Indianapolis Enacts Anti-Violent Game Law

From the DC Tech Pages, more reaction from forumers.  First, Anthropic again:

You can’t stop complex problems with simple answers…

In fact, it just may be that the larger number of violent games people play, the lower the crime rate is…I mean, if someone could cool off after a bad day in Q3A instead of putting his fist through a car window, that would be an improvement. In the book Joystick Nation, the author makes a great analogy…We are concerned about kids playing violent videogames, but dodge ball, a game where people through objects at each other for fun, is actually PLAYED in our schools…

Another problem is this general notion that children are not human beings until they are 18…That they can’t think for themselves, and will get taken advantage of, or brainwashed…That’s the single most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.

If a child can’t tell right from wrong, or can’t stop committing violent acts, then he or she has far worse problems then videogames…

And finally, here’s a comment from Dural:

Well here in British Columbia, a province in Canada,(they) gave that game “Soldier of Fortune” the same label as what a ‘adult’ film would get, so that anyone under 18 cannot purchase that game. That happened last week. I somewhat agree with that decision, simply because that game goes too far.

Personally I believe that developers are getting too graphic, that the increase in technology is giving them. Developers want to show as much gory and bloody killing as possible, that they are inviting a backlash from society.

Developers are stupid (in a political sense), and have to learn to set limits on what they can show, or they will just invite restrictions by society. Internal censorship goes on all the time by media organizations, and developers have to learn that.

I see so many times on forums where people complain that the blood is not red. What is the motivation for this? Just realism, or some sadistic need to get a better visual representation of human suffering?

I have no problems with violence limits, by allowing green blood, or allowing no blood at all. A game’s fun factor is not based on such visual details.

Do I like violence? Yes, I do. I like to blow things up, and I can understand that some people might have moral objections to me liking this. What can I say. I know I am not sadistic, and I don’t care if the enemies’ arms can be hacked off, and sprout blood. I don’t play games to see excessive gore, and would prefer games not to be gory.

I just think that some developers are going to far, and they are inviting limits to be set. I have no problem with an age limit, as most parents don’t want their kids playing with games that are excessive in gory detail, till they are at an age to better understand all the moral implications.

If you had an eight year old son, would you want him to play Soldier of Fortune? I know I would not. I would get him another game. It’s not like there is no other choices.

What do you think?  Send me an E-Mail with your thoughts.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE 7/18:  From the Associated Press, this could be the start of the tides of change.  The metropolis is putting in effect a law that would more or less prohibit so-called “violent” video games from even being seen by children:

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Coin-operated video games in which people are decapitated, dismembered, mutilated or maimed will soon be off-limits to children in Indianapolis.

Mayor Bart Peterson signed a violent-video game law Monday, saying it was an opportunity for the city to put its foot down on what he called a burgeoning culture of violence.

The law requires coin-operated games featuring graphic violence or strong sexual content to have warning labels and be kept at least 10 feet from nonviolent game machines. They must also be separated by a curtain or wall so minors cannot view them.

The law bars people younger than 18 from such games unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Peterson called the law — believed to be the first of its kind in a major U.S. city — a necessary first step.

“The importance of it is that it’s an effort to begin to attack the culture of violence that I believe surrounds young people these days virtually from the day they’re born,” the mayor said.

The law takes effect Sept. 1. Businesses can be fined $200 a day for each violation.

So, what do people think of this?  On the DCTP, a lot of negative reaction is taking place.  Here’s a comment from Nesto:

I don’t know about you but this really gets on my nerves; I thought this stuff had stopped after the ratings system. Why do they always have to pick on videogames as the reason kids are so violent? I could go on and on about this but I think the blame really lies on the parents and their negligence and just not teaching kids today morals, what’s right and wrong, etc.

…Old people probably 35 or older who’ve never touched a video game who should have no say in what videogames actually do to kids because they just don’t understand and haven’t tried experiencing video gaming. its too bad these people with old-fashioned ways are in control. at least stick to what you understand and have prior experience with.

And here’s another comment from Anthropic:

So it’s a culture now?…This is just the “older generation” fearing the “younger generation”. This whole thing is sick.

We’ll have more reaction to this tomorrow.  If anyone that visits this site currently lives in or near Indianapolis, Indiana, I’d like to hear from you.