Minnesota Governor Signs Game Bill Into Law, ESA Vows To Fight It |
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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed
into law Republican Representative Jeff Johnson's HF1298 bill. The new law, which takes effect on August 1 2006, penalizes underage gamers who buy video games carrying Mature (M) or Adults Only (AO) ratings with a $25 fine. However, convictions for this offense would not go on the child's record. The law also legally requires video game retail
outlets to put up signs that explain the ESRB rating system. As expected, the Governor got "pawlenty" of flack from those who opposed the bill.News of the passage of the new law triggered a swift and critical response from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) which announced plans to file a suit against the state. The group also issued a strongly worded statement saying they were "deeply disappointed" with the Minnesota legislature and Governor Pawlenty.
"We believe that SF 785 is unnecessary and will restrict the First Amendment rights of MinnesotaÂ’s citizens." ESA said. "We hope that sooner or later state legislators and candidates will stop trying to seek headlines by subverting the constitution and frittering away desperately needed taxpayer dollars and instead enter into a constructive partnership to educate parents about the tools available so they, not government, can raise their kids as they see fit and buy the games that are right for their unique families."
ESA is the trade association of the computer and video game industry in the US and counts most of the top video game publishers in the gaming world members including Activision, Atari, Buena Vista Games, Capcom, Crave Entertainment, Eidos Interactive, Electronic Arts, Her Interactive, id Software, Konami, LucasArts, Microsoft Corporation, Midway Games, Namco, Nintendo, NovaLogic, SEGA, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix, Take Two Interactive, THQ, Ubisoft, Vivendi Universal Games, Warner Bros. Interactive and Wild Tangent.
Via Gamespot
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Comments [refresh]
That has got to be one of the stupidest laws ever. I hope the ESA succeeds in fighting this.
what a *****. its as bad as arny saying that videogames are too violent.
Presumably you have laws in the US restricting minors' access to mature-rated movies, right?
So why are videogames different? If all it took to get the likes of Jack Thompson to shut up was to actually respect the age ratings given to games, wouldn't that be worth it?
Why is it right that a 5-year-old should be allowed to buy a zombie gore-fest like Resident Evil?
It just seems strange to me that gamers in the US seem hell-bent on the right of their kids to buy inappropriate games.
I don't see anything wrong with this law. Kids shouldn't be playing violent video games anyway. YEA that's what I said, I'm ready to hear the flamming...
geez hope this doesnt go to aus man i feel srry anyways STOCK UP ON VIOLENCE GAMES BEFORE THE AUGUST 1st
So underage kids are currently allowed to my adult rated games in the US? Thats crazy. In the UK and in loads of other countries, if you're under 18 you CANNOT buy an 18 (equivalent of AO in the US) rated game. That seems fair, if I want an 18 rated game I just ask my parents to buy it. I don't get what the fuss is about. Im pretty sure in the US that you can't buy certain films if you're too young, so why should games be different?
SOMEONE GETS IT!
Thank you ESA!
I don't see where games affect young ppl or any other media for that fact, I was 3 and played bio menace I was 7 and played diablo and I was like 13 or 15 and played GTA, you expect me to wait one more year until I turn 18 to acctualy be able to play these games, I was never affected in a negative way by these games.
I said this more than once and I will say it again, the problem is that stupid kids shouldn't be able to play these games, I'm not stupid enough to go around killing people, and even if I did I wouldn't be stupid enough to do it like that guy.
If these people actually played games they would know for a fact that if you kill someone no-one knows about it it's crucial (Hitman anyone?), and where does a 16 year old get a gun please tell me because if 16 year olds can get guns than maybe games are not your biggest problem here.
I'm glad I played all those games, most of them I could only play next year and maybe then they would not be as much as fun.
Going back a little peaople are stupid, a person that cannot distinguish real from fantasy is just stupid and should not be allowed to have a GUN. I have a lot of friends that played games that are for ages above them and they didn't kill anyone, they didn't torture anyone. What the ***** is wrong with you, go find an ***** like this and give them a weapon, yeah now that is smart, hey he killed someone, it's because he played violent games, not because he had a wepon and was completely out of is mind confusing fantasy with reality.
oh and sorry for the long speech but these things piss me of.
