Sunday, April 11, 2010

Looking for insight into the latest ';victory'; in California.

So yet another law restricting the sale of video games to minors has been overturned and deemed unconstitutional. Gamers everywhere seem to be rejoicing as another win under their column.Don't get me wrong, I'll scream bloody murder when policticians and idiots like Jack Thompson try to ban video games for this reason or that reason. I'm 1000% in the camp that views video games as art and speech and should be protected by the first amendment.Let me pose a question to you, what is the harm in restricting the sale of Mature rated video games to minors. Ask any developer of Mature rated games and ask them who their product is designed for. Every single time they tell adults. The video game market has changed dramatically in the past two decades. Video games are no longer just for kids. Those of us to jumped up and down and screamed at the foot of the christmas tree when we unwrapped those atari 2600s are still around... and there are alot of us. We are the market for Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto, and The Darkness. I challange you to find one mature intelligent person that thinks that we should be giving these games to our children. You won't find any, I promise you. So why do we all think that this is another victory. I personally feel that this kind of thing gives a bad name to the industry in general. We are constantly faced with negative press from all directions. We adult gamers want to be sure we can still buy the mature rated games we all love, but why don't we want to ensure they stay in the hands of the consumers they were meant for?You can't get into an R Rated movie until your 17. This is the same thing.Don't tell me that kids pre 17 are mature enough to handle some of these games, it's just not the case. Some certinely are and some just aren't. I work with high schoolers everyday, I see the maturity they exibit. We need some good press in the industry and this just isn't it! Looking for insight into the latest ';victory'; in California.
A lot of the argument boils down to equal treatment for the gaming industry vs others. There are no laws prohibiting the sale of movies, books, or music to minors. The videogame community simply wants to maintain those same protections.
Looking for insight into the latest ';victory'; in California.
Even though... whats the harm. Just because it's being treated differently doesn't mean it's not a good idea.
[QUOTE=''mfp16'']Even though... whats the harm. Just because it's being treated differently doesn't mean it's not a good idea.[/QUOTE]It absolutely does harm to the industry because it propels us into the same space as pornography. Its likely that a number of retail chains will refuse to carry the games and it will severely limit the marketability of the title. The result is that the industry stops publishing ''M'' rated titles in the US, the games are either never released here or they are gutted down to a ''T'' rating.
[QUOTE=''H3LLRaiseR''][QUOTE=''mfp16'']Even though... whats the harm. Just because it's being treated differently doesn't mean it's not a good idea.[/QUOTE]It absolutely does harm to the industry because it propels us into the same space as pornography. Its likely that a number of retail chains will refuse to carry the games and it will severely limit the marketability of the title. The result is that the industry stops publishing ''M'' rated titles in the US, the games are either never released here or they are gutted down to a ''T'' rating.[/QUOTE]I don't agree, this is alarmist at best. Most retail stores already restrict the sale of Mature rated games to minors on their own accord and the sky has not yet fallen.
[QUOTE=''mfp16''][QUOTE=''H3LLRaiseR''][QUOTE=''mfp16'']Even though... whats the harm. Just because it's being treated differently doesn't mean it's not a good idea.[/QUOTE]It absolutely does harm to the industry because it propels us into the same space as pornography. Its likely that a number of retail chains will refuse to carry the games and it will severely limit the marketability of the title. The result is that the industry stops publishing ''M'' rated titles in the US, the games are either never released here or they are gutted down to a ''T'' rating.[/QUOTE]I don't agree, this is alarmist at best. Most retail stores already restrict the sale of Mature rated games to minors on their own accord and the sky has not yet fallen.[/QUOTE]There is a huge difference between a voluntary system and a lawful one. There are no real consequences for breaking their voluntary rules. However, when these retailers are faced with large fines, law suits, and/or jail time for their employees, I doubt they'll be nearly as accepting of M rated titles.
It might be an alarmist attitude, but I doubt the industry wants to take a chance on it.

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