Hillary Going Puritan For Votes?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in TechnologyI am HIGHLY suspecct of her motives with this one:
Clinton asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the origins of a downloadable modification that allows simulated sex in the personal computer version of one of the most popular and controversial video games in history.“We should all be deeply disturbed that a game which now permits the simulation of lewd sexual acts in an interactive format with highly realistic graphics has fallen into the hands of young people across the country,” Clinton wrote in a letter to the head of the Federal Trade Commission.
Saying the problem of explicit video games was “spiraling out of control,” Clinton also said she was introducing legislation that would crack down on the sale of violent and sex-laden games to minors.
I agree that games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas should be kept out of minor’s hands, but the game is already rated Mature. And just in case you’re not aware of the content of games like this, you can pretty much pick up a gun and shoot and kill anybody you please. Why are we worried about a little sex now?
Here’s what somebody associated with rating these games said in the Ny Times:
Patricia Vance, president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, defended the rating system. “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was rated Mature, for ages 17 and older, with five content descriptors: intense violence, blood and gore, strong sexual content, strong language and use of drugs,” she said. “It’s hard to call that inaccurate. It’s been appropriately rated.”
What else can you do besides put the responsibility on the parent’s shoulders? Thoughts?
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July 15th, 2005 at 12:50 pm
opportunistic grandstanding, an otherwise critical skill for would-be presidential contenders…
July 15th, 2005 at 12:51 pm
Might it be possible to have game vendors start enforcing age limits on ESRB ratings? Like theaters have already done, I mean: R-ratings are now a strike against potential box office tallies because (after some popular clamor) movie houses started checking IDs, and refusing entrance to those under the age limit.
You’ll still get parents buying their children videogames that are inappropriate, but having your child ask you to buy a game for him because the salesman says he’s too young might be a wake-up call. And really, what kid wants to take his parent(s) to the mall? Yuck!
[Where I'm coming from: I'll tend to favor methods that take advantage of Hayek's 'spontaneous order' over legal rules imposed from the top down, so take my comments with that granule of sodium chloride.]
July 15th, 2005 at 12:56 pm
That’s just the thing Austin. They already do. All the major game vendors have strict policies regarding this because they made agreements a long time ago with the distributors that they’d do so.
And agreed “harm”, I think she’s grandstanding and it looks really bad.
However, what will all those soccer moms think? Hmm….
July 18th, 2005 at 12:28 pm
The other problem is, she gives the impression of a complete lack of understanding of the gaming community (whether she really lacks such understanding or not is another question). She is complaining about a community-made modification (”mod”). The material which is at issue was not included in the game by the game’s designers, so anyone who purchases the game will not be able to have virtual sex in its off-the-shelf form. They would have to download the additional mod from a non-vendor source.