PTC Gets Behind "Truth in Video Game Ratings" Legislation
PTC Gets Behind "Truth in Video Game Ratings" Legislation
February 27, 2007
Watchdog group the Parents Television Council has taken an active role in video game issues of late.Earlier this month GamePolitics reported on the PTC's support of video game legislation proposed in the Indiana State Senate. Last week we noted PTC's joint participation with the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood in an effort to ban ads for M- and AO-rated games from appearing on buses and trains owned by Denver's mass-transit system.
The PTC has also weighed in on the Truth in Video Game Ratings Act, a bill re-introduced recently by conservative Senator - and 2008 presidential aspirant - Sam Brownback (R-KS).
Of the legislation, a press release attributed to PTC president Tim Winters says:
The (PTC) sides with Senator Brownback on this issue. There is a clear conflict of interest that arises when a video game’s producers and distributors submit segments of their choice to the (ESRB) for review...
Video game distributors should no longer be able to skew ratings in their favor by concealing the material they do not want reviewed...
The PTC applauds Senator Brownback for adding language... to commission a... study to evaluate the current video game rating system, look into instating an independent rating system... and consider the application of a universal ratings system...
The full text of the Brownback bill, S.568, can be seen here. The measure has been referred to the Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 07/23/08 at 10:13pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: Lunatic: Nope. Ever fading if I'm not mistaken.
GRIZZAM PRIME: Lunatic: Nope. Ever fading if I'm not mistaken.
Posted 07/23/08 at 08:05pm
LuNaTiC: is there a way to view old shouts? sorry if its a noob question.
LuNaTiC: is there a way to view old shouts? sorry if its a noob question.
Posted 07/23/08 at 07:07pm
gamepolitics: momma didn't raise no sock puppet
gamepolitics: momma didn't raise no sock puppet
Posted 07/23/08 at 06:15pm
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Jack is a repressed man. Don´t be surprised...
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Jack is a repressed man. Don´t be surprised...
Posted 07/23/08 at 06:07pm
GryphonOsiris: So Jack admitted paying for gay porn... all I can say is wow... just wow...
GryphonOsiris: So Jack admitted paying for gay porn... all I can say is wow... just wow...
Posted 07/23/08 at 05:09pm
lumi: to the case, and he's been on 60 minutes once!
lumi: to the case, and he's been on 60 minutes once!
Posted 07/23/08 at 05:09pm
lumi: GP, you should mention you'll be filing a legal injunction against him if he doesn't comply. Phoenix Wright will be attached
lumi: GP, you should mention you'll be filing a legal injunction against him if he doesn't comply. Phoenix Wright will be attached
Posted 07/23/08 at 03:32pm
Alteffor: You should add a section to the site for anything Jack CC's to you. It's always entertaining to read the stuff he writes.
Alteffor: You should add a section to the site for anything Jack CC's to you. It's always entertaining to read the stuff he writes.
Posted 07/23/08 at 03:31pm
Matriculated: Does anyone know when the Supreme Court reaches their decission?
Matriculated: Does anyone know when the Supreme Court reaches their decission?
Posted 07/23/08 at 03:04pm
Freyar: I demand to see this letter! (Not that I have any grounds to demand on.)
Freyar: I demand to see this letter! (Not that I have any grounds to demand on.)
Posted 07/23/08 at 02:53pm
gamepolitics: JT called me a "sock puppet" in an e-mail to Hal Halpin... i gave him 24 hours to retract it, LOL
gamepolitics: JT called me a "sock puppet" in an e-mail to Hal Halpin... i gave him 24 hours to retract it, LOL
Posted 07/23/08 at 02:46pm
Haggard: Might want to take a look at what Anthony Horowitz wrote about GTA IV in the Telegraph, article seems to have been taken down
Haggard: Might want to take a look at what Anthony Horowitz wrote about GTA IV in the Telegraph, article seems to have been taken down
Posted 07/23/08 at 01:05pm
Silencets: Beutiful. I always did wonder about Jacko Wacko
Silencets: Beutiful. I always did wonder about Jacko Wacko
Posted 07/23/08 at 10:24am
Matriculated: So Jack (an anti-gay activist) PAYED for gay porn
Matriculated: So Jack (an anti-gay activist) PAYED for gay porn
Posted 07/23/08 at 10:22am
Matriculated: [i]...and purchased membership.[/i]
Matriculated: [i]...and purchased membership.[/i]
Posted 07/23/08 at 10:21am
Matriculated: [i] few months later, as part of his ongoing campaign against Kent, Thompson followed links to gay porn on Kent's website[/i]
Matriculated: [i] few months later, as part of his ongoing campaign against Kent, Thompson followed links to gay porn on Kent's website[/i]
Posted 07/23/08 at 07:40am
sortableturnip: Jack's at it again: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2008/07/jack_thompson_faces_permanent.php
sortableturnip: Jack's at it again: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2008/07/jack_thompson_faces_permanent.php
Posted 07/22/08 at 11:22pm
PHOENIXZERO: Ugh, that CNBC program "Play to Win" is it? Is on again...
