| Onyxmeth said: That argument could be used in any number of areas where we restrict minors whether it be music, film, porn, cigarettes, alcohol, banking, driving, etc.. They all have gray lines where it's far more evident it's on an individual basis who can handle what, but we still have government put down lines in the sand(either firmly or loosely) on when it's generally appropriate. Even the best parents can't have their children under lock and key and know every last thing that goes on in their lives, so having stores step in at the appropriate times and further the goal is not a bad thing. An involved parent that doesn't mind their children having any number of the following things I mentioned can still purchase it for them, so yes I don't see the downside. The only people that feel championed by this are snot nosed teenagers that wouldn't have their parents approval to purchase violent software if this had gone the other way. The way the game industry is getting behind this makes it seem they care more about continuing to peddle this to minors and not wanting it to affect that revenue stream, becuase I've seen nothing to support what they've been saying about how this gives them the freedom to express themselves. This bill wasn't trying to kill any developers' dreams, merely spell out who can purchase them. |
The thing is, the ESRB is already this "grey line" for videogames, but it's not enforced by law. I totally agree that stores shouldn't just sell any game to any person, but it should be a matter of store policy on what to enforce.
Taken from the verdict (via Kotaku): "California's argument would fare better if there were a longstanding tradition in this country of specially restricting children's access to depictions of violence, but there is none.", so the Supreme Court disagrees with you.
The problem with every arguement against the videogames in this case is that it is assumed that violent video games affect kids in a bad way, but there is zero evidence to support that claim. It's no different than saying kids turn rotten from listening to rock and roll or hiphop. I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious, but I think making it illegal to sell certain games to kids of a certain age is a step too far.
