The days of selling old games might be coming an end?

[Pantechnicon]

I would think the proposal violates freedom of speech in some way. If they wanted to they could just emphasize the fact that a Mature rating is equivalent to an R rating. But that's not enough for them.

It would be one thing to say "You can't make, sell or distribute GTA-IV", but that's not what's being suggested. All that seems to be proposed here is what you said; creating an additional level of accountability for the resale of new and used ESRB-rated games. I've used this illustration in another thread but it's worth repeating here: In America you can legally own a copy of Time Magazine and you can legally own a copy of Hustler. However, there's no good reason for you to expect to be able to pick up both while you're standing in the grocery checkout, and your inability to do so is not a violation of the 1st Amednment.

That aside though, I'm submitting my proposal for a book ratings system.

Heh. There are probably people on both sides of the political spectrum who'd like to implement something like that ("This book has a teenaged sex scene!" "This book speaks favorably about Jesus!" "Lock `em both up!"). Even if I were one of them, though, I'd be nuts to want to ride that tiger. In the wake of things like VA tech or Columbine, the demagoguery is always about what they were playing on their PC's, what they listening to on their stereos, but never what they were reading. No no. Literature as a whole is a sacred cow, even if some of it bears part of the responsibility for occasional mass killing.

[Cryomancer]

Yeah, I'm waiting for when all this bullshit finally makes someone snap and kill a bunch fo people, but first intentionally replace all his belongings with bibles and gospel music or something "good", just to confuse the "experts".

Ok well maybe that's a bit demented but damn if the thought hasn't crossed my mind after reading all this kinda crap. if only we could go back to using...what was it called...oh yeah, personal responsibility and self-control.

[ubersaurus]

A regulation like this will probably do little more than scare the local shops into taking ESRB guidelines more seriously in their transactions. Pre-rated games will have to be grandfathered. No way in heck could one realistically enforce something like that on eBay or at CGE-type events. I don't have a problem with it at all if it works out that way.



And the last time I checked, nearly every serious effort to censor videogames in this country is initiated by a Congressional Democrat. Joe Lieberman, anybody?

Don't let's turn this into a flamewar now. You made your anti-Bush crack and I made a semi-informed retort. Let's just call it even.

To this day I will never understand how Joe Lieberman got reelected(though technically he's now an independent, toying with the idea of going republican :P).

I don't even think a game like Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the 2600 would be rated Teen.

[Push Upstairs]

All this stuff is only as effective as a parents ability to give a shit.

Whether that be about the ratings themselves or the stuff their child plays.

[Slate]

If classic games are outlawed, then only outlaws will have classic games.

I've found a signature. Do you mind if I use it?

[Aswald]

Look- video games are an easy target. If Baby Boomers were heavily into them, this would never get anywhere. It's just an effort to make it look like they are doing something.

[greedostick]

And still a child can turn on the t.v. and watch Maury Povich. Quite possibly the trashiest show ever to grace a television set. Or see the same hookers on cops getting out of cars while skulling up dudes that they see on GTA.

[RegSNES]

While I do think more retailers should enforce the ESRB, I also find it strange that NY would need a program/law to get parents to do what should come to them naturally: look out for their kids.

[Griking]

If anything, wouldn't a ban make prices go up? If a product is illegal, people are willing to pay more for it, right? I can see it now: jails full of "game dealers" who are corrupting the country by selling Night Trap to little kids on the street corner.

If a game becomes illegal it means that you won't be able to sell it on eBay any longer. If you can't sell it on eBay then your exposure will drop drastically and less people will know that you're selling it which will result in lower sale prices.

If this does come to be it will suck big time for profiteers but it may be a great thing for collectors. We may actually see games being sold at tag sales and thrift stores again.

[Iron Draggon]

Heh. There are probably people on both sides of the political spectrum who'd like to implement something like that ("This book has a teenaged sex scene!" "This book speaks favorably about Jesus!" "Lock `em both up!"). Even if I were one of them, though, I'd be nuts to want to ride that tiger. In the wake of things like VA tech or Columbine, the demagoguery is always about what they were playing on their PC's, what they listening to on their stereos, but never what they were reading. No no. Literature as a whole is a sacred cow, even if some of it bears part of the responsibility for occasional mass killing.

QFT!

you don't see anyone trying to enact any legislation to limit anyone's access to any books... so you can do like my sister does and collect every true crime book that you can find, reading them all and learning about how every serial killer throughout history eventually fucked up and got caught, so when you finally go on your own killing spree, you won't make the same stupid mistakes that every other serial killer before you made... and while you're at it, you can enjoy viewing all the extremely explicit photos of all their victim's remains... but no, it's video games that are giving kids murderous ideas...

[j_factor]

Books can be controversial too, and there have definitely been efforts to ban certain ones. Henry Miller anyone?