The US Government regulating video games

[KaotikKreator]

Fining retailers for selling mature content to minors does not work, we have that system here and when children are refused an adult title they just go and get their parents to buy it. Selling a BBFC rated 18 video game to a minor can get you a £5000 ($8,000) fine and six months in jail, there's not much you can do about parents buying them for their children as proving it was for the child and not the adult is damn near impossible.

If it gets the kid to shut up about it... it was bought for the sake of the adult...

 

This is just the same crap that music went through in the 80's with a different target. Anyone with a brain knows how it will end, and videogames might just be better for it once all is done and said. Just think... no more cheap thrill splatter-fests or sexy games which could only hold the interest of pre-pubescent teenagers, but having adult games which have both substance and content... Why if we have hard-core stuff out there, including full-frontal nudity on the cover, no parent in their right mind would buy it for their kid. And if these games had substance to them, no kid would probably want them.

Beautiful response, Vagrant. I had actually been thinking about what happened to music (as well as other entertainment) in the past. I agree with you that most of the "hard-core" video games have less substance to them than my mom's veggie soufflé (no, she's not reading this, thank the Lord). My question for you is this:

 

Where you explain that getting the child to shut it makes it in the parent's best interest (the kid is now quiet), then is that how you'd deal with your child and his/her incessant wailing about a new video game? I mean no offense by this, it just struck me when I read that.

[Vagrant0]

Where you explain that getting the child to shut it makes it in the parent's best interest (the kid is now quiet), then is that how you'd deal with your child and his/her incessant wailing about a new video game? I mean no offense by this, it just struck me when I read that.

I wouldn't dare try to explain it... but it sure seems to happen. The other part is that the newest generation of parents not only probably played videogames, but also grew up in the glory days of Mortal Combat, Doom, and the like, so knows what is out there, probably plays those games themselves, and knows that playing those games is no more linked to violent crime than what kind of toothpaste a person uses.

 

Personally, I'd love for some unbiased group to step in, do HONEST research on the matter, and testify to congress that the ESRB never accomplished anything and that there was never any threat.

 

Also... more harm has been caused because of people imitating The Governator than has ever been caused because of a videogame.

[Chaosblade02]

Certain things the government needs to regulate, gaming isn't one of them. As a 11 year old ripping someones head off with Sub-Zero on Mortal Kombat at the time was the coolest thing in the world, that doesn't mean its gonna make me into a serial killer.