Well, it's not that people want the government to raise their kids, it's that they want the government to raise everybodys kids. They hear something on television about how video games are created by the devil incarnate, and so they believe it. There is just something about new technology that scares some people. The problem is that with the news always looking to fear monger, the few people willing to put their reputations on the line to spread malicious lies are given a greater voice. Some channels label anyone who is looking to drum up trouble as experts and anyone who is rational the anti-christ.

All in all, this'll likely last until more gamers get into public office.

Task Force? My mind may be fuzzy but the the only time I know when one is made is when you start a war. Anyway, why is it when anything needs to be done they appoint a committee or a task force (or anthing with a special name) to do the work for them? Can't they let individuals make up their minds or even have Rendell or Corbett loko at it themselves, shock if they had to do any work themselves.

The way that does not require any parental interaction at all, the kids are simply raised by Mario, Hudson Horstachio, Master Chief and Marcus Fenix

What's next? COPPs? Covert Opperative Pong Players?

Currently there are two options for adults who don't want to bother raising their own kids: condoms and the orphanage.

Seriously, how hard is it to read the black box on the games? For a parent not to know about it they would have to be ACTIVELY trying to avoid it. Even the ADVERTISEMENTS say "Rated M for Mature". What goes through their head? "Well Bobby is pretty mature for a seven year old, I guess he can play Blood Strippers and the Silk Sheets of Doom..."

Seriously, hand a parent a movie box and a videogame box, then turn on the video camera. Ask them to find the rating on the movie box. Even if it is in small print on the back, they will find it. Now ask them to find the rating on the video game box. They will flip it over once, look for a total of three forth of a second, and say "I dunno." Even though it is larger, more detailed, and always in the same place.

Now guess what. Your kid probably has the games in his room, right? Well, how do you know he doesn't have Playboys? You look? Well why can't you look to see if there are Mature rated games? You say he will just play them over at his friends house? What would you do if you caught his friend giving him Playboys? You would talk to his friends mother? Well, why wouldn't that work for M rated games?

Everything parents say about how they can't keep violent games out of their kids hands are BULL, just petty excuses. I don't know why, but parents seem to just give up when it comes to videogames, they don't even try. Then they complain the government isn't doing something? What do you want? FBI to come in and search your kid's room? Maybe a better waste of taxpayers money is to give parents an IQ test.

Who wants the bet they might bring up yesterday's NIU shooting, even though the shooter was just recently identified as being 27 years old?

GP, thanks for tracking this one. Keep us up to date, I will keep my letter writing pencil sharp. I'm not a big fan of Rendell to begin with, but at least Corbett seems to have a good stance on games. Has Rendell gone on record somewhere I haven't seen with a stance one way or the other?

[...] Source: ESRB’s Vance Meets with PA Legislative Task Force Today Bookmark it: [...]

@ mogbert

Blood Strippers, hunh? I gotta get me that game.


Also, I think the vast majority of people think the ESRB is a good indicator of what is in the game. The people we hear complaining are in the minority, and they shout the loudest, so they're heard the most. I think most people don't do anything about these stupid bills that get made because they either:

1) Are too lazy to do anything

2) Don't know they exist

3) Don't think they can do anything

I, honestly, don't blame them for thinking they can't do anything about them. Politicians seem to work in their best interest, and best interest of the corporation backing them, rather than their constituents. Just look at the DMCA, I've seen a lot of people vocally against it, and have seen articles in major newspapers against it, yet the DMCA was recently extended. Why? Because the corporations wanted it, not because the people wanted it.

They would call themselves weapons inspectors if they could...

We already know that fictional violence is not the for 90% of the population including kids....I think a few thousand years worth of media have proved that....