Family Entertainment Protection act now filed
The next step in Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh's campaign to introduce video game legislation has been accomplished, with the "Family Entertainment Protection Act" (FEPA) being formally filed just in time for the holiday season. It seems that the Senators have shifted focus wholly on to enforcing video game ratings, with the aim being to ensure that minors cannot buy games with "graphic, violent and pornographic content".
Given that state-level bills in Michigan and Illinois have been ruled unconstitutional, or blocked in court, people are sceptical on how far the FEPA will actually progress and even on how effective it will be if it does become law. GamePolitics readers point out, quite deservedly, that many video game stores are only reachable by car, meaning that any child shopping will be accompanied by an adult who can buy the game for them.
Having seen many cases of children simply turning to their parents and asking for a 15+ rated game—in front of the store clerk—and the parents buying it for them, we're not sure this legislation will change anything, apart from giving other video game campaigners fuel for their parallel campaigns.
[Thanks, bandersnatch]
