Home Forums #IrishGameDev in the News Governor Schwarzenegger lays down the law !

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    • #4658
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      For those of you not aware of the details, on Friday October 7, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill proposed by Assemblyman Leland Yee that will fine, up to USD 1,000, anyone who sells a violent video game to minors. The bill has been described as vague at best and hypocritical at worst by the industry and by first amendment activists. What is strange however, is that in a state where Quentin Tarrantino is revered as an artist for such wholesome works as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Assemblyman Yee decided that his first priority was the gaming industry when minors seem to have an opinion on Mr. Tarrantino’s works.

      You have to be careful when examining why people are opposed to the legislation, it’s not that anyone disagrees with the noble cause of protecting minors from violent content but that the bill is a rushed, childish attempt to convince voters that politicians care about the issue rather than an honest effort to protect America’s youth from exposure to violence.
      [/quote:0758b4a5fc]

    • #26099
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Ah yes, the American way…

    • #26100
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      And passed by Mr. Schwarzenegger notheless…

      while(Schwarzenegger ==inTheFilm)
      {

      bodyCount++;

      }

      :D

    • #26107
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Meh, Schwarzenegger or another, it’s all the same. Like a law in America would be passed after actually making a proper study of the situation… well, to be fair it’s the same everywhere. If an issue is mediatised, over hyped, you can bet that the laws rushed through to satisfy the public will be completely inadequate. It doesn’t matter anyway, all that matters is that the public is satisfied, and with their one day attention span, can now feel happy about “helping the children”, and now move on to something else…

      As long as they don’t remember about roleplaying, I’m more than happy to see them extend the limits of human stupidity…

      :roll:

    • #26108
      Anonymous
      Inactive
    • #26127
      Anonymous
      Inactive
    • #26133
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Honestly, I think fines are a good idea.
      A amte of mine used to work in an off-license a few years back and he used to ask for ID when he thought it was needed. Then while he was working there the government brought in the on-the-spot fine for selling to under age people. Fine on the off-licence and on the employee. After that, anyone he was vaguely unsure about got asked for ID.
      Fining the employee and the company and policing it should be enforced, its just not done. Although in saying that, this sort of crap was going on with movies years ago and people were less out-spoken and eventually it just went away…

    • #26146
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      they should solve the problem Kyoto style:
      “Hey, these rating systems don’t make any difference! Let’s not even bother. This is only preventing our industries from making more money. Who cares what the rest of the world think.”

      Now that would be something I wouldn’t blame Bush for trying :twisted:

    • #26152
      Anonymous
      Inactive
    • #26156
      Anonymous
      Inactive
    • #26158
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Hrm, interesting question. The law talks about “supplying X to minors” so if its the parent who demands the game despite being told its unsuitable would they then also be answerable in the eys of the law?

      Funny that you mention the bit about retailers not wanting to inform parents about the suitability of games. I was in store awhile back and a kid wanted to buy GTA3, the guy goes “Sorry mate, I can’t sell you that but if you get one of your parents to get it for you then its cool.” I was just standing there…gobmacked…

      While were mention certification by the way. You guys see Land Of The Dead? 15A my ass!

    • #26159
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      While were mention certification by the way. You guys see Land Of The Dead? 15A my ass![/quote:f2ec9bb481]

      Nope is any good?

    • #26160
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Very very good actually. Different kind of horror to Dawn Of The Dead, in fact its not scary at all bar a few jumps its more the visceral gory horror of the old days…i like. :D

    • #26164
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      While were mention certification by the way. You guys see Land Of The Dead? 15A my ass![/quote:a440381611]

      I assume it’s one of those “artistic license” phenomena. A bit like nudity and sex in French movies is completely OK, because “yeah, but it’s not gratuitous sex, it’s part of the story!”.
      Like, George Romero isn’t a “horror movie director” anymore… he has become an “artist” at this point. Therefore the gore is “part of the story, not gratuitous”.

      Bullshit, but hey, I am not the one doing it :P

    • #26218
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Looks like hes still flexing all the muscles except the one upstairs.
      GED DOO DA CHOBBA GO ON GO ON DOO IDDDDDDD

    • #26228
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      LOL

    • #26236
      Anonymous
      Inactive
    • #26259
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      And now the Japanese governement are starting to get involved too, requesting violent game labelling.

      http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6834

    • #26267
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      dude, Germany have been there before anyone I can think of.
      I still remember reading parts of the code of Halflife in their SDK, and you had switchd like
      [code:1:d4ad51965d]
      if (germanPlayingTheGame)
      {
      blood.color=green;
      }
      [/code:1:d4ad51965d]

      They have some very very strict rules about what is and isn’t acceptable violence in games, over there. And it’s probably a good thing, if you ask me.

    • #26273
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      In germany video games are toys. They are not classed as media they are toys, hence the german stance on things.

    • #26274
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Actually carmageddon was one of the first games I heard of that had to have the colour of the blood changed…

    • #26277
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Well, I just know that a lot of games that are considered violent and rated as such in other places are simply banned in Germany.
      I believe the “if you turn the blood green, it’s OK” thing is a sort of compromise they made. But I am not aware of the details, only the fact that there is such a thing as a “German switch” in some games.

    • #26286
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      In the german and korean versions of half-life the marines were replaced with robots and in counterstrike hostages sit down when shot.

    • #26288
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Seriously? Thats a bit on the weird side.

    • #26330
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      well, at least it less hypocritical/ambiguous than the American way.
      It’s a way of seeing things, you know. A bit like in France you can’t just go around waving Nazi flags. That’s illegal. For an American (or an English, in a slightly less excessive, stiff upper lip way :wink: ) that would be depriving them of their God given right to walk around in white cone hats, to me (being French), it’s simply being respectful of other people feelings, without needing to invent a concept like political correctness… I mean… political correctness? I am sorry, it just doesn’t make any sense.

      *reads back* :oops: OK, OK, I am ranting again…

    • #26344
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      A bit like in France you can’t just go around waving Nazi flags. That’s illegal.[/quote:3788cd11df]
      And is the same excuse for France restricting the religious freedoms of its minorities :)

      Dave

    • #26354
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Did realise it before, but in Australia they highest rating they have is MA15+. Anything they deem higher than that doesn’t make it to the shelves…

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