CNN Looks at Massachusetts Video Game Legislation
CNN Looks at Massachusetts Video Game Legislation
March 24, 2008
In a video report, CNN Boston Bureau Chief Dan Lothian takes a well-balanced look at the Massachusetts video game legislation, a much-discussed topic on GamePolitics last week.New ESA VP Rich Taylor, formerly of the MPAA, appears in the segment on behalf of the video game industry.
A rather maddening quote in Lothian's report comes from an unnamed staffer for Boston Mayor Tom Menino:
[Violent video games] can be as harmful to minors as pornography and should have the same level of restrictions.
As reported by GamePolitics, HB1423 is a games-as-porn bill just like the one that failed to pass constitutional muster in Louisiana.
GP: Big thanks to comment mod E. Zachary Knight for pointing this CNN coverage out.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
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Comments
"....people so anal even the british said "get the f--- out!""
I'm just suggesting that the term 'violent games' may not be so usefull after all. Unless of course, we're talking about games like Manhunt, GTA, Condemned or FEAR and games like that. But, in these games, you can choose not to fight...
If someone tells ME that they have a collection of porn, it's no big deal and I probably would not react much at all other than "...oh, that's nice...", but most Americans don't act that way.
WE all know it's a nothing more than dreck, but as long as the general masses hear this stuff and it isn't disputed, quickly, the stereotype is going to remain strong in the public consciousness.
They make them horny?
Seriously, that's really the only reason minors are banned from seeing porn, is because it makes them horny, and that worries adults. It's like the taboo there used to be for condoms, you know, behind the counter, only got them from the pharmacist, speaking in hushed tones, etc.
Qualifying and treating all "violent" computer games as pornography however is a gross generalisation and just goes to show how badly informed politicians sometimes can be, and how far they will go to get some votes. (because, while this has been going on for a longer time, i find it mighty convenient that it is all coming to a boil in an election year)
In terms of well-balanced, I don't agree. One comment from a teenage gamer, is put against an anonymous PR quote and comments from a pair of pro-legislation parents is not balanced at all.
Then again it's a 2 minute piece. ho hum.
GAME OVER..
"they pass these bills with the FULL KNOWLEDGE that the bill is completely unconstitutional, and just hope the courts will ‘bail them out’….all because they don’t want to have the reputation as “the person who voted for violent video games”."
You'd be surprised how this crap comes up at election time. They'd rather be known for voting for a bill that cost taxpayers money, than be known for voting "for mentally molesting teh childrenz"...
I guess not.
Don't you know facts are meaningless to a politician
ohh well all for ratings and nothing for responsible reporting
it makes you wonder how many more things they keep repeating is just lazy reporting
im honestly starting to question the whole global warming is humans fault.
amongs many other things the media just repeat over and over.
The US wants to be a puritanical, conservative society...that's completely open-minded and diverse with many lifestyles!!
And I want a cartoon show that's realistic and down to earth...that's completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots!!
Of course, I don't think many under-10's play GTA anyway. When they talk about minors playing mature games, it seems like they're usually talking about 14-16 year olds, who are quite possibly mature enough to ingest such media (even if they don't act like it.)
A few months back, they did an interview with John Cena and edited it to look like he admitted to doing steroids. WWE put the unedited interview up on their site which proved CNN was deliberately doing a hatchet job.
CNN and Fox are doing well to ensure they become less and less relevant as their geezer viewers die off...with fewer and fewer younger ones watching every day.
Next time you get someone making a quote like "Games are porn", get them to site a specific report, and make people aware of where they can read it. As long as government officals are allowed to lie with impunity as you have allowed them to do, you are supporting the spin and misinformation that is ruining this country.
or if not..videogames are more fun than watching CNN
unfortunately, its "old white retards and fat housewives" who have the most control over what passes for ok in this country.Have u ever even looked at congress? i think 98% of them fit into that category
In the US, Canada, and many other countries, kids see sexual like acts, women being striped to thin bikinis, sexual talk, etc. But once you see a nipple, all hell goes loss. Kids see everything about sex other then sex itself. Society is full of hypocrites.
I am not sure what many of you think is "balanced" reporting. Judging by some of the comments here, it would seem that many of you consider "balanced" to be "The game industry is great and can do no wrong."
@ JustChris
I laughed at the Simpsons reference.
The natural inclination when putting forth a child/teenager as one side, and a two parents as the other is to serve as a generational divide in the report.
No uninformed adult will offer the child's opinion the same credence as that of two parents when viewing the report. Thus it's unbalanced.
A more sensible approach would have been a member of the mayor's office (not anonymously talking rubbish) and a lobbyist from the games industry.
Yes, I do know that. So is public opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SypeZjeOrY4
I agree with you there. I don't think anyone would think young children like those under the double digits age bracket should be playing most "M" rated games but i don't see a problem with lets say 14 plus aged high school teens playing these games.
Ban the games and the Porn.
And all the while - the politicians are doing it IRL cause they rock.
Actually, there has been more 'sex talk' on the news over that %##$%^ Spitzer and this other piece of human $@$^ - the Detroit mayor.... and what else? Had that Foley guy a while back.
Who needs porn and violent video games? Just watching our politicians is like porn, really - and they wage war on anything that moves - there's your violence!
They just want us to buy THEIR PRODUCT (aka News media hype) and get away from the Games and XXX Porn - that is taking away their popularity.
one problem, there are no real 'good' parents anymore, either families raking it up on benifits getting away with murder (not literally speaking) or working parents who are under to much stress to even listen and automatically reply with a 'yes I'll buy it'
Um, no, not all stores card all kids. It really depends on the location. You might walk into a Walmart and see the salepeople ask for a child's parent before selling. Then drive 20 miles to the next Walmart and see a salesperson hand over God or War to a 10 year old without blinking an eye.
Because it ISN'T a law, the stores are pretty much on thier own to police themselves. One store manager might take thier "Parents permission" policy seriously, and another couldn't care less as long as a sale is being made.
To be clear, I am not in favor of any game legislation. I just don't think we should lie to ourselves about the reality of the situation.
I'd let my kids watch a porno WAY before I'd let them play Manhunt...
But generally I agree, games should be classified the same way that movies, books and music is.
Off-topic though, if this learned that british kids are doing research around the world about environmental and ecological matters, I think this country would seriously have a heart attack. Just watch the documentary show 'Serious" on @DK channel. It's is really amassing seeing these mature young teenagers doing these things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_%28TV_series%29
First of all, where are you getting this? Has it been proven? No. Quit spewing bullshit.
Second, how is pornography harmful?