Here's a fun fact.

NO ONE IS MAKING YOU BUY THE GAME! IF YOUR KIDS ASK FOR IT, JUST SAY NO! IF THAT'S TOO HARD, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE! THERE ARE PARENTAL CONTROLS ON 80% OF CONSOLES NOW, USE THEM!!!

I actually agree with most of what Senator Yee has said.

Most importantly:

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing."

I can't agree more. If every parent was putting in the due diligence on their child's entertainment, there wouldn't be any need to restrict adults from purchasing entertainment aimed at adults.

Bad Dog

By that I meant the Nannies, not you fine GPers.

I'd respect a politician more if he said something like "Hey! Parents! Stop acting like dumbshits and do your job! Like parenting!" Perhaps more.... eloquently, but the message should be the same.

"Not surprisingly, this game is being released on Halloween. Halloween already presents many safety concerns for parents. With the release of Manhunt 2, parents will now face a new challenge from the purveyors of violence.”

What challenge? Being responsible? Monitoring what their children watch/play/listen to? Wow, with all the stuff parents do, it's terrible to heap this NEW AND NEVER BEFORE SEEN concern on them... (*sarcasm detector explodes*)

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children"

Captain Obvious swoops into action! No-one ever suggested buying this game for kids.

"and always review the video games their children are playing."

True. They should be doing this without being told to by a politician in the first place, just as they should review the books/films/albums etc. that their children consume.

"Ultra-violent, interactive video games such as Manhunt 2 can have negative effects on our children."

Unproven and alarmist. Perhaps combined with other much higher risk factors such as childhood abuse, bullying, mental problems, etc. But if this is the case, then the poor kid has much bigger problems than playing a video game with pictures of make believe characters killing each other. The worst that would happen from a normal well adjusted kid playing a violent video game is exactly what would happen with a violent film, finding out about topics before they should "Daddy, what does "F*%$" mean?"

Some people just love to say "ultra violence", which probably appeals to the lowest common denominator, which is Yee's core audience.

I'm not sure where the problem is-Yee, or the simple brained uber-liberal buffoons who voted for him who may not be able to think on their own all that well anyway.

The fact the game is marketed and designed for Adults never seems to enter Yee's mind. The whole video games are just for kids mentality needs to stop. However, Yee is right -- Parents need to, I dunno, *pay attention* to what their kids are buying, and be *responsible*.

I don't see why he ignores every other violent rated M game on the market.

@retrogamer88

Or every R or NC-17 movie on the market, for that matter.

Posion the body, protect the mind? Nice.

@ Jabrwock

I'm with you on the whole Halloween scare. I had to explain to my wife that no one has ever been poisoned by tainted candy picked up trick or treeting.

I even read on Faux News about how Halloween is going to be dangerous because of pedophiles.

Boy people just love to have the living daylight scared out of them over even the minute possibility of danger.

I also read recently that Mass. will now require all candy machines (the quarter loose candy machines) be registered to prevent terrorist threats.

Please, please, don’t make me think. Think for me oh great masters of the political world. This mentality of blame the video games is beyond tired. The industry continues to do what they can to make parents aware of what games are for kids and what games are for adults. Parents don’t want to take responsibility for their lack of involvement with their children. It’s pathetic it really is.

For those parents who are active in what their kids do I say; Thank you, thank you very much.

Hey, I will say one thing about Leland Yee. Not once in that statement did he imply that the game should be banned, or that criminal charges should be filed against someone who sells it to a minor.

Instead, all he did was notify parents that they should not allow their children to play/purchase this game and that they should always be reviewing the games their children are playing. He's one of the few that I think genuinely wants to ensure a good system for keeping children away from games they shouldn't be playing. Yes, he tried to pass some bad legislation, but I think he's learning that parents are a big part of the problem too.

@ Doctor Proctor

you are right. Yee seems to be the most level headed opponent the game industry has. He also seems to be on the industry's side at times, but I guess that is when you really must watch him closely.

