California lawmaker unveils new game legislation

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Leland Yee's new bill is more straightforward than last year's; it seeks to ban sales of graphically violent games to children under 17.

California assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill this week that would make it illegal for retailers in the state to sell or rent violent games to children under 17. In addition, the law would require such games to bear a label that reads, "This game may not be sold to anyone under 17 years of age."

Last year, Yee made his first attempt to control minors' access to violent video games. That bill was defeated by the California Assembly's Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media, and never made it to the assembly floor. Another Yee bill, which mandated prominent retail signs explaining the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's rating system, was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last fall.

News source: GameSpot

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(2 replies) #1 Virtues of Evil on 18 Feb 2005 - 23:15

I doubt it'll change anything. If the kids can't buy it, they'll just have their older brother/sister/friend buy it for them or download it.

#1.1 nw_raptor on 20 Feb 2005 - 10:02

You're quite right on that. Such a thing is likely to boost illegal distribution of the games in question.

#1.2 priestx on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:27

There isnt enough cases of children imitating this to cause concern. Another politician trying to rank his portfolio..

(2 replies) #2 4g3nt_Smith on 18 Feb 2005 - 23:18

How about we leave parenting to parents and not the gov't.

#2.1 dyreryft on 19 Feb 2005 - 11:21

By that ruling parents should be responsible for making the rules for there children on whether they are allowed to drink alcohol or enter strip clubs etc. If the parent says its okay for there 16 yr old child to enter a strip club or go to a bar/pub then it must be okay by law.

The gov't has to step in sometimes to lay down laws, and parents also have to take more responsibility for what they allow there kids to do. Its a bit of both not exclusive to one.

#2.2 s0wi on 19 Feb 2005 - 21:11

This isn't like strip clubs or drinking. Well, at least I don't think so.

#3 SlammedGST on 18 Feb 2005 - 23:20

yet movies are still ok? lawmakers need to leave the parenting to the parents

(2 replies) #4 mircleman on 18 Feb 2005 - 23:20

I have no problem with that at all kids should not be playing these games. inclucing 16-17 year olds....period !!

#4.1 khyron on 19 Feb 2005 - 00:08

Of course they shouldn't, mircleman. And when you have kids of your own, you can decide what they should and shouldn't be playing. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it's not up to you, Yee, or any heavy-handed legislator to make the ultimate decision as to what's best for our children yet. When it is, we'll let you know. And I'll move.

Bottom line here is that this will not limit the availability of such games to minors. We've got this funny little thing called the Internet which can easily be used to sidestep such mindless regulations by simplifying the process or ordering a product from out of state. In short, Cali can legislate against minors buying violent games in their borders until the cows come home; thankfully, merchants in, say, Ohio aren't subject to the laws of the state of California. Like it or not, that's the way the cookie crumbles on this one.

#4.2 dolimite35 on 19 Feb 2005 - 00:39

yea kids will find a way, just like they do for smoking, drinking, getting guns, buying medical drugs, ect...

(4 replies) #5 mircleman on 19 Feb 2005 - 03:50

in this case the govt should step in because parents today are idiots and have no clue not all but in most cases thus why kids today run wild because both parents work and kids pretty much do as they wish. whether you like it or not this is gonna pass as it should. and btw I do have children

#5.1 MrCobra on 19 Feb 2005 - 13:37

The govt should keep out of family affairs. It's not up to them to make rules for our children. It's ours. Kids run amok like they do these days because it's the govt (local, state & federal) that has allowed it to be so. You can't correct your kids because it's called abuse. When I was a kid and if I were at your house and did something wrong I would have gotten my a$$ beat by your mom and/or dad then by my own when I got home.

Yeah, I did things as a kid that I wasn't supposed to do. Every kid does. But, for the majority, my parents laid down the law with me and I stuck to it or I got my a$$ busted. Many of the older crowd here can relate.

Last edited by 62595 on 19 Feb 2005 - 14:58

#5.2 Solarix on 19 Feb 2005 - 16:16

ya why dont we become a communist nation instead

#5.3 EugeneE3RD on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:37

MrCobra,

I agree with you. I was raised by my grandparents, my grandmother isn't living anymore (she died in 199

& my grandfather who is going to be 76 this year. They both believe in the old way which is what MrCobra wrote above, if I misbehaved, I would get hit. Unfortuntely, you can't do this anymore, if you do, you can have your kids taken away from you by the gov't for abuse. This is why kids are getting away with crap because the gov't isn't allowing parents to raise their kids.

Solarix,

I agree with you also. But our gov't is already acting like a communist nation, the gov't wants to run our lives, tell us what games we can play, et al.

