Venezuela Reportedly Enacts Violent Game Ban
Venezuela Reportedly Enacts Violent Game Ban
March 8, 2010
A law introduced last year that would ban violent videogames and toys in Venezuela was enacted last Wednesday, according to various news sources.
Under the law, importers, producers, distributors or sellers of the banned toys and games could face fines and jail time ranging from two to five years. In a story dated March 3, Prensa Latina reported that the law had been passed.
The law, when initially proposed to Venezuela’s National Assembly, proposed that the country’s consumer protection society be granted full power in determining what games and toys were deemed violent, though no indication was given into what criteria might be used to judge the goods.
As it was drawn up, the law also featured provisions for teaching crime prevention classes in school, public campaigns to warn about the dangers of videogames. A government campaign to promote games that taught children “respect for an adversary” was also included, though no word on if this, or any, additional provisions were a part of the new law.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is apparently not a big fan of videogames as witnessed by an outburst earlier this year in which he labeled the PlayStation as “poison.” The ban on violent games and toys is apparently seen as a way to somehow combat crime and violence in the country.
An Overseas Security Advisory Council report on Venezuela had this to say about the country's level of violence:
The U.S. Department of State has rated Venezuela a critical threat country for crime. The capital city of Caracas has been named murder capital of the world by many experts and that violence extends to the entire country. Murder, kidnappings, armed robberies, carjackings and residential break-ins occur with impunity and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.
While officially banned, handguns are readily available and a common sight throughout Venezuela. Armed robberies occur in broad daylight including areas frequented by tourists.
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GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 09/05/10 at 04:01pm
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:55pm
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
Posted 09/04/10 at 10:30pm
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
Posted 09/04/10 at 03:26pm
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:41am
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:31pm
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:01pm
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:35pm
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:25pm
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:13pm
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:07am
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:04am
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:01am
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
Posted 09/03/10 at 10:55am
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:19pm
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:14pm
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:09pm
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
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Comments
Good for Venezuela. I couldn't care less. The country is a shit-hole anyways, as stated by the Overseas Security Advisory Council.
You wanna put an end to the violence? End the war on drugs.
Please no threats in your comments.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
I'm very tempted to say: to hell with it, let them very well do it - and let's see what happens. It can be a neat case study to those who seek similar (Or at least comparable) measures in Western countries. I predict nothing in relation to crime statistics. It's the same sort of extreme government restriction as China with its regulation of people playing online games.
Watch as this bill does nothing for Venezuela.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Well, I guess that about wraps it up for the utopian society Venezuela was building. Too bad all the Chavez fanboys are still drinking the Kool Aid.
I guess people can have games shipped in different game cases. Such as a football or kid friendly game case but have a violent game in it.
Yes let's limit ways for people to escape the reality of their hellish city that don't involve drugs I'm sure that'll work out just fine.
When Venezuala still has crime rates much higher than the US what then?
----------------------------------------------------
Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.
Hmm, I hardly predict a drop in crim, in fact, my prediction is an increas as youth has little to do but cause trouble and join ganges, and smuggling and black market activity increases to include the banned items, leading to more arrests and fuller jails and prisons.
But this will work as a nice working experiment to see if such bans will even work, as so many who seek them out assume they would.
So, realistically, anyone with any sense will predict no change for the better regarding Venezuelan crime rates. But I guarantee it wouldn't make a lick of difference to those who are anti-games. I could only see them forming apologetic-style arguments about Venezuela not being an ideal environment to test the idea due to its already problematic crime rate. They'll probably claim that banning violent games will only work in a 'real' country.
all I can say about Venezuela's crime fighting priorities is
Fighting Crime
you're doing it wrong
岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」
Actually this seems like a pretty "classic" example of a moral panic. Distract the populace from real problems the government can't solve by giving them a boogeyman to distract them with.
I'm guessing Chavez got banned from Xbox Live?
Why would Venezuela do that to violent games and consoles when the real murderers and rapists and robbers and car jackers are out there on the street not playing games? Shouldn't the Venezuelian government get ahold of the people doing bad rather than caring about banning violent games?
"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry
Those darned kids and their rock & roll...
That would require actual work and effort. It's much better to blame a boogeyman than confront the real problems a society faces.
And from what I've heard from friends, Venezuela is pretty f'd up already, with cops ignoring what happens right in front of them. So, yeah, this'll do as much good as pissing on a wildfire as it engulfs your house.
Saying that Jack Thompson is impotent is an insult to impotent men everywhere. They've got a whole assortment of drugs that can cure their condition; Jack, however...
That's what happens when you have a bufoon as a president