Violent Game law to Kill Call of Duty?

[Overflow]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/115/1156455p1.html

I don't really understand this, tbh. How would the 'restricted' rating be any different than an 'M'? Are they essentially lowering the rating system, making 'M' into 'AO', 'T' into 'M', and so forth, or what? Besides, even if places like wal-mart stop carrying it, smaller stores still will, and the brand will hardly be affected. Plus, last I checked, R rated movies are being sold in Wal-marts.

I don't really get this at all. I mean, I couldn't care less if there was never another CoD, but who's to stop them from banning 'T' rated games like Metroid Prime if this carries on? I don't know, maybe someone can explain it better.

P.S. I live in canada, so the movie rating system is different. I've never heard of NC17 before.

[Turtle]

The problem (well, from a purely practical standpoint*) with the proposed law is that it doesn't provide a concrete definition of "violent."

They could ban E-Rated games if they considered them to be violent enough.

*That's not to say I'm advocating the bill on any level.

[ShadowBlade]

They should ban most all FPS games for the next 10 years. They're all the same and take no skill. Center screen on thing you want to make dead, push button. That's it.

Anyway, more relevant to the topic this argument is nothing new. They've wanted bans/laws on violent games since........forever? Some games have unnecessary levels of violence. Movies do too. Sometimes, I wonder who's crazier. The person who came up with the idea or the person who's playing/watching it for entertainment.

What they really should do is quit heavily censoring things like sex and nudity. "Remember boys and girls, b00bz are evil and shameful! Now run along and go play Grand Theft Auto!"

[linkspast]

eh, there are going to be more people pissed off than people who are happy. Not going to happen. There are way more gamers who play CoD than politicians.

[Nabeel Ansari]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/115/1156455p1.html

I don't really understand this, tbh. How would the 'restricted' rating be any different than an 'M'? Are they essentially lowering the rating system, making 'M' into 'AO', 'T' into 'M', and so forth, or what? Besides, even if places like wal-mart stop carrying it, smaller stores still will, and the brand will hardly be affected. Plus, last I checked, R rated movies are being sold in Wal-marts.

I thought the article explained it pretty well;

Basically any game deemed violent enough, like Call of Duty, is a restricted game. It's no longer sold in stores* and illegal to sell to minors. M games are in stores all the time. This has nothing to do with ESRB ratings, it has to do with parents thinking Call of Duty turns their kid into a gun frenzy maniac and don't want the game to be sold to any kids so they cause this to happen.

EDIT: *Yikes, crud. I mistook that guy's "argument" for the facts about the law, when it's just speculatory babble on what he thinks will happen to Call of Duty. In any case, I don't think there's any difference to rated M games.

[Vivi22]

They should ban most all FPS games for the next 10 years. They're all the same and take no skill. Center screen on thing you want to make dead, push button. That's it.

Off topic, but anything sounds like it takes no skill when you oversimplify like that.

Sometimes, I wonder who's crazier. The person who came up with the idea or the person who's playing/watching it for entertainment.

So long as no one is actually getting hurt I'll go with neither of them being crazy just on the basis of liking violent entertainment.

More to the point though, the issue is that a restricted category could end up being a death sentence for a game solely because of the fines involved. While the industry does pretty well at self regulating as it is, when you add in a $1,000 fine anytime one of your employees does sell to a minor, whether it be because they look older than 18 or are friends of said employee, stores then have to consider whether they want to risk the fines. Big stores like Wal-Mart may say screw it and remove the possibility of it happening altogether. Meanwhile, smaller stores may not be able to afford it if it does happen and they're caught. As the financial risk to themselves go up, they're more likely to think twice about selling them at all. Hell, an Adults only rating is already a death sentence for games since no store will stock them, so start adding fines when you sell M-rated titles and we may see a lowering of that bar so to speak.

It's not something that can be compared to movies either because the movie industry self regulates as well in the US and you won't be fined under any law for selling an R-rated movie to a minor. If anything, the success of the movie rating system only adds weight to the argument that government regulation isn't needed for games either.

[Nonamer]

What the hell is wrong with the ESRB? Nothing. If a game is rated M, you don't give it to a 10 year old. Period! The government stepping in is an intrusion of free speech, and California is making a grave mistake with this lawsuit.

[Schwaltzvald]

What the hell is wrong with the ESRB? Nothing. If a game is rated M, you don't give it to a 10 year old. Period!

Pretty much, I rather not need a silly law just to ban a certain series that only ends up hurting more than that. We don't need to be another Australia, sorry aussie friends no offense. :L

Seriously FPS can actually be fun you know...

Hell I even managed to find

to be fun despite having some slight shades of CoD to it.

[ftninja]

They could ban E-Rated games if they considered them to be violent enough.

Like, Portal and Portal 2? I was surprised to see the rating on the trailers I saw. Doesn't that game's storyline turn out kind of dark and gruesome? Or at least implied? I don't know, I've not played it through, just heard spoilers.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Like, Portal and Portal 2? I was surprised to see the rating on the trailers I saw. Doesn't that game's storyline turn out kind of dark and gruesome? Or at least implied? I don't know, I've not played it through, just heard spoilers.

Portal is a rated T game.