How the hell do they expect to uphold this law? Place a cop outside every store that sells video games? Not to mention that if this doesn't go on any record then how can they expect a kid to pay? I'm all for keeping inappropriate games out of the hands of kids, but how does slapping them with a $25 charge do anything? As I said, I don't think kids belong playing GTA or such (I'm talking about an 8-10 year old; if you're thinking a 13-14 year old I don't have much objection to them playing GTA) but there will always be that kid who finds his daddy's Playboy before he knows what to do with it.
...here is why. In the US, we have a little thing called the constitution, which grants citizens freedoms. Freedoms of speech and freedoms of expression.
I have a three year old daughter. Would i let her play GTA? Nope. Should the government say she absolutely cannot play the game? Nope. That happening stops my right to be a parent and her right to choose. Is there any evidence that a child raised playing violent video games is more likely to be violent in reality? If not, then there should be no state tort imposed restrictions.
Are we to allow them to install cameras infront of the computer so they can monitor what she watches and turn it off if its been rated above a certain subjective maturity level? I hope to God not.
Thats bull. just bring ur parents to the game store problem solved. They cant stopu if ur dad is there with u.
WOOOOOW!!!!They would go as far as fining kids for their games....Well,why dont you go after the "violent" television shows that depicts violence in REALITY and get off your rags!!! Now thats the craziest f#####g thing ive ever heard!!!
Actually this is a great law.. The first law that was put into place in some other state, can't remember which, that said "no games with violence towards humans" could be sold to minors was silly. Zelda could be considered violent towards humans and that is a game partly geared towards kids. However, this law takes in the ESRB rating system and only prohibits the sale of Mature or Adults Only games.
Similarly, kids can not go into certain movies WITHOUT their parents buying them the tickets or going along with them. This is almost the same. Your kids can still play those games but the parents will have to buy it for them.
With today's technology (such as the PSP), it can even be difficult for parents to know if a kid bought a game they shouldn't have. Only way the kid can be caught is if the parents see them playing.
Moreover, it makes the parents be a little more part of the whole video game world. If they have to go to the store they are more likely to be informed and make better parenting decisions, where if there was no such law in place they might just give their kids money and let them buy whatever they want.
This isn't a law on our first amendment and if you think it is then you must really think the gov't is out to get you. Most laws like this don't bother people with an intelligence :)
http://www.docuworld.org/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,228/Itemid,30/
stupid law. doesnt really do anything thats not being done now. for as long as the esrb ratings have been around. it has always been illegal to sell a m or ao rated game to a child.
but indeed there is absolutely nothing that can done if the parent buys it for their children. however the posting of esrb rating signs in all stores that sell video games is genius. i hardly ever see them except maybe in walmart where a sticker is pasted to the glass. but in depth descriptions are needed, whereas its only a few words describing what the rating means. too bad not too many parents care anyway. this law is bull*****. it does nothing to stop violent videogames from being in the hands of a child. absolutely nothing. it should be fought. and countered with something more relevant.
You show them ESA, no one will be stopping the Video Game violence as long as there is the right to freedom of speech.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it...
it sucks. Why must the government try so hard to parent the children. well, i think that the government should get out of parents' business. Hey, maybe there should be a "parents against jack" forum
Way to go ESA! The government too often regulates what children do. Meanwhile, adults, who may be bums or be on steroids, are allowed to buy violent video games
guess what another attack on video games is out there? Apparently, microsoft flight simulator trained the 9/11 hijackers, according to a guy who presented at my school! Shoulda got his name...now games that are too realistic like sims should be destroyed
If you read it, it says if the minor BUYS the game. Children shouldn't have access to these games with an adult. If the parent lets them play it, then its fine.
Now, if it were just for possessing it, then there would be a serious breach of freedom.
Let's say that I'm 8 years old. I watch t.v. all the time and all I see is the War in Iraq. Since I'm taking in all this, I want to go get a gun and start shooting all the Arabs in the United States. Now wait, Our government is the one that allowed me to be influenced by all the media in Iraq. So our government needs to be fined $25.00 for this and since they are adults allowing this they should be imprisoned also.
I forgot I was talking about our government, where everything that they do is not wrong. (LIKE THAT IS TRUE)!!!!!!!!!
It all comes down to the parent that wants to be an adult,and to teach the child what is right and wrong.
