Courts wanna ban violent video games? What's your take?

[QUOTE="SaltyMeatballs"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Courts don't want to ban any video games, only restrict minors access to them, I agree wholeheartedly! Keep the kiddies off the games I play! :Pblue_hazy_basic

How about said game locking out unless you can prove you're 18/15 through some sort of online check? Kinda like DRM.

Kan0nF0dder

How is that supposed to work? Firstly, not everyone has internet access. So, are people who live way out in the middle of nowhere just not allowed to play video games?

Secondly, how do you make an online age verification system work, anyways. What stops someoen from just lying about their age. What, are game companies going to start doing credit checks on people now? There is no feasible way to do an online age verification without invading people's privacy by asking for very personal details such as SSN.

I understand that some DRM requires internet access, but I have not run into that yet. I keep my firewall locked down pretty tight, and I will not allow a game access through the firewall to do any sort of registration. If I do ever run into DRM that won't let me play a game without some sort of registration, then I will take it right back to the retailer and demand a full refund.

No one wants to give their SSN to a video game company.

It's already illegal for them to sell to someone under the age. The UK system is the best, 3, 7, 12, 16, 18.SaltyMeatballs

Actually, in the US, the rating system is a voluntary guideline, and retailers can choose to ignore it without legal repurcussions.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Should children be punished either mentally (from seeing or playing things they shouldn't) or physically (from eating MacD's 5 times a week) because they have bad parents? :?Cherokee_Jack

No.

Is it the government's prerogative to take charge and try to properly parent every kid in the country by brute force? Absolutely not.

It's a shame that not all parents can take care of their kids all that well, but...that's life. There are a hell of a lot more problems that come from bad parenting other than eating McDonald's all the time and playing GTA, and they can never be averted by the law. Unless you want parenting itself to be regulated, along with every other aspect of everyone's lives that doesn't work out 100% of the time.

very well said, and I agree 100%. I had written something similar but my internet went out for a minute and I didnt feel like typing it all again. This "Nanny government" nonsense has to stop, and parents need to start taking bigger roles in their kids lives. I dont need big brother telling me what is and isnt good for me (they already do it enough with the drug laws but thats another discussion all together) because parents cant, wont, or just plain dont want be good parents to their children. Suing McDonalds because it made your child obese is the mot ridiculous thing I have ever heard of, and a ban on violent video games is close behind (well maybe not that close)

The fact of the matter is accountability needs to be taken by the parents, and the government needs to leave what happens in the home in the home. Even if a kid could buy an M rated game, they still have to play it in someone house dont they? And the parents should be monitoring what their kids are doing IN THEIR HOME. The US is really making me sick with all the sue happy 0 accountability, blame everyone but ourselves attitudes especially when it comes to youth.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="SaltyMeatballs"] Violent games is very vague though, some FPS for e.g. are Teen, which is minor.SaltyMeatballs

[QUOTE="SaltyMeatballs"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Put an age system in like the UK, rate games by ages. If a game is rated teen then teenagers can play, how many 8 year olds go down to the store by themselves and buy a game? :D I don't think thats such a big dealblue_hazy_basic

[QUOTE="SaltyMeatballs"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Put an age system in like the UK, rate games by ages. If a game is rated teen then teenagers can play, how many 8 year olds go down to the store by themselves and buy a game? :D I don't think thats such a big dealblue_hazy_basic

i just made my topic what the title of the video was

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

SilentlyMad

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

SilentlyMad

Because porn is so much more damaging than seeing Arnold slowly cut his eye out with a knife in terminator.

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

Videodogg

While I do think Halo does not deserve the M rating I do belive 15 year olds should not play GTA or Modern Warfare.

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

topgunmv

Because porn is so much more damaging than seeing Arnold slowly cut his eye out with a knife in terminator.

[QUOTE="topgunmv"]

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

SilentlyMad

Because porn is so much more damaging than seeing Arnold slowly cut his eye out with a knife in terminator.

scientists are still trying to find out if violence in games/music/movies has any effect on young people... they havent come to a conclusion in decades... so what 'common sense' are you talking about?

[QUOTE="Videodogg"][QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer them same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

While I do think Halo does not deserve the M rating I do belive 15 year olds should not play GTA or Modern Warfare.

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"][QUOTE="topgunmv"]

Because porn is so much more damaging than seeing Arnold slowly cut his eye out with a knife in terminator.

ogvampire

scientists are still trying to find out if violence in games/music/movies has any effect on young people... they havent come to a conclusion in decades... so what 'common sense' are you talking about?

My question is - why video games?

