House bill would enforce ESRB game rating system

[mjh]

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives Wednesday aimed at forcing stores to card minors attempting to purchase video games rated "Adults Only" or "Mature." It's not the first time such legislation has been tried.

"Too many children are spending too much time playing inappropriate video games that most parents would find shocking and objectionable," reads a statement from the bill's principal sponsor, Rep. Lee Terry (R - Neb.), on behalf of co-sponsor Rep. Jim Matheson (D - Utah). "As a parent, I know that I'm the first line of defense against my kids playing Mature-rated video games. But parents can't be everywhere monitoring everything and some reasonable, common sense rules ought to be in place to back parents up."

As H.R. 5990 currently reads, "It shall be unlawful for any person to ship or otherwise distribute in interstate commerce, or to sell or rent, a video game that does not contain a rating label, in a clear and conspicuous location on the outside packaging of the video game, containing an age-based content rating determined by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board."

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Are you okay with this?

I truly believe it's a waste of taxpayers' dollars to try and create legislation like this - it's up to the parents to monitor what kind of video games their children are renting or purchasing from stores.

I won't be surprised if this piece of legislation also gets killed before going into law.

 

[deathstorm78]

I would be okay with it. I think it's about on the same level as carding for cigarettes or liquor.

If you think this is crazy, they are trying to ban the sale of Playboy and Penthouse to American servicemembers at Base Exchanges.

 

[StageLeft]

It won't help much, but sure.

 

[BoberFett]

Think of the children!

 

[mjh]

Originally posted by: deathstorm78
If you think this is crazy, they are trying to ban the sale of Playboy and Penthouse to American servicemembers at Base Exchanges.

I find that especially ironic since the selection of magazines like Playboy and Penthouse is quite impressive at the larger military bases I have visited!

 

[Robor]

I don't get it. I thought games that were labeled as mature were already off limits to minors.

The attempt to ban pr0n on military bases is a joke in so many ways. Idiots!

 

[imported_Imp]

Sure. I'm 22 and still being carded, so doesn't affect me. It will be funny if this passes, then violence rates among youth stay constant/rise. Who/what will they blame then?

 

[Slew Foot]

Im for it, I mean why have the laws in the first place if youre not going to enforce them? Will it stop kids from getting the game? No, but at least stupid crap like this prevents the government from doing something stupid like raising taxes or bailing out banks or whatever. At least for a little while.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Yea, parents are too busy with ________ to actually be bothered raising their kids and monitoring their purchases, so let the government and retail shopkeepers do it for them.


I don't even know wtf to put in that blank.

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Im for it, I mean why have the laws in the first place if youre not going to enforce them? Will it stop kids from getting the game? No, but at least stupid crap like this prevents the government from doing something stupid like raising taxes or bailing out banks or whatever. At least for a little while.

The ESRB is a voluntary rating. You don't HAVE to submit your game to be rated, but some major chain stores refuse to carry unrated games. There is no law in place already, and I don't know what this has to do with taxes or bank bailouts, but I know you're just joking so..

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Comparing this to cigarettes and alcohol is silly. Why not compare it to what it's directly comparable to; MPAA ratings on movies and parental advisory labels on CDs? Are either of these mandated by law? No. Should they be? No. It is not the government's job to step in and raise people's children for them. If you can't be bothered to keep tabs on what media your child is consuming, that is your responsibility, no one else's, and to claim that the government should step in to cover your failures is asinine.

 

[jonks]

Against it for lots of reasons but the best is that it is unconstitutional and therefore a giant waste of money since it will be challenged and thrown out by the courts just like every other similar restrictive state law has been.

 

[mjh]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot

Im for it, I mean why have the laws in the first place if youre not going to enforce them? Will it stop kids from getting the game? No, but at least stupid crap like this prevents the government from doing something stupid like raising taxes or bailing out banks or whatever. At least for a little while.

I also get carded almost every time I try and purchase a video game anywhere here in the Bay Area. The first time I got carded I looked at the lady like she was crazy, but am now getting used to it. (I find it ironic I don't get carded buying alcohol too much anymore, but get carded when purchasing games like BioShock and Halo 3.)

Originally posted by: sirjonk
Against it for lots of reasons but the best is that it is unconstitutional and therefore a giant waste of money since it will be challenged and thrown out by the courts just like every other similar restrictive state law has been.

Well, both politicians involved hope that since they are actually citing ESRB ratings, the courts will rule that it is constitutional... not sure if it'll work, but it looks like they are learning new tricks.

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Im for it, I mean why have the laws in the first place if youre not going to enforce them? Will it stop kids from getting the game? No, but at least stupid crap like this prevents the government from doing something stupid like raising taxes or bailing out banks or whatever. At least for a little while.

Wait a second... you want to have laws and enforce them?!
Don't you think that's going overboard a little?