This is only another way for our government to get more money from us and to keep us poor and confused.
Example== It is legal for me to make a porn video business as long as I pay the government taxes on what I gross. But it is illegal for me to have a woman to go on the street and sell herself, because I'm not giving money to the government.
Example== It is legal for me to buy cigarettes and smoke them because they made tax money from the company. But it is illegal for me to smoke in public because they say it is bad for others. So they make a new law if in public smoking than you will be fined.
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE POWER AND MONEY. MAYBE IN 100 YEARS FROM NOW WITH ALL THE LAWS THAT ARE BEING MADE TODAY IN U.S.A. WE THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE A NEW SAYING (WE THE GOVERNMENT SLAVES HAVE NO RIGHTS)
OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE AND SPEAK OUT NOW. THESE ARE OUR FREEDOMS THAT THEY WANT FULL CONTROL OF.
MPAA(Motion Picture Association of America)'s rating system enforcement is not a law, NATO (national association of theater owners) and other associations use it voluntarilly. Why would video game ratings be any different from movie ratings. There are no laws governing the viewing of movies, as there shouldn't be. This goes the same with the video game industry.
learn your ish.
I used to be a theater manager. by the way.
its a game....its animated...BIG DEAL. Violent video games prepare minors (13+) for the real world. They get to experince violence and it also lets them release stress. Ive known some kids that werent allowed to watch PG13 or play "violent" video games, and they where pretty screwed up. If all this makes no sense then ignore me I just woke up lol
We have a lot of dumb laws here in MN, we can't even use real Fireworks.
The goverment isn't actually trying to raise your kids; it's just trying to get you to get a little more involved. I believe in freedom of speach, but as someone here said there are some people that lack the capacity to distinguis reality from fantasy; although, In my opinion most of them are just cowards that don't want to take responsabilty for their actions, and blame video games after being caught. Anyways is it really that bad that parents have to buy their kids a violent game in order for them to play it? All of you might be doing a great job raising your kids, and so you feel confortable with them playing violent games because your sure they won't go shooting up your neighbors and such, but there are people that don't give a sh*t about their own kids. These kids have probably not been taught right and wrong as well as others, so they are the ones that need this. For their sake let's bare with this.
At least bush doesnt give *** on video games
ha, i have been ordering certificate 18 games online since i was 11
All the goverment is saying is that they can't controll videogame retailers or gun distributers so they'll go to where the problems not at.AND WHILE WERE AT IT WE'LL GIVE OUT $25 FINES TO HELP WITH THE TRILLION DOLLAR BUGET DEFICIT WE'VE CREATED WITH ALL THE OTHER STUPID UNECESSARY DECISIONS WEV'E MADE.
A little word of advice stop letting guns rome so freely,stop letting drugs enter our country like they have passports' put more effort towards our youth with programs and training for there future.And stop nic picking on crap that's not responsible for the mess that's been caused by your departments own stupidity and iggnorrance
WHY WOULD HE PASS THIS LAW I LIKE JESSE VENTURA WAY BETTTTTA.
Our country ( or colonial power for me cause we are their colony ) sucks , to many restrictions and they don't change anything , I had a friend on messenger from Japan which I met him on runescape ( I got addicted to that game for 4 months ) and he tells me that he sees 7 year old kids buying a GTA game like normal and there in Japan the homicidal quote is around 40 a year , compare it to USA's 12,000 homicides a year. This shows that the problem is not the videogames but let's think what the USA has that Japan doesn't :
1. Military
2. Bad government
Those are the real problems , how they affect it's gonna take more than 50 pages to explain ( a tesis cuz it involves many undirect effects ) but it's true.
Jesse Ventura was a dumbass.
Why is anybody against this law? It's just a penalty for something that's already illegal- yet there's no punishment yet.
Oh, right, you're all 12 year olds.
I forgot.
Carry on!
if you want to buy an M game you have to have a parent with you, wich is a little annyoying but fine. Now they are trying to make it illeagel for a minor to buy it at all. I'm 16 and you think the government is a better parent than my own, than thats you messed up problem.
This kind of action doesnt need to be taken! If the clerks at gamestop or eb games or walmart or w/e games are sold were educated and followed the rules of selling approiate rated games to kids then there wouldn't be a problem. It's the clerks workin for minimum wage who don't give a rats ass who buys what that are bringing this heat apon the industry. - ha I don't blame em for not caring but it still causes a lot of ***** for average gamers.
