Debate Felony selling M-rated games - Gamerz-Place Forums

**Nitz** · September 24th, 2008

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New legislation in the Senate and Assembly would make it a felony to sell games with depraved violence and indecent images to minors.

State Senator Andrew Lanza

Earlier this month, the New York state Senate approved a bill that would make rating labels on games mandatory in the state and establish an advisory council to appraise the job done by the Entertainment Software Rating Board and a parent-teacher program to identify kids at risk for violent behavior.

The bill passed the Senate and was moved to the Assembly in just four days. With momentum like that behind the issue, two more bills were introduced last week, one from the Senate, and another from the Assembly.

After his rating labels bill met with such swift acceptance, State Senator Andrew Lanza last week introduced S5941, which would make it a class E felony to sell or rent to minors any game including "depictions of depraved violence and indecent images."

The bill defines depraved violence as "any photographic, photorealistic, or other similar visual representation of the rape, dismemberment, physical torture, mutilation, or evisceration of a human body." Indecent images would be any such visual representation "of a person or a portion of the human body which depicts nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors."

The next day, some of Lanza's colleagues in the New York state Assembly offered their own take on his legislative efforts, as Assemblyman Joseph Lentol introduced A8696 (as reported on by Game Politics). The new bill included Lanza's felony proposition with the same definitions for depraved violence and indecent images, as well a proposal for establishing an advisory council as set forth in Lanza's original legislation from earlier this month. Assemblyman Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer cosponsored Lentol's bill.

One new passage in Lentol's bill would put restrictions on console sales. It would mandate that all home gaming systems sold in New York include parental lockout controls that will limit access to "certain content." The bill specifically excludes PCs and handheld devices.
A representative for Lentol told GameSpot that he proposed his bill because he felt Lanza's was too vague in areas, and he felt strongly about including the parental restriction requirement. As for why handhelds like the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable were excluded from the law, the representative said it was because the parental control technology has not been fully implemented in the current systems on the market.

Both newly introduced bills would take effect 120 days after being signed into law. Both of them were referred to committees upon introduction and have yet to be voted on.

This sucks for people under 18... I'd hate if they couldn't sell me a game I wanted..

**The Legendary Saviour** · September 24th, 2008

Well they could just order it online?

E.V. · September 24th, 2008

...they have games showing visual representation of rape?!
and can't the parents just buy it for the kids?

**Nitz** · September 24th, 2008

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Originally Posted by The Legendary Saviour

Well they could just order it online?

Not really, you'd need a valid credit card. I don't think most minors have a credit card. I think you "usually" have to be 18+ for one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by E.V.

...they have games showing visual representation of rape?!
and can't the parents just buy it for the kids?

I guess they do....But I don't see how that's bad? It just shows you a real side of life. As long as you don't look at it in a GOOD way. If you view it and go.. holy shit.. I can't believe that happened.. it shouldn't...

Yeah the parents could buy it for the kids. I assume they WANT parents to buy the games, so the parents know what the kids are playing.

My uncle actually does this to my lil cousin. We're not allowed to play bloody or any type of adult rated game... haha I remember I was playing vice city in my OWN house and he got pissed, cause my cousin was there watching as I had to do a mission in a strip club...

IBeatSephiroth · September 24th, 2008

If I can't buy a game from the counter I just get mum to stroll over and I give her my money and she buys the game for me. She dosn't worry about us when it comes to games because she knows how mature we are and that we can handle it and she knows that we will stop if something goes to far.