US Senate discuss violent games

[StanBush]

Just read this on gamespot and makes for a very interesting read cant believe how strongly the anti games lobby feel one quote :

"This is the violent video game world--a world that, as far as I am concerned, is straight from the pits of hell."

appears good old Jack Thompson was an amateur

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6146902.html

[Ajay1986]

Good old American Taliban out in force then.

[NekoFever]

I don't know why they waste time and money on it because the same things happen every time. It gets passed, industry complains, it gets ruled unconstitutional and thrown out. They keep trying but they're going to find the same things happening.

The odd thing is that it isn't the American Taliban who keep trying it, but the Democrats.

[Zed]

Ugh.

Do any of these debating the games actually play any? And i dont just mean getting a video of the worst bits of gaming from one side (Manhunt, GTA, DoA boobs etc). They should make anyone on the panel play a variety of stuff and get an informed decision.

[Wools]

It's such a shame that the people who criticise games so much dont know or care about other games such as Ico, Zelda or Shenmue.

However a lot of their arguments are actually OK. They want stronger enforcment of age ratings on games which at present is woefull.

However this is present in all media and I dont see why there should be a clamp down on age ratings in game shops and stores only.

My mum brought me Robocop when I was 8, I brought a lottery ticket myself when I was 14, I brought alchol when I was 16 and got GTA when I was 13.

That is crap and any improvment in the need to prove someone's age is brillant in my opinion.

[dot eater]

However a lot of their arguments are actually OK. They want stronger enforcment of age ratings on games which at present is woefull.

However this is present in all media and I dont see why there should be a clamp down on age ratings in game shops and stores only.

My mum brought me Robocop when I was 8, I brought a lottery ticket myself when I was 14, I brought alchol when I was 16 and got GTA when I was 13.

That is crap and any improvment in the need to prove someone's age is brillant in my opinion.

This is true. And it's something the games industry needs to co-operate on, instead of trying to fight. Meeting the critics half-way would give a stronger position for the industry than simply burying its collective heads in the sand, and giving the opponents of videogaming a chance to push through stronger legislations censoring or banning titles outright.

Plus, getting younger gamers away from crap GTA-clones and sensationalist cash-ins like 25 to Life might have other benefits, like turning them on to better games and hopefully breaking the industry out of the design ghetto it's built for itself.