When the time comes when the USA has to pay all the trillions of dollars it owns to other countries and it starts turning to an Haiti I will just leave it behind and move on to Australia.
ESRB says that their rating system is COMPLETELY VOLONTARY which means that parents can DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES whether the game is appropriate or not for their child.
THIS LAW WILL NOT LAST LONG.
i live in Mn and i can say this is lame. Why are video games set apart from other forms of media such as movies, music, or books. All three can portray the same messages and themes. There is just an ignorant notion that young kids are the majority of todays gamers and that`s just not true. Kids cant buy the games with current laws it`s their parents responsibility, this is completely unnescary.
This makes me shamed to be a Minnesotan. Oh well, this doesn't affect me at all but still it shows how dumb our government is.
UGHH... this is gay.
I will tell you why this is *****ed up, for starters it is a violation of the constitution and you guys are incorrect about it being the same as movies. Their is no law banning the sell of R rated movies OR games to minors, stores simply dont because they do not wish to risk getting sued by parents. The biggest problem is this, who gets to decide what is acceptable and not? Everyone is different and the government doesn not have the right to control everything we do. Laws are in place to keep everyone from interupting everyone elses persuit of happyness and that is all. We should be mad not only because of the 1st ammendmant violation but because of the tax payers monet that is wasted on these stupid bills that will never hold up in the supreme court.
The ESA recently *****ed over one of my favorite sites for old-school abandonware. As much as I want to back them up here, the law sounds completely reasonable. Just going to have to trick your mommies and daddies into buying them for you.
Now little 12 yr/os are gonna have to find a bum outside of walmart to go in and buy them an M game for them, just like i used to do for beer
I could play vice city when i was 11. ( im now 14) (australians can play R games when were 15 called MA15+ and AO or R doesnt exist in games.)
Its people who are retarded and have mental disorders that this law should apply to. I dont feel like killing anyone (anymore ;)
Man, I posted this in the forum like two weeks ago
http://forums.qj.net/showthread.php?t=51741
i read it, and i don't like it. The parents don't need government help to parent their kids. If they hear swear words coming out of a tv or psp, they will go see what's going on. This is all a bunch of bullsh*t where politicians want attention, so they decide they can win votes from ignorant soccer moms by protecting the children from graphic video games
the false assumption that many gamers are little c o c k-sucking children comes from nintendo, which is a popular company for such children. However, that doesn't mean that older gamers (teens) should also be harshly governed when it comes to video games. All minors 17 down have to go thru all this bull to get a violent video game, while the creators of these games have the constitutional right to give these games to whoever the hell they want!
the ESA is 100% right...such barring of sales is unconstitutiona l. If this video game issue was looked at by judges and politicians in that manner, i'm sure all this confusion would end quickly
Where do u think these kids get the money for these games? Their parents! And whose there with them buying it? Their parents! WTF? These politicians are really freakin stupid. They need to be removed from office and replaced by slightly smarter people that know videogames are not illegal drugs. I'd like to personally punch them in the head.
I'm seriously considering buying games and selling them specifically to underage kids. HAHA. Getting rights back the hardcore way!
just like cali
i was hoping this ***** would stop there
i really dont think the government or the esrb knows whats appropriate for me
Totally Agree with you.
Oh my god.
You aren't suppose to buy games if you're under the age of the suggested ESRB rating. The same as movies. Now they are inforcing it. Stop bull*****ing with 'FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS'. This has nothing to do with that.
It's prohibited to sell rated R or X movies to children, why should videogames be any different? The government isn't encroching upon your first amendment righst with that, so why is this worse?
Something tells me some of you simply aren't the correct age to play these games. You know what? Too bad. Go do something else.
Just because I can smoke and drive a car by the time I'm 12 doesn't give me the right to.
Yes, we all know it's illegal to buy R or X movies from retailers. However, you're asking a bad question...Why is this worse? Now it's worse for only one reason, you're fined with $25 for a game...And so why not a movie? That's the difference Shivawn, the gorvenment is fining you for trying to buy a game. Not a movie.