#5.4 AJCrowley Esq on 21 Feb 2005 - 12:21

QUOTE

But our gov't is already acting like a communist nation

It's kind of ironic. This is true, and it is the realization of a fear for many conservatives. The irony comes in when you consider that the biggest perpetrator of this stuff was largely voted in by conservatives, despite the fact that the government in question is anything but conservative. I believe that the correct term in this case is "neo-conservative", which, if that isn't really descriptive enough for you, means take the very worst elements of the right wing, and combine them with the very worst elements of the left wing. Unfortunately, most people don't take the time to educate themselves on political matters, and remain ignorant on the subject, and therefore you get such anomalies as conservatives voting for neo-cons, because they assume that their beliefs are in sync.

#6 altermind on 19 Feb 2005 - 06:01

non violent games.. do they even exist.. even the MYST series has violence in it.. small that it is.. but it does

(1 reply) #7 morgan99 on 19 Feb 2005 - 06:46

I was playing violent games since i was 13 still havn't managed to kill anybody......yet

#7.1 fo20 on 19 Feb 2005 - 21:58

ya, people are alot more cunning and tricky in real life. and a gun is costly lol.

(1 reply) #8 rIaHc3 on 19 Feb 2005 - 11:13

Isnt there a law (at least in FL) that if you wanna rent/buy a game/movie with +18/R you gotta have a 18+ with you? Stores and rental stores could give a f*ck if a 12 year old goes to rent a 18+ game/movie. They are there to make money not to be parents. They have little morals. This new bill will do absolutly nothing.

BTW If they think that this is the reason there is so much violence in California (or any other state for that matter) they are so blind.....

#8.1 MrCobra on 19 Feb 2005 - 13:40

The violence exists because there is no deterrent. You commit a violent crime and in most cases, you get a few years

(2 replies) #9 Ash on 19 Feb 2005 - 13:38

I still do find it funny that you only need to be 17 to interactively decapatate someone in a videogame, but you have to be 18+ to see a picture of a vagina.

#9.1 beanwaur on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:01

lmao. thats the kind of world we live in. doesn't matter anyways, it's not like they are going to stop the average kid from doing either

#9.2 EugeneE3RD on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:42

I agree with what Ash posted above. You have to be 17 to to kill, maim, decapitate people in video games yet you have to be 18+ to see a vagina.

Our country is full of hypocrites. They will allow 17+ yr old people to play violent games but if you try to lower the age to see porn, they start crying & wineing. Yet over in foreign countries, they have no problem with nudity.

Only Americans have problems with nudity.

#10 lupich on 19 Feb 2005 - 17:31

personally its the dumbest thing, people wonder why others pirate software and games I remember I couldnt buy Doom 3 because I was a few months too young. So I downloaded it

but dont worry I bought it later so I could support the company!

(1 reply) #11 Liquid on 19 Feb 2005 - 21:46

EB didnt let me get GTA: VC and SA unless my dad came with me. Now if thats teh case I go to futureshop and get it

Im not a killer, so why should it matter. If they show me actual proof that violent games do causes kids to act violent then maybe I'll stop palying these games. Until then they can go **** their self.

#11.1 beanwaur on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:02

AMEN 2 that!!!

(1 reply) #12 Slacker on 19 Feb 2005 - 22:02

By inacting this law, they are leaving the parenting to the parents. If kids can buy whatever they want, then the parenting is dine by the kids themselves. With this law, the parents should be the ones who determine if a game is approriate for their kid or not. I know that the kid can get an older brother or friend to buy the game, but I think that the point of the law is to disallow the possibility of kids parenting themselves. This is not telling parents how to raise kids, just that kids can't do some things themselves.

Good on them!

#12.1 EugeneE3RD on 21 Feb 2005 - 05:47

That BS, the law isn't leaving parenting to the parents, it's leaving the parenting to the gov't. Kids are buying what they want because mommy & daddy give them money (mostly to shut the kids up) & send them into the video game stores. I've seen it, I've seen parents give their kids money & let them buy whatever games the kids want.

Amending the game laws/making new game laws won't do crap. The stores can't police everyone, parents have to police their kids.

(1 reply) #13 Dodgy on 20 Feb 2005 - 12:26

over here in the UK, absolutely nothing can stop any1 buying an 18+ game or movie over the net. all u need to do it click a box that says "yes i am 18+".
cant u do that over there?

but in the highstreet, stores are generally a bit more striked.

#13.1 Nidonocu on 21 Feb 2005 - 03:47

True, but you need access to a card to buy stuff online. So you have to be at least 16, which is the school leaving age at least.

#14 CheeseFart on 21 Feb 2005 - 04:38

well it has always been like that for me, if they didn't have the ratings people will still pirate games. Kids will still get the games if they have a rating.

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