I signed the petition at PAX, but to be honest I only did it to be entered in a draw. I'm pro regulation. A 12 year old should not be able to buy GTA end of story. As a Canadian I already know retailers here check ID's and don't sell to minors anyways without government legislation. So making such a thing legally binding is only a good thing in my books.

Besides it won't effect sales and developers much as dumb ass parents still go out and buy the M-rated games for their kids regardless of whether they are restricted or not. Infact I would love to see such a government policy strictly inforced. Example if Duke Nukem has pornographic content in it then it should be illegal to allow a minor to play.

I'm all for this act wish it came to Canada. Also as another poster said if it means less five year olds smack talking me while I try to play my favorite game, hell yah inact it now!

Exactly. If there is no federal law on something its then up to the states to make laws for it. CA is usuall yconsidered one of the freeer states, but the last few years we have been hit hard and I think change is coming. We'll see though. I worry about this law as any inroads into freedom of speech will be expanded upon eventually. And every year it feels like americans loose more of their choices to government control. After video games our diet is up next with that health care bill passing.

Perhaps kids should just be given to the state for a proper upbringing than? You can't trust an adult to raise them right can you?

Also you state that it wont affect sales, but also that less 5 year olds will have it. Isn't that a contradiction? And how will you play multiplayer online when the community dies due to lack of consumers at an apporopiate age? If people screaming in games frustrates you, mute them. But dont wish for them to be gone, cause your game will be gone too.

Could you explain why?

And more to the point, could you explain why the industry can't be trusted to regulate itself?

no i dont enlighten me.

Even though i don't have a probelm with this cause i am australian. I do know that ploticians don't know much about Video games or any proof that video games should be resticted.

Michael Atkinson a australian politicain said MW2 said it "allows players to be virtual terrorists and gain points by massacring civilians." as you can see the statement is worng. Cause as gamers we know that MW2 you get no advantage for killing them and you don't even have to.

Also in the Australian Game informer it said that books are worse them video games as you use your imagination to see what happens and that is wores then being told every thing in a video game.

so i think when you teach the politican the real facts and they know about games then the laws will be fair and just. Cause i know that Australia need a whole face lift of our system as it was designed in the 90's and games have progressed heaps and we need an adult rating.

Well, you can trust some adults; the problem are the number of kids who are borne to women who pop one out every 10 months or so. The adults who know to be active in what their kids are doing have the minority of kids, be it because they stop at a normal number, or they've decided to not have any, etc. But far too many see little Johnny bitching and moaning about how he wants to play MW2, cave in, and get it for him. This is then followed up by not checking to see if Johnny's actions (screaming and cursing at other players online) are appropriate. This is irresponsibility. Part of raising a kid is teaching them the meaning of the word 'no.' But over these past 10 years or so, we've become so coddling of kids that it's sickening. I'm of the thought that a good, swift spanking teaches a kid what's wrong, but now it's considered child abuse.

And if the game crashes because it stopped selling to people it really shouldn't be selling to, well, then I think that they knew about the problem. And they didn't care it was selling to them. In fact, they knew it was, because that's who they marketed the game toward. Make a game with good, deep content, and Johnny not buying your game won't tank it.

I made a thread about this about a week ago,I'll re-state what I said. All it does is add strength to the current ratings system. It's just going to force retailer's to do the what there suppose to do. The gaming industry is doing nothing but using scare tatics on this issue. I'm a hardcore gamer and I agree with this law. lol

For me this has nothing to do with games. Its all about our freedoms being taken away yet again. Why are we as people so unable to make our own decisions, and better yet why is some government board/panel/group better able to make them for us? Why are they able to decide what we can not? What government agency has proven to be better at making decisons for us than us? I just question big government running my life. I agree kids should not play violent games, but I leave that up to the parents to stop it. I have a single mom, she was able to watch the games I play, hell she bought them. Why is there a problem now? What is happening now that this will stop? All of you for it seem to agree it will not stop kids from getting these games any ways (their bad parents/ siblings/ adults will still buy them) so it stops nothing, but gives the government more power over our lives. Thats why it is bad.

I agree with this post,this won't hurt the gaming industry in the slightest. lol