What about other forms of media and entertainment that have violence in them?

My question is - why video games?

What about other forms of media and entertainment that have violence in them?

Rikusaki

my guess is because it's interactive and you are actually controlling the character? you are choosing to shoot or drive over that innocent person?

lol

My question is - why video games?

What about other forms of media and entertainment that have violence in them?

Rikusaki

My question is - why video games?

What about other forms of media and entertainment that have violence in them?

Rikusaki

[QUOTE="ogvampire"]

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]They can be just as damaging in different ways for kids and common sense should tell you that.SilentlyMad

scientists are still trying to find out if violence in games/music/movies has any effect on young people... they havent come to a conclusion in decades... so what 'common sense' are you talking about?

youre taking it to the extreme right there... 'flooded non-stop'? c'mon.... if so, then thats an issue with the parents if they are subjecting their child to non-stop violent entertainment

The courts can go f'k off!

Hypocrites. Ban violent movies first!

If the US ever passes a law that censors anything like australia does, then I am moving to canada...I dont care how cold it is

[QUOTE="myke2010"]

On the one hand, as a parent I'm all for this. I don't want my child to be able to go out and buy these kind of games without my knowledge. On the other hand, I know that, unfortunately, too many parents will now expect the people at the gamestore to do what should be their job of supervising what their kids are playing so the lazy parents have more time to go back to being worthless individuals who can't be bothered to actually pay attention to what their children are doing.

SilentlyMad

I am not saying there are no bad parents because of course there is but you act like they are the only ones to blame and they just want to be lazy and honestly makes me wonder if your a parent.

The world is so bad because I acknowledge there are lazy parents? Ok, whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. Whether some guy on the internet questions whether I'm a parent is, quite frankly, irrelevant to me.

I don't like all the crap that is constantly barraging my child either, but I can and do limit their exposure by closely monitoring what they watch, listen to and the people they hang out with. I've even been accused by some that I'm guilty of putting my child 'in a bubble' as you put it. To that I respond, so what? It's my child, I make no apologies for looking out for their best interests. If I left my keys in my car overnight and woke up to find it stolen does it somehow make it less my fault if I happen to live in a bad neighborhood?

At the end of the day, the parent's have the ultimate responsibility to take care of their child and they are the one who will be held accountible. If you don't like that I suggest you never have children because you will quickly discover it to be true. Laws like this are certainly helpful to us parents, but don't think for one second that they in any way alleviate us of the slightest responsibility.

Please read this article:

Violent video games: dogma, fear, and pseudoscience: video games are the center of a modern media-based moral panic. Too often, social scientists have fueled the flames and eschewed good scientific practices. By Christopher J. Ferguson, Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. September/October, 2009.

(Excerpts)

What about Those school Shooters?

It is certainly true that most (although not all) school shooters played violent video games. So do most other boys and young men. Concluding that a school shooter likely played violent video games may seem prescient, but it is not. It is about as predictive as suggesting that they have probably worn sneakers at some time in the past, are able to grow facial hair, have testicles, or anything else that is fairly ubiquitous among males. Michael Moore, in his famous documentary Bowling for Columbine, noted that the Columbine shooters were avidbowlers. Perhaps a propensity for bowling as a hobby is correlated with aggression? As such, playing video games is an illusory correlation as far as aggression is concerned and explains nothing. This was highlighted best during the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Soon after the shooting, pundits such as Jack Thompson and Phillip McGraw ("Dr. Phil") speculated that the shooter must have been a frequent violent gamer (McGraw 2007; Thompson 2007). This was an easy guess given that most young males play violent games, however the official investigation revealed quite the opposite: the shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, did not play violent games at all.

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

[QUOTE="myke2010"]

On the one hand, as a parent I'm all for this. I don't want my child to be able to go out and buy these kind of games without my knowledge. On the other hand, I know that, unfortunately, too many parents will now expect the people at the gamestore to do what should be their job of supervising what their kids are playing so the lazy parents have more time to go back to being worthless individuals who can't be bothered to actually pay attention to what their children are doing.

myke2010

I am not saying there are no bad parents because of course there is but you act like they are the only ones to blame and they just want to be lazy and honestly makes me wonder if your a parent.

The world is so bad because I acknowledge there are lazy parents? Ok, whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. Whether some guy on the internet questions whether I'm a parent is, quite frankly, irrelevant to me.

I don't like all the crap that is constantly barraging my child either, but I can and do limit their exposure by closely monitoring what they watch, listen to and the people they hang out with. I've even been accused by some that I'm guilty of putting my child 'in a bubble' as you put it. To that I respond, so what? It's my child, I make no apologies for looking out for their best interests. If I left my keys in my car overnight and woke up to find it stolen does it somehow make it less my fault if I happen to live in a bad neighborhood?