PHOENIXZERO: Ugh, that CNBC program "Play to Win" is it? Is on again...
Posted 07/22/08 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSM: todayin zippy land:after spending 8 hours working on my AC unit yesterday it finally died today. theres go 300$ I don't have...tin trailers are ovens in the summer >>
ZippyDSM: todayin zippy land:after spending 8 hours working on my AC unit yesterday it finally died today. theres go 300$ I don't have...tin trailers are ovens in the summer >>
Posted 07/22/08 at 09:17pm
Cheater87: http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/news/132121.20080723.Saints-Row-2-uncensored-in-Australia/
Cheater87: http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/news/132121.20080723.Saints-Row-2-uncensored-in-Australia/
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
"I think it’s a good thing that the PTC is putting the blame on game developers for hiding the material, rather than putting the blame on the ESRB for not rating the games well enough."
That's the next step. First you assert that game companies hide stuff. Then you blame the ESRB for not finding it, even though they have severe penalties for hidden stuff discovered after release, even if it's accidental.
Color me not suprised. Good to know, though, GP. Keep your enemies closer and all that.
But I would have been shocked to find out the the King Kooks at the PTC didn't support this POS legislature. In fact, I am sort-of gald about it, because most reasonable parents that I know laugh at the PTC.
Now of course, I don't mean what the PTC is saying is right, after all, not all game developers hide their content.
I don't think that will fly.
This pile of crap bill will be struck down as unconstitutional.
The PTC should find something else better to do with their time and energy.
I should also point out that Brownback was(I don't know if that moron still is) a member of the PTC's so-called "celebrity advisory panel"(so is/was Lieberman).
I believe this is what you were after?
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/10/01
In other words, try to establish a federally managed organization to take over the whole process. Then we'll get FCC-style knee-jerk behavior.
Penny Arcade hit the the proverbial nail on the head with this issue. For those of you who missed the comic about it (it's fairly recent), you'll have to find it yourself. My kingdom for the ability to use HTML again.
Well, the paranoia-levels at the PTC have (yet) again shown themselves to be at a full 100%!
Which by itself isn't anything new.
It makes no sense, but this country has a major problem with the topic of human sexuality. Unfortunately, the problem won't likely be corrected anytime soon.
They same that the game rating system is flawed by using videos rather than playing the game, and yet fail to realise that this MUST also mean that the game lawmaking procedure is also flawed for precisely the same reason, since these laws only ever have accompanying video, they never ask people to play the actual game.
Hippocrisy much?
Although, yeah, they have a point. I mean, look at Nintendo. They stuff their games full of sex and then don't mention it to the ESRB. Like, umm...Super Smash Bros, oh yeah, a LOT of sexual content in that. Yoshi-on-Pikachu action; I was scarred for life.
Oh, the Sims games, oh my god. It promotes prostitution! And there was a lot more violence in Pikmin that you didn't see! It was like it was made by R*!
I'm not soo sure if we should be surprised with this incident - it feels like a lof of this legislation is crawling out of the woodwork now that the 2008 presidential race is starting up.
It would suit them perfectly, since Spore has evolution, and according to people who think like the PTC, evolution is a farce
Yes, there is the 2nd clause, but would that REALLY change the rating if it doesn't blow out of proportion later? "We were going to add a minigame that gives a brief sexual scene, but we decided against it and have not even programed in the naked skins yet so there is no nudity."
So yea, one game, one problem, and the law does nothing to actually address it. (Unless you think you would put an AO rating on the game for 'Fully clothed, accessible only by intentional hacking' program...)
Because at the time television was the big "evil" that our children need to be "protected" from. Now they appear to have expanded their scope to the next big "evil," video games.
Also, video games are commonly played on televisions. That may be one of their ways to justify it. =)
1.GTA: SA
2.???????????
3.?????????????
4.????????????????
5.?????????????????
Profit
1. biased to the point that if they began publishing articles in "credible" newspapers, they'd immediately turn them into tabloids
2. apparent attempt at making the esrb look like they are only shown certain parts of a game when in fact they are specifically required to show the most gruesome and violent parts
3. They claim developers are trying to skew the footage for certain ratings (come on now, really)
4. They are applauding a obviously unconstitutional bill.
Post new comment