Although his stetements here are fine and dandy, he still holds views of the industry that are not true and I don't doubt that he will try to pass further legislation as well.

ok, you know what? this is becoming so stupid. (the people saying "ZOMFG, its M rated, and for mature people. DONT SELL IT TO KIDS", not GP'rs)

its alreaddy all been said a hundred times over, so i'm just going to go ahead and ensure that when i have kids, i raise em properly, and keep them away from
a. things that will damage their development (like some M rated games, films, etc...)
b. people who dont know what M rated means.

dont they realize that all this coverage and attention they put on this one game is what makes it appealing to underage buyers?

@ the1jeffy

You have nailed the real dangers of Halloween. The percieved dangers that listed are the ones that get people's panties in a twist unfortunately.

@ Kumqateer

it is one of those new Dream date clones. You know where girls get all dressed up and go to the mall to meat their dream man. /sarcasm

@ the1jeffy

It appears so. :)

No problem. I understand.

Thank you, Mr. Yee, for trying to instill common sense to parents WITHOUT having a law do that for you.

You're still a jackass.

To parents out there, just say no. They may throw a tantrum, but saying no after that is called parenting. It's a fact of life. No is a GOOD word.

...duh?

And once again more free publicity, this time from a government offical.
Life is strange sometimes.

@E. Zachary Knight and Shoehorn O' Plenty

While I agree with you that Yee *does* have some misconceptions about the industry, and that he probably will still try to legislate it, you have to pick your battles.

I would just hate to see his inbox getting spammed by hundreds of profanity-laced e-mails from angry gamers when he's really not that bad. I just think it's better to deal with the guys that are way out in left-field first, such as "He who will not be named" and those that keep asking him to be on TV. Once you deal with the big threats and clean up the industry's enforcement issues a relative moderate (in this debate anyway) like Yee will be much easier to tackle.

I've noticed, for example, that ever since he was on the Starr Jones show he's dropped the "We need parental controls" line. I'm guessing that after the smack was laid down by the ESA lawyer he went and checked and saw that yes, they were there. That's why I would like to see people lay off a bit...he's someone who actually seems to *listen* to the gaming crowd. Profanity-laced tirades and insults will likely make him stop though...

hey Yee, where was the warning over Hostel 2, especially with that scene where a nude woman is suspended over another woman and has her throat slit?

Oh wait, you're a Hollywood whore who's paid to look the other way!

Calls to boycott? What a dumb*ss.

Clearly that politician is a complete moron which Manhunt II is rated M which is for 17 years old and up. It cannot be purchased by children.

Parents are here to blame when they purchase the game for their child.

Doctor Proctor

I completely agree with you. Yee didn't yet interacted with the gaming community, so I'm still giving him a chance. He still got some facts wrong, but nobody's perfect. The simple fact that he warn parents instead of trying to ban the game made me think that he's no moron.

Insults and flaming will only make matters worse. IF someone would try to communicate with him, in a civilized manner, he'll listen and probably see the errors in his thesis.

Jackie T. was offered this chance and rejected it. In my book, THIS is a complete moron.

Yee (and all the other nonsense in previous posts) makes me want to go out and buy every copy of Manhunt2 at the mall, then hand them out to trick-or-treaters.

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing."


Yeah I think the M rating on the front of the case, on the back of the case, on the disc, in the instruction book and on the menu screen have already beaten you to this point Yee. Its rated Mature, no shit a parent shouldn't buy this game for their kid.

This country doesn't need more laws, we need some parents who aren't morons.

More GP poster seething?

Who'da thunk it?

Not sure what all the hullabaloo is about. The fact remains that there are parents out there who are clueless and need their hands held - Yee's comments speak in a language they understand. If you're really saving your respect for a politician who tells his constituents they're dumbasses you'll be waiting a long time.

