Politics and Video Games

All right, I'm officially ticked. People trying to get into the government cannot "protect the children from the horror that is video games." Video games are protected under the first amendment, you cannot regulate there sale, it is up to the parents to decide whether they want there little 5 year old to play Hello Kitty or Grand Theft Auto. When politicians promise that they will fight to regulate the sale of violent video games, isn't this an empty promise? If you attempt to regulate the games, you will be sued by the entertainment industry and you will lose on first ammendment grounds. So why waste the time and money telling people that you will fight for this, wouldn't something like "better schools" or "more hospitals" be a little more of a reason to vote for him/her? I mention this because I saw it on a commercial last night, and was wondering if anybody else realizes this "interesting" promise is totally a plea for more votes. Its been made before. It's never happened. Anyone who tried to make it happen was sued and lost. If you have any thoughts on the matter please send them my way.

When it comes to politics in general I'm just super cynical.  Thankfully, I live in Canada which isn't so hardcore about having the government tell us what we can and can't do.  Well, except for Quebec with the language rules, and as a result I have a bunch of extra french game manuals lying around.  As you mentioned, the industry has been successful at fighting off aggressive maneuvers from over-anxious politcians, but will they be able to hold out forever?

The big problem comes with the complete misunderstanding that games are just for kids.  In reality, and what most gamers know, is that older games make up a substantial percentage of the overall industry.  And it's just like movies.  There are some truly graphic movies that are released, and sometimes there are protests and such, but something like Hostel, or Land of the Dead is way worse than Grand Theft Auto.  At least in my eyes, but I don't have a very strong stomach.  With the thinking that games are for kids, the attacks on the industry are only going to get worse in the next generation.  With PS3 and 360 politicians are going to be arguing about the graphics that are too close to reality.  With the Wii they'll be talking about the movements the game makes you do, I mean, in Red Steel you're making actual stabbing motions!

I think lots of people are gonna see the Wii as "training for criminal activities". Your getting into a new level of realism with all three consoles, people had problems with blood before, now its gonna look like it actually came from a person. And with the Wii, some see stabbing motion as a new way to bring down a foe, others see the same motion and think "O my, VIOLENCE, what are we to do?"  People willl try to regulate the games, but as I said before they will not be able to do this.

My parents for one limit the movies and video games I can play. No M games. Approved by the parent T games. And no rated R movies unless they say its okay. Hey, I'm still in High School, they are able to do this. But once I'm out of the house,I don't want other parents that DIDN'T raise me to say I can't play the games I want.

Silence, I don't think you'll find ANY gamer disagreeing with you :)

And if you feel strongly about this then you can actually make a difference by writing to your senator and congressman.