OK, now I assume that most of us here are video gamers and we each have our own favorites. Myself? I am not only a gamer but I own and run my own gaming website. The games I play most these days are The Political Machine (still trying to unlock all of the unlockables), Madden 2005 and MVP Baseball 2005.
I keep seeing in the media how different states are trying to legislate what games kids can and can not play. Illinois passed a law where a retail clerk can theoretically be jailed if he/she sells a game that is termed "violent" to a minor.
My question is: ok, what to you is a violent game? Now I assume that we are talking about the GTA's, Manhunts and Resident Evils of this world. But what about some of the other games out there? Is Madden too violent for children? Football is a violent sport, it has violence in the game, does that fall under the law?
What I really wish that some of these politicians would do before they try to start legislating our hobby is that they be more specific about what the law should cover. You want to keep "M" rated titles out of kids hands? Fine, then say that in the laws that you write. Don't say that it applies to a violent game because one person's criteria for a violent game is different than another's. Someone over here can find nothing wrong with Halo 2 (other than the ending) and someone over there thinks that it is the most vile thing ever put on the TV screen.
Obviously, this is a person who never saw or played BMX: XXX.
Here's my question that I would like some feedback on: How far should government go in trying to protect children? Since video gaming is mostly an adult hobby now, how far should parents let government go when it vcomes to what their kids can play in their own home, and isn't it up to the parents to keep an eye on what games their kids play anyway?
