Bill Submitted to US House of Representatives Will Try to Enforce ID Checks for Games
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 10:11 am under Gamer Life, Games Industry, Game Related Laws, Games
Tagged: esrb, Jim Matheson, lee terry, video game ratings and Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act
It seems that the Democrats and the Republicans are working together for once, because Republican Lee Terry and Democrat Jim Matheson have introduced into the US House of Representatives a bill that would force retailers to check IDs before selling “AO” or “M” rated games. Failure to check ID would result in a $5,000 fine.
The aims to ensure that children will only be able to “access age appropriate content without parental permission” and it would also enforce an explanation of the ratings systems to customers. Whether this is a verbal explanation or just a huge sign posted is unknown, but they have to explain it nonetheless.
According to Terry:
“The images and themes in some videogames are shocking and troublesome. In some games high scores are often earned by players who commit ‘virtual’ murder, assault and rape. Many young children are walking into stores and are able to buy or rent these games without their parents even knowing about it. Many retailers have tried to develop voluntary policies to make sure mature games do not end up in the hands of young kids, but we need to do more to protect our children.”
This will possibly be shot down just like previous bills submitted which have been rejected by “first amendment” rights. I wonder if they will start doing the same thing with “R” rated movies. It would only be fair, plus, in what game do you actually “rape” someone? Please provide me with an example that does not include some perverted form of internet Hentai because I have never even seen such content in any game released on a console. I am not saying Terry is lying and such actions in games do not exist, just that I have not seen it.
Via: Variety
If you found this story interesting, why not subscribe to our RSS feed to get your daily fix of gaming news?
May 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
One game, Custer's Revenge, Only game that is not Hentai and was commercially sold , it is the only game to date that you can rape women in.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am
"…we need to do more to protect our children."
How about lobbying for a national health care program or increased education spending?
I agree that this should apply to all media that is rated, but I'm certainly not opposed to the principle. It's sad that a law has to be passed to get retailers to do something they should be doing anyway, but that's the world we live in.
I'm not a constitutional lawyer (heck, I'm not a lawyer at all), but I fail to see how this infringes on the first amendment any more than asking for ID to get into a movie or bar infringes on the first amendment.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Really, it's a good thing. If kids stop getting their hands on adult-rated videogames then perhaps the industry wont get so much shit.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Digital Downloads would help with kids buying games they shouldn't. If a kid manages to still get an M or AO game off something say like steam then thats is 100 percent the parents fault (Even the normal way is still the parents fault imo). Oh so you give your 10 year old your credit card to buy stuff offline?.. well your an idiot and shouldn't have been allowed kids in the first place.
I agree with Spiral, if they truly cared for kids they would try something thats more sense able then.. omg those evil video games.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Oh and I forgot to add. I bet these two guys have done stuff worse in their life then what you could probably find in a video game… hell there politicians after all.