At the end of the day, the parent's have the ultimate responsibility to take care of their child and they are the one who will be held accountible. If you don't like that I suggest you never have children because you will quickly discover it to be true. Laws like this are certainly helpful to us parents, but don't think for one second that they in any way alleviate us of the slightest responsibility.

I agree with alot of what you said, and I may be misinterpreting the highlighted section, but what exactly do you mean? I think it is the governments idea that they are in fact trying to alleviate parents of their responsibilities because of the uproar that some parents (not you obviously, because from what I can tell you are one of the good ones) have about the issue. Its similar to the whole McDonalds fiasco.

If you meant that in spite of these rules it is still your responsibility as parents to monitor what your kids watch/play then I agree 100%. Regardless of what is bought where, the kids still have to get money for what they buy, and have to play it at someone house with parents (unless they hang out with older kids who dont live with their parents, which shouldnt be allowed anyways).

Im glad that there are still good parents left in the US, but there are also many who couldnt give a rats arse about what their kids are doing until it could benefit then by using it as a means to sue someone, or when their kids end up hurting someone.

Why bring up the courts, as they tend to over-turn laws that ban violent video games?

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]

[QUOTE="Videodogg"] You must be kidding...right? Are you telling me you want to lump Halo 3 with Debbie does Dallas and Jack Daniels? Wow.Videodogg

While I do think Halo does not deserve the M rating I do belive 15 year olds should not play GTA or Modern Warfare.

also nobody should play MW, not because its immoral or something like that, but because it is utter trash

[QUOTE="myke2010"]

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"]It is statements like this why I think the world is so bad. Hey we can do whatever we want, show whatever we want, say whatever we want and if the child has any problems then it is the parents fault %110. That would be a little easier if everywhere a child turned now was not sex,drugs, and violence. That excuse of blame the parent has made it so a child needs to live in a bubble without being flooded non-stop with crap because that is the only true way a parent can keep his shild from the stuff.

I am not saying there are no bad parents because of course there is but you act like they are the only ones to blame and they just want to be lazy and honestly makes me wonder if your a parent.

BlancoBX

The world is so bad because I acknowledge there are lazy parents? Ok, whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. Whether some guy on the internet questions whether I'm a parent is, quite frankly, irrelevant to me.

I don't like all the crap that is constantly barraging my child either, but I can and do limit their exposure by closely monitoring what they watch, listen to and the people they hang out with. I've even been accused by some that I'm guilty of putting my child 'in a bubble' as you put it. To that I respond, so what? It's my child, I make no apologies for looking out for their best interests. If I left my keys in my car overnight and woke up to find it stolen does it somehow make it less my fault if I happen to live in a bad neighborhood?

At the end of the day, the parent's have the ultimate responsibility to take care of their child and they are the one who will be held accountible. If you don't like that I suggest you never have children because you will quickly discover it to be true. Laws like this are certainly helpful to us parents, but don't think for one second that they in any way alleviate us of the slightest responsibility.

I agree with alot of what you said, and I may be misinterpreting the highlighted section, but what exactly do you mean? I think it is the governments idea that they are in fact trying to alleviate parents of their responsibilities because of the uproar that some parents (not you obviously, because from what I can tell you are one of the good ones) have about the issue. Its similar to the whole McDonalds fiasco.

If you meant that in spite of these rules it is still your responsibility as parents to monitor what your kids watch/play then I agree 100%. Regardless of what is bought where, the kids still have to get money for what they buy, and have to play it at someone house with parents (unless they hang out with older kids who dont live with their parents, which shouldnt be allowed anyways).

Im glad that there are still good parents left in the US, but there are also many who couldnt give a rats arse about what their kids are doing until it could benefit then by using it as a means to sue someone, or when their kids end up hurting someone.

Yep, that's exactly what I meant.

I don't think any game should be banned. I think there should be better control on what retailer sell to little kids. You can't stop a parent from buying violent games for their kids though. Most kids will find a way to play what they want, whether there is a ban on the game or not. If their parent don't buy it for them, they usually will know a friend or two who has it.

[QUOTE="BlancoBX"]

[QUOTE="myke2010"]

The world is so bad because I acknowledge there are lazy parents? Ok, whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. Whether some guy on the internet questions whether I'm a parent is, quite frankly, irrelevant to me.

