Yeah, this is just not good. Both the House and Assembly in New York State passed bills to regulate and restrict the video game industry. This is no good.
The proposed advisory council would examine the potential impact of violent media, make recommendations regarding the ESRB rating system, and establish “a parent-teacher violence awareness program to identify and appropriately assist students who may have a propensity toward violence.”
I’m glad I’m living in a state that wants to restrict what I can do in terms of video gaming. I have a feeling that we’re going to see some lawsuits from the big guns in the video game industry about Constitution violations should this bill get signed into approval by the Governor. I can’t say I’ll disagree either. Bullshit. Total bullshit.
In what could be the dumbest law on the books, you can now go to jail for life in the state of New York for selling an M or AO rated video game to a minor.
The video game law makes it a felony in the state of New York to sell M or AO rated games to minors. There’s also a 3 Strikes law which states that after 3 felony convictions, you can (and most likely will) go to jail for life. So in theory, any video game store employee could go to jail for life for selling 3 copies of Grand Theft Auto to a 16 year old kid.
To put it in perspective, for alcohol and tobacco, the sale of these products to minors is a misdemeanor. Selling rated R movies to a minor is not a crime at all.
Why must video games be persecuted in ways that dwarf that of much worse products? A kid buying a bottle of Captain Morgan and a pack of Newport Lights is WAY worse than playing GTA or Gear of War for a few hours.
I think some politicians need to get their heads out of their asses.
February 7, 2007 – 8:40 pm
Yeah, I read this article and nearly shit myself. How stupid are these politicians? Seriously? The proposed legislation would give a $100 fine for anyone using their iPod, cell phone, or BlackBerry while walking in a crosswalk in any major city in New York State. State Senator Carl Kruger said “[People are] walking into one another and it’s creating a number of fatalities that have been documented right here in the city.” Come the hell on guy. This is just insane. What’s next, people have to wear blinders and not speak to each other?
