Looking at Video Games and Violence

Updated:05:21 PM CEST Aug,30

NEWS / RSS
CHEATS

REVIEWS

ARTICLES

HARDWARE

DEMOS

FORUMS

LINKS (new)

CONTACT

Please e-mail us if you have news.

Gameguru Mania News - Apr,12 2003 -

Looking at Video Games and Violence - briefly
(hx) 11:56 PM CEST - Apr,12 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)

Mark Rahner of the Seattle Times (thanks Slashdot.org) has written a great article discussing the recent trend here in the US to outlaw the purchase of violent video games by minors. Here is an excerpt:

A bill on the way to becoming a law in Washington state would make it illegal to sell kids the kinds of games that the bill's backers say lead to real violence. It would make selling M-rated games to those under 17 a Class 1 civil infraction with a penalty of up to $500. It awaits a Senate floor vote after passing unanimously in the Children & Family Services & Corrections Committee last week. It passed in the House March 18 by an 81-16 vote.

Some facts: The average age of a video-game player is 28; Only 13.2 percent of all video games sold in 2002 were rated M; Adults are present 83 percent of the time during the sale of video games, either buying them or accompanying their kids; Children buy only 15 percent of games on their own; The sum of all those numbers is that we're hardly looking at an epidemic of inappropriate game purchases.

That hasn't stopped politicians. California Democrat Rep. Joe Baca's "Protect Children from Video Game Sex and Violence Act of 2003," would make selling M-rated games to minors a federal crime, with even harsher penalties: $1,000 the first time and not less than $5,000 afterward. A previous version of the bill died in committee, and that's where the current one is at the moment.

last 10 comments:

sow	posted - Apr, 13 2003 - 00:51
It is really a serious issue. I myself after playing GTA3, once in the city central square, thought of drive over the grass for a short cut. Luckily I wasn't driving a 4x4 jeep otherwise it might really happen. Of course using GTA as the example is kinda extreme, hahaha...

(V) XI	posted - Apr, 13 2003 - 01:16
American politic Sux . Totally stupid , young gamers will get these games on the net hihihi, it's useless . Fucking polititcians .I'm sorry for americans to have a stupid governement .

posted - Apr, 13 2003 - 05:20

By your logic then, laws of any kind is useless because people WILL find ways or means around them.....? I don't see what all the fuss is about a law that would prohibit violent video games to minors, let alone anything violent. Sure time will come when you can't shield the kids curiosity regarding anything violent, but it's best if the parent is there to teach them. All for laws banning sales to minors with stiff fines. Have kids of your own and see how your viewpoint will change.

Zeus

posted - Apr, 13 2003 - 15:08

i think V is a kid himself, cause i used to make the same comments or similar ones regarding laws about violent games when i was younger. but we are at a point where such a law is usefull, the question if people will break it is not important for any government. and about you will get the games on the internet, well at the moment its true, but dont count on it for the future, more enhanced copy protections and TCPA and so on, will make it much more difficult. and saying that government sux cause of this example is really stupid, cause this law closes at least one hole, better than doing nothing.

Bart

posted - Apr, 14 2003 - 14:58

I think any kid under 17-18 should show I'd to get games like Quake3, SOF2, Battlefield. I say that because just by the sheer number of kids who play these days including some good friends of mine clearly can't handle the games. But it all doesn't matter anyhow because most kids get their stupid mom or dad to go and buy the game for them anyhow so it's a really pointless law. Sure it puts a little trouble in obtaining the games, but one way or another they get it through friends or piracy. Politicians are stupid and they should be looking at controlling the guns in their country and make sure they don't have kids killing other kids. But I guess that's what we pay these fat/rich bastards to do eh?

write a comment
The old comment system has been replaced. Check out FORUMS!

Related news:

7 Best OSRS Services for Players Looking to Save Time in 2026 - gameguru review (Jul 02 2026)

I'm Looking for the WORST Setup on the Internet... - tech (Jan 15 2026)

It's Not Looking Good for RTX 50 Gaming Laptops - tech (Feb 07 2025)

Alone in the Dark 'Looking for Jeremy' trailer - movie (Nov 09 2023)

These aren't the RTX 50-series GPUs you're looking for... - tech (Aug 28 2023)

Intel Looking to Lay Off Meaningful Numbers of Staff, Can Some Products, After Profit Slump - tech (Oct 28 2022)

Cyberpunk 2077 - What You're Looking For - movie (Oct 21 2020)

Looking for Thrill? Try These Video Game Themed Slot Machines - gameguru review (Jul 10 2020)

Rumor: Microsoft could be looking to buy EA - briefly (Jan 31 2018)

Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 is looking good - media (Nov 20 2015)

Dying Light - Techland Is Looking Into Memory Leaks - briefly (Feb 02 2015)

Activision: We Are Looking Into The 6GB RAM Lock - tech (Nov 09 2013)

SOE Looking to Improve Planetside 2 Performance - briefly (Sep 28 2013)

Crytek Looking to Patch Crysis 2 Exploits - briefly (Apr 01 2011)

Nightly Reading- Bungie looking for PC beta testers - briefly (Nov 20 2010)

Aliens vs Predator shots from Sega are nice looking - media (Aug 25 2009)

Relic 'Definitely Looking At Homeworld 3' - briefly (Nov 26 2008)

World in Conflict - Looking For Survivors Trailer - movie (Jun 06 2007)

We Are Looking For Sponsors (download server) - briefly (Sep 23 2006)

Looking at CS Source Assault - preview (Jul 06 2005)

Looking Through the Eyes of Samus - console (Feb 20 2001)

related cheats/trainer:

no results found

Links

Search results for -Looking- :

What is the Difference Between Xbox 360 Models? - So, you've finally decided to start looking at buying an Xbox 360. Good for you, there are some great games on there. Halo 3, Grant Theft Auto 4, Bioshock, Madden, the list goes on. What you might not know is that there's more than one version of the same console floating around out there, and some of them have some very significant differences. Hopefully, this will set things straight andhelp you avoid making what might be an expensive mistake. (2768 hits)
Looking Glass Studios - creators of Flight Unlimited, Thief, System Shock & more (1925 hits)
DoomGate - Perfect for looking up any sort of Doom stuff except anything new (1776 hits)
GTA BOOM - GTA BOOM delivers daily news, guides and cheat codes for all Grand Theft Auto video games, including GTA 5 and GTA Online. Whether you're here for the latest updates on the world of Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto, or just looking for the most complete database of GTA 5 cheats, phone numbers and game guides (PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC all supported - but no money cheat sorry!), you've come to the right place. (1425 hits)
Bioshock - Through the Looking Glass - Bioshock fansite (843 hits)
Fallout 3 Hardware Performance Guide - Are you wondering how well Bethesda's hot new RPG will run on your PC? Are you looking for guidance on in-game settings or planning an upgrade strategy to gain performance? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions GameSpot may be able to help with their Fallout 3 Hardware Performance Guide. (801 hits)
Risen 3: Titan Lords - A true classic European RPG, Risen 3 refuses to hold your hand. It gives players the freedom to explore the vast and beautiful world at their own pace. Engaging combat will test the player's skills and with a visually stunning environment, Risen 3: Titan Lords is a must-have title for RPG fans looking for a challenge (713 hits)