@the1jeffy

Since I broadly agree with Yee's comments in this instance, I'll assume I'm included in group you're speaking to above (I'm hardly a 'supporter' though, given that I don't even share his country, let alone his state).

The thing is, nothing he said is actually wrong. It's melodramatic, true. It's also a bit disingenuous to say that games "can have negative effects on our children" without adding "in some cases".

Basically he's asking parents to do what you're saying they should do: take responsibility for their kids.

(No, I wasn't directing my first comment at anyone specifically, but I will on this following one)

So you two prefer snake-oil salesman to blatant liar?

I prefer neither and made that clear. Seeming fair and being foul is worse than seeming foul and being foul - at least one is consistant in his message.

I ask that you research Yee's interviews - GP's archives are good place to start - for examples of his double-talk. He plays nice with whatever audience he's pandering to at the moment. He's seemingly fooled you into thinking he's the voice of reason, yet - he pretends to support the 1st Amendment while simultaneously authoring a law that restricts speech and refusing to see just how plainly it does so, even when the court issues a fairly strong-worded rebuttal to the law. He singles out video games in these laws - something a "Child Psychologist" should know is scientifically specious - on the basis of interactivity. However, his tiptoeing past his campaign contributors (Movie Industy, FYI) in his rush to protect children from violent media is rather suspicious, yes?

All I'm saying is that I prefer an in-your-face enemy to one that pretends to be my friend.

"Next time you stab me in the back, have the guts to do it to my face."

@~the1jeffy

I'm with you ~the1jeffy, i absolutely despise that two-faced, contradictory, ageist, anti-youth, pro-censorship, nanny-state fucktard Leland Yee. For those who don't know, when his anti-gaming law first was introduced in 2003 he said he hoped it would cause retailers to take the violent games off the shelves altogether. Jack Thompson may be a crazy jackass but at least he's not in a position of power like Yee is.

"But giving some teeth to enforcing the ratings might not be such a bad idea."


Why? The movie industry has done okay for some 80 years without having "teeth" in their ratings system. Why should the video game industry be any different?

@s8d

I don't see how regulating video games is going to solve the problem of bad and negligent parenting. The fact of the matter is if a kid has shitty and negligent parents then that kid's chances of being messed up are no different regardless of whether he or she played Manhunt 2 or the next GTA game. Shitty parents have had messed up kids long before violent media ever existed. Deal with the problem at the source. If a kid has really shitty parents then take that kid out of the home and place him or her in a better environment. Also these laws would do nothing as many shitty and negligent parents would probably just buy the game for their young kids anyways.

@s8d

Tobacco, alchohol? Games are NOTHING like them, you fail right there. So we legislate to protect kids from 'bad' parenting now? I guess you want the state to raise kids - I don't.

@Bigglesworth

Oh, I can agree that the knee-jerk gaming kiddies do nothing to help our image, nor add anything of value. But I call out censors as I see them, no knee-jerk on Yee's case.

@Pierre-Olivier

" . . . at least he accepted education over censorship and that’s a step."

What? He's the author and sole supporter, of a law that is un-Constitutional at least and outright censorship at worst. Where did he ever accept education as the solution? You've chosen the snake-oil over the zealot, and that I can understand - personal opinion.

But Yee is the worst kind of censor - the kind that smiles to your face as he picks your pocket of free speech under the guise of protecting kids. Better than JT - debatable. Reasonable - hardly.

s8d,

Then you need to read a little more . . .

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/08/06/breaking-california-2005-video-game-l...

Also, pornographic ANYTHING is covered by Obscenity Statutes, and this is completely irrelevant to the point at hand.

I love it! Instead of encouraging parents to read the back of a box, this person "warns" parents about the violence in the game going on the fact that there is so much negative news about it all over and he probably thinks that because of the press, parents are sensible enough to realize that this game is probably rated M for the reason that it's not suitable for children under 17... the lack of detail amazes me.