands that?

It's not just the retailers that don't want this to happen. How about game makers...create an M rated game and suddenly it's illegal for the bulk of your market to even purchase the game. You will see alot less M games and alot more kiddy style games after this bill passes.

Why Make a game that only 1 million people would buy when you can make a game that 10 million people can buy?

I agree with you on this, if the kid is not suppose to have it then it is the parent that needs to step in and take control.

I think to many idiots crying out how there kid is being tainted by what is in a video game or on tv and wants someone else to do something about it then them doing something actually about it. How about a good punishment or spanking (wait I dont want to offend anyone here that does not believe in physical punishment).

I dont want the goverment telling me how to raise my kid. I think that is my responsibility. I took the time to make him and I will take the time to raise him. I will teach him right from wrong not the goverment with there over abundance of asinine laws.

If your kid is watching a show they should not be watching the you as the parent should ask yourself why is he able to do this and why is he not listening to me. Not cry to the goverment and make them do something about it.

ATTN: Lazy parents get off your a** and raise your child!!

Not being a parent (yet), I agree with you fully. I always hear parents whine about their kids having bad values after coming home from school/arcade/etc... (any place where they may interact with other kids). It's simply a cop-out to give parents 1 more excuse to stop parenting and sue someone over failing to parent their kids... Especially teachers. Most parents expect their kids to learn 'values' at school. However, the moment a teacher tries to instill values into a child through positive acts, the parent sues and claims that the teacher is forcing religion on their kids. Parents need to take more responsibility...and also they need to realize that no kid is going to be perfect...geez. Wouldn't it drive you nuts if every kid was 'perfect'...yikes.

What kind of dunce believes that minors (NOT children) wouldn't try to go buy restricted game behind their parents backs? You don't have to be a 'bad' parent for that to happen. This addresses the point where a minor may try to get something they should not have access to - so they obviously aren't going to ask mom and dad if they can get it, they'll try to get it themselves.

In your world the retailer sees a minor buying a restricted content game and says "HAHA, good job kiddo, you're sneaking behind your parents backs to get this game. Thanks for your money, here is your adults only game"...

In the above scenario it's the retailer letting the kids get the games - not the parents.

If what you're talking about was an issue, then I'm sure everyone would have stopped selling cigarettes 40 years ago. Because no business owners would want the liability of a clerk accidentally selling them to a minor.

So the parent's responsability ends at the point of sale? I'd argue that the parent should be keeping tabs on what the kids are doing, if the kid gets ahold of a game do they just throw up their hands and exclaim "we'll he got away with it" when they find out? The parent's should be actually parenting their children and knowing what they are doing, where they are and who they are with. If they can't be bothered to find out that information then they dont belong being parents. And if the kid manages to buy a game behind their backs then they put a stop to it when they find out.

On an unrelated side note, public schools are the worst for this. We ripped our kids out and started home schooling because the public schools insisted that our kids be just like every other kid. All traces of individuality or behavior that was slightly outside the norm and your child is immediatly labelled as having a problem.

*nod* you raise an intersting argument to that. I'll submit that I was potentially wrong. However I still feel that the nature of games and gaming stores in general will just end up removing the more "mature" games from the shelves. And lets not forget the demographic either, cigaretts were/are in demand by the young and the old alike, unlike the gaming demographic which is still heavily in favor of the young. As some one else on this thread pointed out, why sell a game that only 5 people can buy when you can sell a game that 25 people can buy.

"You don't have to be a 'bad' parent for that to happen."

Bulls***. Pure and simple.

Sorry... if they're playing the PS2, I know what they're playing. If they're at a friends house, their parents know what they're playing...and thus, so do I.

Good parentling is not limited by what what you can "see".

And who says my kid shouldn't have access to GTA:SA? Perhaps my kid can handle explicit material without killing or raping anyone. Why should I have to go buy it for him?

"In the above scenario it's the retailer letting the kids get the games - not the parents."

Typical response I would expect from an adult who can't handle the responsibility of being a parent. Blame someone else...why should it be your fault your kid can't show a little self-control? Why is it your fault you didn't teach him values like honesty, responsibility and respect?

Dead. On.

It's well established for many years in psychology that tendencies and temperments in children are not 100% 'environmental'... there are factors at play in people that do not come from Parents or other outside influence after birth.

>>"You don't have to be a 'bad' parent for that to happen."

>Bulls***. Pure and simple.

There may come a day when your children cause you to eat your words, especially the asterisks :)

"And if the kid manages to buy a game behind their backs then they put a stop to it when they find out"

I agree - and that is responsible parenting

Yeah, okay.

Hold yer breath, won't you?

But seriously, you might want to edit that psychology sentence. As it stands, it makes no sense.

I think I get your meaning, and that there are multiple factors to a childs behaviour, but it's also stated, almost always by the same people in the same studies, that parenting can lay the foundations for how they react to those outside factors, for better or worse.

Meaning? If I raise my kids right, the game will have little to no lasting effect.

Age restrictions on pretty much anything is simply a scape-goat for parents. They can say, "Well they sold it to them!" and absolve themselves of responsibility.

"parenting can lay the foundations for how they react to those outside factors, for better or worse"

I agree.

The far majority of gamers are men between the age of 18 and 26, so...?

The only genre that is true in is the MMO space of subscription based games. Outside MMOs the market is dominated by the 13-17 age category.

Hillary is a retarded monkey.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Wow. I wonder if I should be scared. You and I agree on something. =p

Dont these people have anything important to do at all ?

Dear Hillary,

Thank you for being ever-so concerned about the well-being of my children. I've been so busy watching TV and lying on the couch that I have not been able to go with them to the store to watch over their purchases. Nor can I be bothered to get off my fat a** to go into their rooms and see what they may be doing in there.

It's just so helpful to have people paying taxes to the government so that they can sue retailers that sell these vile games in order to make up for my lack of responsibility. It gives me so much more free-time and let's me...

Oops. Gotta go. Oprah's On.

Thanks again,
A loving parent.

lol!

The scary part is...

There really are people who think like this, and not just sarcastically.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Let's not forget to blame the big Golden Arches for making our kids fat either!!! Of course, we let our kids sit on the couch all day and play those violent video games and eat fast food 100% of the time...but NOOOOOO, it's not the parent's fault. We don't want to restrict our child because then we might actual be called something nasty by them or get told that they hate us... Yeah...whatever.

Note to Parents: Nobody respects someone who allows themselves to get railroaded...especially their own kids.

Every time I see a parent give in to a whiny snot-nosed brat, I want to take the parent and smack them. Seriously...do parents realize how bad this looks to the kid? "Hmmm...if I just keep whining I'll get that new XBox 360". My sister has this syndrome and she's 21... She figures if she panders to my mom's thoughts that she still needs my mom to be 'mommy', then she'll buy her that $200 purse. But yet, my sister hates it that mom treats her like a child/teen still... WHAT DO YOU FRIGGIN EXPECT?

Damn straight.

ROFL.

Exactly.

And the USA is becomming a Nanny State to cover for them.

Which is fine by me as long as they stay in the US and allow me to move when it gets beyond the point I can tolerate.

I'll vote, I'll write letters and publicly criticise, but the second it looks like they're about to take away my rights as a parent...It's "Hello, Canada."

Those tail-lights headed North on I35? Yeah, that's me.