I don't like all the crap that is constantly barraging my child either, but I can and do limit their exposure by closely monitoring what they watch, listen to and the people they hang out with. I've even been accused by some that I'm guilty of putting my child 'in a bubble' as you put it. To that I respond, so what? It's my child, I make no apologies for looking out for their best interests. If I left my keys in my car overnight and woke up to find it stolen does it somehow make it less my fault if I happen to live in a bad neighborhood?

At the end of the day, the parent's have the ultimate responsibility to take care of their child and they are the one who will be held accountible. If you don't like that I suggest you never have children because you will quickly discover it to be true. Laws like this are certainly helpful to us parents, but don't think for one second that they in any way alleviate us of the slightest responsibility.

myke2010

I agree with alot of what you said, and I may be misinterpreting the highlighted section, but what exactly do you mean? I think it is the governments idea that they are in fact trying to alleviate parents of their responsibilities because of the uproar that some parents (not you obviously, because from what I can tell you are one of the good ones) have about the issue. Its similar to the whole McDonalds fiasco.

If you meant that in spite of these rules it is still your responsibility as parents to monitor what your kids watch/play then I agree 100%. Regardless of what is bought where, the kids still have to get money for what they buy, and have to play it at someone house with parents (unless they hang out with older kids who dont live with their parents, which shouldnt be allowed anyways).

Im glad that there are still good parents left in the US, but there are also many who couldnt give a rats arse about what their kids are doing until it could benefit then by using it as a means to sue someone, or when their kids end up hurting someone.

Yep, that's exactly what I meant.

ok thanks for clarifying, and like I said I agree 100%

It really is sad how many would disagree with that. Alot of parents dont want to be bothered with any of it, and feel like its the governments job to keep stuff like that out of their children's hands. If you feed your kid a big mac every day and gets fat, its not Mcdonalds fault because they dont have healthy options, its your fault for not giving them healthier things to eat, i mean the health facts about the food are right there where you can see.

Im not sure how it is in other countries, but the US is full of people who would rather blame someone else then take any accountability for something that is so obviously 100% their responsibility (their kids)

[QUOTE="JONO51"]

Educate the parents so they dont buy them for their kids.....

SilentlyMad

The people that release already give a fair warning:

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"][QUOTE="JONO51"]

Educate the parents so they dont buy them for their kids.....

Modern_Unit

The people that release already give a fair warning:

/thread

Hey guize, is dat some Cinemax showing sum fight club?

Luckliy at ain't be one of dem Blood filled violence viddya gamez.

I think the finger should atleast be pointed at movies/tv shows before this, since they are arguable done more realisticly.;)

Meh,I don´t care since where I live nothing ever gets banned or toned down. Not one game(or movie,music,etc...) was ever banned or changed in here,so no problem.

that wont happen. violent games sell the most bringing in lots of money and the Gaming industry supplies lots of jobs. so i think that wont happen. if it will ill buy them from the mafia

Treat them like Cigerettes. It'll be illegal for a store to sell them to a Minor or an Adult buying the game for a Minor.

yeah some games should be banned for good, dont you guys remember when manhunt 2 was gonna comeout? no company would have supported it if it was gonna be A rated game,(over 21) you see,idont get the point of manhunt atall,i played both of them,its no point. so games should be banned,ill say againe some games. but games these days have feature that you can turn of blood and everything. but still think about it courts cant ban games.it is not got to do with them,they might be able to ban some games in some states,not gonna happenM3ran

No games should be banned at all no matter how horrible they are.

Just like a person should freedom of speech even if it is offensive.

Once you start banning things it can go both ways causing serious problems.

If you don't like the game then don't get it.

[QUOTE="SilentlyMad"][QUOTE="JONO51"]

Educate the parents so they dont buy them for their kids.....

Modern_Unit

The people that release already give a fair warning:

Win. This whole thing is parents not paying attention and whining to the government, which has better things to do than waste money on this, especially California of all states.

This violates the first amendment, doesn't it?

To be honest, I only read the title and know almost nothing about this subject. However, judging by the title, I would say the government has no right to censor what developers put into their games.

also ban violent news from TV & violent wars , ban the UFC & the WWE.

Ban South park and all anime cartoons, Ban timeout because it just makes your kids upset

same goes for veggies since it makes kids angry ETC

I disagree with banning them but I agree with being more strict on making sure kids do not get M rated games. Any game retailer should suffer the same penalty for selling children M rated games as people that sell porn mags/video or alchol.

SilentlyMad

Agreed. Still, considering that the age ratings are only meant as a guide for parents, shouldn't they make the decision of what their kid does and does not? Then again, parents have been pretty incompetent in that field. It's a toss up.