I don't see what the big deal is, it's not a law against kids playing the games, just against them buying them. If you think your kids should be playing these games, just buy them for them.
pwnd
hes gay
It's actually good in some ways to get things to be more restrictive, it can make it easier for companies. When parents start complaining "Why are you making these games for kids", even though they're clearly not, there's now more of a defense of "What was your stupid kid doing with it anyway?" It's not really removing the choice from parents of what their kids play either, because it's just saying the kids can't randomly walk in and buy the games. The parents can still buy the games for the kids if they choose to. If this helps get pressure off of developers about the content of their games, it's done a good thing.
Of course the flip side of that is developers cutting content out of their games to specifically make sure they don't get an M rating so the games can be sold to a larger audience.
I agree with this law 100%. Kids are not supposed to be buying these games if they are under age as it is, the only people who are upset by this are the ones who are buying the games illegaly already.
The ratings are there to help educate the parents so that they know what their kids are buying. But lets face it people, 99% of parents are idiots and don't look at the rating at all. As far as they are concerned, games are toys and they don't even give it a second thought.
Well looky here parents! Now you gotta take some responsiblity for your kids. What a novel idea! If your kid buys a game now, you gotta pay a fine. Maybe now you will pay attention to what your kid is doing and actualy try *parenting* for a change.
What most of my fellow gamers don't seem to understand is that this is *good* for us. The reason we are being so attacked lately is because of loser parents who do not want to carry out their parenting responsibilitie s, and just want to blame computer games. Well this is the first step on the road to forcing the them to do their damn jobs.
If you're not old enough to buy the game, then ask your parents to get it for you. If they read it and decide you shouldn't have it, then you shouldn't have had it in the first place. Live with it.
ok i happen to live in minnisota, and though it seems that the they put these lame laws up and there bad,you can still get the games, if you know where to go you can buy um. yes the cashier shouldnt let you buy them but they do. i mean if you see a 45 year old guy working at walmart and a 16 teen year old walks up to him like me and say i would like to buy that game, i mean usally he sees that you mature enough to get the game. but if a 12 year old walks up....wat do you think hes gunna say?no.
i mean 95% of the time when a kid brings a gun to school, they blame it on the video games manufacurors. but ill tell you 98% they need to look back at the parents. if you want to find the real problem look to the home life. where were the parents when that child was weelding a gun?
Obviously, this is the kind of ***** that pisses EVERYONE off, and helps to fertilize the public's distrust of the government. Penalize minors for buying a video game?! This feels like something out of Orwell's 1984...
I dont care if the whole world passes that law. i'm 13,I havent ever played a game rated over T and I dont care if i ever play any games over!
51 is right
I let my 8 year nephew play GTA3 because he is more mature than most the ppl in here. He knows the difference between fantasy and reality. he also knows that me and his dad will f***ing kill him if he ever bring a gun to school.
Main problem with kids is the parents dont hit them when the do wrong. Whip your damn kids ppl.
Example:
kid: lalalala oooo GTA cooool!
cashier: here's your recipt and your 25$ fine. have fun!
---------------------------------------------
Ok why dont they just ask for an ID at the register instead? Or parents permission?
Noooo just charge more of the kids allowance money.
Like that'll work *rolleyes
DO YALL SMELL A ***** LOAD OF PIRATES AND ISOS?
Thank god no one gives a crap about this stuff in Colorado, not even after the Columbine incident.
What I find odd is that no retailer has ever stopped me from buying an R rated movie yet I couldn't find a single place that would let me buy GTA until I brought my Dad along. Besides that, it should be a matter of maturity and malice rather than age. I'm 16 and mature enough to understand the content and repercussions of your actions in M-rated games (or AO, if GTA San Andreas is counted as that) without wanting to break into someone's car, shoot anyone, beat hookers to death, or have "delicious coffee" with 5 different women. (Coffee that causes a whole lot of camera shaking, moaning, squealing, and girlfriend pleasing.) And no, even though I had a gameshark with the PS2 version and still have the crackable PC version, I haven't used the mod.
Besides, if I may quote the Colbert Report from tonight, carjacking and teen pregnancy are actually significantly lower than they were decades ago, so I'm not so sure where the influence comes from. If anything, these games are filling a need! If memory serves, criminals were around before Pong and Space Invaders and Doom and GTA were invented, weren't they? (I'm looking at you mister Jack Thompson)