Cigarette-like warning on Video Games

[Browncoat]

New Bill in Congress Would Add Cigarette-like Warning Labels to Video Games | GamePolitics

[The bill] creates a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which forces games with a Teen rating or higher to be sold with a simple warning label, reading: "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior."

I'm absolutely against this. The ESRB is around for a reason and here comes this new Congressman trying to make a name for himself by being an ambulance chaser like Jack Thompson.

If we're gonna put such an inane label like warning about video games, why not put a label on cheese warning of the deadly cholestoral, the #1 killer in America?

Tomorrow I'm actually contacting this congressman's office and requesting a conversation (if not a meeting) to discuss this bill entirely and present my points on it.

am I overreacting? maybe, but if I don't, who will?

[Blue Dragon]

I agree with you here. I am fifteen years old, passive and very calm. I do very well in school and I have never punched, harmed, or hurt another person, nor do I ever dream or plan on doing such a thing. I played the game Doom when I was only four years old, and progressed through many mature games as I grew older such as Half Life, Counter Strike, Oblivion, and Left 4 Dead. None of these games have made me aggressive or violent in any way as far as I can see, and this new bill just seems ridiculous. Aggressive behavior is rarely triggered by video games alone, but it does sometimes happen, it all depends on how a person reacts to video games and if they have any kind of medical or mental incapacitates that might already influence an aggressive reaction. What really bothered me though was when a poster at my high school was displaying something along the lines of "censorship keeps you from reading", and it had a list of books that were explicit in violent and sexual ways. To me it was saying "Hey, we are going to condemn video games for 'harming' teen's brains and causing violent behavior, but were are going to promote books that contain just as much blood and gore as games do". Wha...?

EDIT: Today, (Thursday, Jan. 15, 09) our high school had an assembly about the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, the speaker discussed what could have caused their behavior and how we should avoid violence. Overall, I felt it was a good assembly, but can you guess what he blamed for their motivation? Yep, video games. I'm sick of it. These school-safety coordinators need to learn that video games are not the only motivations for violence, and they need to investigate EVERY aspect that could lead someone to do something as serious as gunning down a school. Heck, around the world, religion is, and was used to justify violence and killing. Disgusting.


What also bothers me is that some people take it as far as saying that any kind of anger is caused by video games. Anger itself is a emotion that we are all bound to feel at some point or another, and it bothers me that the media, parents, politicians and such will usually suddenly link it to the games, other than things that might be going on in their life (if I understand correctly, during teenage years, it is natural to experience shifts in emotion because of hormonal imbalances and changes).

I'm just glad Jack Thompson was disbarred so he can't worsen the blame that gamers and gamers have been receiving.

[sir clinksalot]

What a crock. I've been playing "violent" video games for 20 years and never had any desire to shoot somebody, steal a car or rob a bank.

[SummerInFL]

What a crock. I've been playing "violent" video games for 20 years and never had any desire to shoot somebody, steal a car or rob a bank.

Ditto.

Just because my character in GTA has banged every hooker near the river to the point of catching gonorrhea, doesn't mean I will do the same.

[mycroft16]

Ditto.

Just because my character in GTA has banged every hooker near the river to the point of catching gonorrhea, doesn't mean I will do the same.

Ok, nearly sprayed my drink on my monitor!

I too have been playing violent video games since about 9 years old, so 20 years now. Unreal, Half Life, Doom, Quake, Hexen, GTA, etc... my parents just made sure I realized the difference between games and life. Video games are a great place to release frustration in a harmless way. It just takes a little responsibility and guidance at a young age and a continued interest from parents in making sure the kids understand. Setting limits and such. My wife loves that I take out my frustration and bad moods on pixels. She even participates sometimes =D

[Zorro825]

Ditto.

Just because my character in GTA has banged every hooker near the river to the point of catching gonorrhea, doesn't mean I will do the same.

LOL!!!!

That just made my morning..haha

This is total BS. Using games as a scapegoat is getting really old.

[SummerInFL]

LOL!!!!

That just made my morning..haha

This is total BS. Using games as a scapegoat is getting really old.

I agree, most of, if not all gamer related incidents, the person involved had some deep seeded mental problem that was ultimate cause of their problem.

It's just another ignorant person, uneducated in the world of games who is pushing forward out of fear or a need to find blame where it doesn't exist.

[sailerm]

Remember, these are the people you voted in for "change". I 'Hope" it doesn't come back to bite you in the rear.

[SummerInFL]

Remember, these are the people you voted in for "change". I 'Hope" it doesn't come back to bite you in the rear.

Yeah....bait people much?

[Ride Warrior]

If anything, these games give the vast majority of people a venue in which to vent any existing pent up violent aggressions. Do gooders never slow from their various exercises in futility - likely the only exercise they get.

[sailerm]

Yeah....bait people much?

I'm not a big fan of government trying to be everyone's parent. This is just the kind of 'feel good' legislation that accomplishes nothing, but I suspect you'll see a lot more of it in the coming four years.

Doesn't anyone remember Tipper Gore in the 1980's?

[stitchon]

In the words of Kenny Rogers: "... one big steaming heaping nutty-brown pile of bull****"

Blaming Video Games for aggressive behavior is such a cop-out.

[Lane]

This is just the governments way of saying they are "trying" to help educate people of the product the consumer is buying or whatever. If its just a sticker or something its not that big of a deal. Now if the government steps in and tries to edit video games, then lets make a big deal about it. Until then, who cares. Thought, it is kinda dumb to have the ESRB and yet government is doing their job for them by putting labels on the box. As if a "Rated M" or "A" isn't enough. And browncoat, leave Virgina cheese alone, its not hurting anybody.

[Madame_Leota]

Ugh. This pisses me off. I think it's really up to the parents to decide what games their kid should play. The ESRB exists for a reason, and they already put disclaimers such as "violence", "language", "sexual situations", "drug reference", etc.

Also, I've been playing video games since I was a baby, and video games have never made me want to beat anyone up. Cartoons have never made me want to beat anyone up. Movies have never made me want to beat anyone up. I don't think media makes people violent.

[sailerm]

This is just the governments way of saying they are "trying" to help educate people of the product the consumer is buying or whatever. If its just a sticker or something its not that big of a deal. Now if the government steps in and tries to edit video games, then lets make a big deal about it. Until then, who cares.

It's called incrementalism, Where a small change by itself doesn't seem like much, but then another small change, then another, until over time a big change occurs.

Look at tobacco, they have added law after law restricting it, but have not our right banned it yet.