IL governor trying to block video game sales

[HavocTM]

They sent the bill to the State Senate today for approval.  

Fines and jail time for selling violent or sexually oriented video games to under +18.

"The measure would require store owners to determine which video games are violent or sexually explicit and not sell them to children younger than 18. Violators could face a year in prison or a $5,000 fine. "


Nice, so private store owners have to decide what is mature or not and be liable if they fail.

[VOR]

They have to make this decision based upon who's standards? ESRB ratings would make it easy, but is there more?

I can see and actually agree with not selling M rated games to kids; if mommy and daddy say it's ok for little Johnny to buy Doom 3, they need to be with him when he buys it. No problem.

As adults, we are free to make the decision what legal substances we pollute our minds and bodies with, and as a parent I hold the decision authority for what my kids will/ will not be exposed to. Without knowing more about this proposal, I would assume the bar will be set with ESRB ratings or some similar scheme and so would think that it helps me as a parent decide what my minor kids can and can't have.

[Hawklore]

Theirs flaws in it.. but it's not gonna help with video game violence.. it's the parents..

[LePaul]

I work at Sears on the weekend and the Point of Sale system automatically prompts us to ask a kid for his age...most of the time.  Sometimes the inventory folks mess up...so it'll prompt me to verify the age on a kid buying "Yoshi" but not for something "Doom" like.

They have good intentions....but they are going overboard.

[Gunslinger]

so what you're really saying is the gov of IL is trying to block violent and mature video games sales to minors?

and what's wrong with this again?

[Schaden]

er wouldn't this be the responsibility of their parents?

[Tuomio]

I think its wrong if the store owners have to DETERMINE if game they have on the shelves has immoral elements.

[Fury]

Store owners should not have to decide what is and isn't appropriate for people under 18.  If it's based on the rating on the box, fine whatever.  As long as the ratings people have ratings for those over 18.  Age based ratings.  Cause you know at 18 you magically become adult enough to vote, see NC-17 rated films alone, buy a video game, or even kill people (if you're in the Armed Forces).

Fines and jail time....dang.  Do they fine and jail the movie theaters that allow minors in NC-17 movies?  Do they fine cable channels that show porn?  Did they fine ABC for airing an unedited 'Saving Private Ryan' at 8pm (that's primetime), with all it's gore and swearing?

Damned parents need to step up and be the responsible ones.  The ones who live in IL should be *****ing up a storm to keep the government out of parents' responsibilities.

[Vulcan]

If the store owner is the one that defines what is suitable then how can he ever be guilty

[Gunslinger]

I beleive this is more or less determined by the rating on the box.  Almost every game I've seen advertised and bought recently had some type of rating.

Yes I think this is a responsability of the parents as well but that's not going to stop kids from initially buying them.  

BIA is a graffic game and has some pretty bad words spoken during it.  When I first played the game I had to turn it off because my kids stopped to watch me and the language/violence got kinda bad.  I made the decision to not expose my kids to that.  With older kids that actually play these games parents dont allways have this luxury.

I see this as no different than theaters not allowing kids into R or NC17 rated movies.

[Hawklore]

Originally posted by Schaden
er wouldn't this be the responsibility of their parents?

Eh.. read my post...

[HavocTM]

The problem is using a voluntary ESRB rating system to enforce a law.

The state is saying that store owners have to decide arbitrarily and if they do it wrong, they get sent to jail.

One man's violence is another man's fantasy.

Under the IL rules ACES HIGH would not be able to be played by under 18.

[parker00]

Originally posted by Fury
Store owners should not have to decide what is and isn't appropriate for people under 18.  If it's based on the rating on the box, fine whatever.  As long as the ratings people have ratings for those over 18.  Age based ratings.  Cause you know at 18 you magically become adult enough to vote, see NC-17 rated films alone, buy a video game, or even kill people (if you're in the Armed Forces).

Fines and jail time....dang.  Do they fine and jail the movie theaters that allow minors in NC-17 movies?  Do they fine cable channels that show porn?  Did they fine ABC for airing an unedited 'Saving Private Ryan' at 8pm (that's primetime), with all it's gore and swearing?

Damned parents need to step up and be the responsible ones.  The ones who live in IL should be *****ing up a storm to keep the government out of parents' responsibilities.

Yes they will fine a theater if they are caught allowing children into NC-17 or R movies. yes they would fine a cable channel(not your HBO, Showtime, Cinamax) for showing porn. ABC had to get approval to show that movie and although they showed it on some ABC local stations not all of them did. Some like here in the Kansas City area did not show it out fear from fines. I will agree though that it is the parents responsiblity to watch their children and monitor what they do. What do you think about liquor stores getting fined for selling to minors? It seems to be the same kind of thing. I disagree just because it's the government overstepping their boundries but at the same time I understand why they are doing it. It's not like they say they can't play them, just not buy them. CD's are already done like this, just don't know how inforced the law is.

[Mickey1992]

Originally posted by Fury
Fines and jail time....dang.  Do they fine and jail the movie theaters that allow minors in NC-17 movies?

In Ohio it's considered child endangerment.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by HavocTM
Under the IL rules ACES HIGH would not be able to be played by under 18.

I doubt that but if true - can we get it enacted in the other states asap? LOL