RF Generation Message Board

Bill Would Hold Game Makers Accountable For Players' Actions

March 1, 2005

By George Howell


[img align=right]http://www.komotv.com/news/images/violent_games_030105.jpg[/img]SEATTLE - Should the people who make and sell "violent video" games be held accountable if someone commits a crime because of playing them?

That's something our state lawmakers are considering, to open game makers up to more liability.

House Bill 2178 proposes to hold the makers and sellers of violent video games liable if someone under 17 years old commits a crime, due in any part, to playing the game.

Supporters of the bill, like Bill Hanson with the Washington Police and Sheriff's Association, say "kids" are getting the games, and they're becoming desensitized.

"If you sit up and watch this and play these games over and over again... it seems that this is alright to walk up and hit a police officer over the head with a bat," Hanson said.

Opponents argue that the proposed bill would shift the responsibility from the person who actually committed the crime.

Lew McMurran, with the Washington Software Association, says violent games are clearly rated for adults only, and that the responsibility should be on parents to use the video game rating system and control what their kids are playing.

"We're removing the responsibility from the person who committed the act, to somebody else who's completely removed from the situation" McMurran said. "There's a very strong video game industry in this state that we want to support. We don't want to bring undo attention to an area where there's actually jobs being created, where there's actually some good economic development in our state"

House Bill 2178 is still in the committee stage in the state House of Representatives.

 Congratulations to you people in the Pacific Northwest for having brilliant politicians (Are they intelligent anywhere?).

Lets take all blame away from the kids and parents. We will be much better off if we do that.  ::)

I guess if it does pass though, I'll make sure that if I kill anyone, it is in Washington.

Former First Lady Slams GTA
New York Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton sides with right-wingers against violent videogames.
by Douglass C. Perry

March 29, 2005 - Hilary Rodham Clinton, D, NY, has taken sides. Apparently, the wrong one. In an article with the Sunday Times, the first-time senator and two-term first lady, said she wants to launch a $90 million investigation into the effects of videogames on children.

Her efforts mirror long-time Senator Joseph Lieberman D, Ct, though this time she has sided with right wing Republicans Sam Brownback and Rick Santorum.

She cites Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto as as a "major threat" to morality in America.

"Children are playing a game that encourages them to have sex with prostitutes and then murder them," Clinton said in a statement. "This is a silent epidemic of media desensitisation that teaches kids it's OK to diss people because they are a woman, they're a different colour or they're from a different place."

Apparenly Clinton is new to the subect of violence in videogames, which first erupted over the finshing moves in Mortal Kombat. Having sex with a prostitute and then running said woman over in GTA is not a goal or mission in the game, leaving that option open to the morality and choice of the gamer. Furthermore, GTA3, which kick-started this new wave of complaints against violence in videogames, came out in 2001, almost four years ago. Clinton's statement appears to be the first part of her bid for the democratic presidential election in 2008.

Clinton's proposed $90 million investigation will study the impact of games and other electronic media on the "cognitive, social, emotional and physical development" of children, reports the Sunday Times.

We'll have more on Clinton's pre-presidential campaign ideas in the near future.