And yes, the story is dark and a bit gruesome, but it doesn't justify being called "violent".

The most violent thing is the turret droids that shoot you and say funny things when you leave their sight. ("Are you still there? 0.o" or "I don't hate you. :<")

There's blood when you got shot, but that's about as violent as the game gets. It's nothing like CoD where you aim to make heads pop open and explosions are everywhere.

I just realized this is a very, very bad thing for Borderlands. T_T

[Crowbar Man]

As stated by neblix, Portal 1 was rated T. It had some small ammount of blood, and very dark humor.

I'm kinda of put off by the fact Portal 2 is E. Either ESRB has lightened up, or Valve has ruined this game too much (I dont like what i've seen so far)

[PROTO·DOME]

Can you imagine if alcohol was sold on SHELVES IN A STORE? Heck, that's just asking for minors to come buy it.

[Modus]

What's stopping a resourceful kid from going to Walmart/convenience store, buying a pre-paid debit card, and ordering the game online? Or doing what's always been done and have their parents buy it for them? Or an older friend? Or a guy outside Gamestop who will do it for 10 bucks?

This will solve exactly zero problems.

But say they enact the fine. Okay, now Gamestop will require photo ID to buy those games and fire anyone themselves who doesn't do that. I can't imagine the fines ultimately outweighing the profits.

[ftninja]

What's stopping a resourceful kid from going to Walmart/convenience store, buying a pre-paid debit card, and ordering the game online? Or doing what's always been done and have their parents buy it for them? Or an older friend? Or a guy outside Gamestop who will do it for 10 bucks?

This will solve exactly zero problems.

Kids who want something will find a way to get it, I agree. Why do you think there's fake ID's? But I digress.

It's just another reason why politicians want to paint gamers as crazed, gun loving maniacs just waiting to snap and go postal. They need a bad guy, somebody to control. Sigh.

[Bleck]

I'm all for anything that kills call of duty

[Modus]

Why do you think there's fake ID's?

Say some kid successfully gets the game with a really convincing fake ID. Well then how are they going to know to fine them? They gonna hire a policeman to sit by any place with games for sale? XD

I just think the law has so many holes that we don't have to worry about it. But yeah the very premise of all this is somewhat enraging.

[Turtle]

I'm all for anything that kills call of duty

But can't it be something that only kills Call of Duty rather than a large portion of the video game industry?

[Ramaniscence]

Can you imagine if alcohol was sold on SHELVES IN A STORE? Heck, that's just asking for minors to come buy it.

In Florida, it's not really. Alcohol can only be sold in an liquor store. A lot of grocery stores here will have another store attached to them (but not within the actual same store) that sells alcohol.

So ya'know...that's the equivalent of having "GameStop" and "GameStop 4 Adults"...which...sounds like a-...nm

[Overflow]

In Florida, it's not really. Alcohol can only be sold in an liquor store. A lot of grocery stores here will have another store attached to them (but not within the actual same store) that sells alcohol.

So ya'know...that's the equivalent of having "GameStop" and "GameStop 4 Adults"...which...sounds like a-...nm

Yeah, I've never seen Alcohol in a store like superstore either; it's always in a separate liquor store. Same with cigarettes too, actually.

A Gamestop4Adults is the only real solution here. Or maybe a restricted section, like the blockbusters and rogers video stores used to have?

[Coyote-Trickster]

Can you imagine if alcohol was sold on SHELVES IN A STORE? Heck, that's just asking for minors to come buy it.

It's funny because it's true.

I can see booze almost everywhere in Maine.

Here in New Brunswick only the government can sell it at their liquor chains.

Australia has some crazy game laws but When I lived in South Australia I could get booze in the many "DRIVE IN" liquor stores... and I mean, MANY. My suburb had 6 of those in a 5 minute radius.

it's funny how games get attacked by laws so much while people can put songs on the radio about riding people's disco sticks.

[Flare4War]

I wonder if they realize that making a slightly more intense rating is going to cause developers to create more intense games.

Yeah they should probably just leave things how they are. "Let sleeping dogs lie" so to speak.

Yeah, I've never seen Alcohol in a store like superstore either; it's always in a separate liquor store. Same with cigarettes too, actually.

In Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico I know they sell liquor and cigarettes right in the grocery stores. Come to think of it Wal-Mart has a pretty good liquor selection.

[Nonamer]

Say some kid successfully gets the game with a really convincing fake ID. Well then how are they going to know to fine them? They gonna hire a policeman to sit by any place with games for sale? XD

With that logic, and seeing how bankrupt California is, I seriously doubt that police are going to enforce this law on a regular basis. I think that the law is nothing but a publicity stunt by the dumbass politicians. Nothing will change. Period!

[Native Jovian]

In Florida, it's not really. Alcohol can only be sold in an liquor store. A lot of grocery stores here will have another store attached to them (but not within the actual same store) that sells alcohol.

That's got to be by your county. I live in Palm Beach and grocery stores definitely sell alcohol here. (Unless you meant "liquor", which isn't the same as "alcohol", and requires a separate license to sell.)

[Frederic Petitpas]

[........]

[ShadowBlade]

This all reminds me of about 6 years back when they wanted to put a law in place stating that only 18+ could buy cans of spray paint.