Wednesday, January 14th 2009
Rep. Baca Introduces Legislation to Make Violent Video Games Sold With Health Warning
Today, Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) introduced legislation that mandates all video games with an Electronics Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating of Teen (T) or higher be sold with a health warning label. The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009 creates a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which forces games with a T 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."
"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers - to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," said Rep. Baca. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products."
Rep. Baca has been a lead advocate in Congress on the issues of violence and sex in the media. In particular, he has been very active in ensuring the video game industry accurately details the content of its games to parents and consumers. Recent scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University all point to a neurological link between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers.
"We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play," concluded Rep. Baca. "I am proud to introduce the Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009, and am hopeful my legislation can work to stop the growing influence of violent media on America's children and youth."
Source:
House.gov
"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers - to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," said Rep. Baca. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products."
Rep. Baca has been a lead advocate in Congress on the issues of violence and sex in the media. In particular, he has been very active in ensuring the video game industry accurately details the content of its games to parents and consumers. Recent scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University all point to a neurological link between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers.
"We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play," concluded Rep. Baca. "I am proud to introduce the Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009, and am hopeful my legislation can work to stop the growing influence of violent media on America's children and youth."
91 Comments on Rep. Baca Introduces Legislation to Make Violent Video Games Sold With Health Warning
Baca sounds like the US version of Michael Atkinson here in Oz if these guys had there way the only games we would be playing is lame kid ones news flash guys alot of us gamers are adults and should be able to play whatever we choose.
But this is to be expected in the US anyway. The US trust people enough to carry guns, but do not consider them grown up enough to differentiate reality from fiction. :/
Guns don't kill people, people kills people eh?
Well, neither does games. Or music. Or movies for that matter.
They've linked violent media exposure to more violent and aggressive thoughts, but never to violent behavior, this is usually assumed. It most cases it's a mixed bag of socioeconomic issues and mental health. I do agree that parents should be aware of what their kids are playing and choose if they are mature enough to handle the content but we can't be spreading unproven links.
If they wanted to pass a law that made the ESRB rating and contents description take up half of the front cover I wouldn't mind at all.
I just ran into this article:My conclusion: these people don't understand games nor gamers. Take, for instance, the fact that Undercover is a horrible game where you are a car compared to MoH where you are a virtual human being. Naturally, an FPS is going to incite primal instincts of the brain while being a car won't. This isn't rocket science.
I'm beginning to believe that most adults that don't play games simply hold a grudge against it. They will try to find any damn thing that they can shake a finger at that says "this MUST be making children violent." Frankly, I'm getting sick of it. If game violence makes people violent, then why are all these politicians with a grudge against gaming still alive? Hmmm........
Oh, and please, violence in games is no worse than watching a movie. If they are going to stick thorough labels on games than no other display of violence should be excluded (including films, television, cable networks, etc.). Maybe that consideration would make them realize how nearsighted they are being.
The news gets me, in that, they show some idiot doing something stupid or just wrong and the next night you have some copycat.
They need the label.
Politicians need a label, too. " If you put me in office I may do illegal things and try to get un-needed legislation passed to complicate, and make, your live, a pain in the a**."
We don't need our games legislated by government!
Mind you I think everyone is in agreement, that what with the internet, if you want to play a banned game, you will, lol.
Anyway I hope they do this. I would love to put this warning on the side of my rig :laugh:
Also they need to put a warning on porn sites. "“WARNING: Excessive exposure to pornography and other erotic media has been linked to aggressive fapping and pelvic damage.”
If they can't teach their children good manners and whats right and wrong then I guess its their problem not the games industry.
dumb politicians, they try to accuse games because they want the public to support them, they really don't care if the whole world died.
Like Zehnsucht said, Guns don't kill people, people kills people and the same goes with games.
I think remaking a game is stupid, like what some games companies have to do to get australian classification.
Has their ever been a film that never made it to classification? wtf is the differnce?
looks like i have another name for my s**t-list.
violent video games being linked to aggressive behavior is only half of the story. it has also been proven that less than 15% of people who play violent video games have an aggression problem. this is just another example of idiot politicians blowing things way out of proportion.
and didn't the sims receive a t-rating? how is that violent? not all games rated t or higher are violent.
You can still go out and buy the game. You can also choose not to read the label. What a lot of hot air about nothing.
The problem with paralleling these warnings with cigarettes and such things, is that those products are used by adults, who make a conscious decision whether or not to engage or partake; unlike the games which are played by children. In today's world with an ever increasing worry of money and finances, resulting in two working parents, and 'lax' baby-sitters, it's a bit more difficult for parents to manage.
It's a two part process really. Parents need to get back to old-school discipline regiments, and businesses need to be held accountable for their moral influence over society.
We advance technologically one step, and yet we regress morally three steps.
It's not a coincidence.
Needless to say, I'd much rather see warning labels, pictures and etc. on video games, than on tobacco products.
My wife got me Crysis and warhead for Christmas and she got carded. She is way over 21. So the rating system works, no need for more crummy, useless legislation.
My son played and loved, and still does, so called violent video games; he is a CSI in Texas and got his Dive Master at age 16 (one of a very few). Yes, parents need to raise their children, the goverment doesn't.
Sorry, my aggressive tendencies have come out, I guess the games I play caused this...:)