"[Violent games] equivalent to smoking cigarettes"
Yesterday we reported that Arnie Schwarzenegger was to decide the fate of a Californian bill that would make the sale of violent video games to minors illegal. Well that bill has now passed in the nation's most populated state, which is also home to a $31 billion video game industry. The bill brings only one significant change to the current situation in California; retailers face a $1,000 fine for selling 17/18+ rated games to minors. It's not a particularly revolutionary piece of legislation, with other countries and states already having similar systems in place.
The press release which announced the passing of the bill contains some very emotive language, including one outrageously funny interesting quote from the Founder of Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization "dedicated to improving children's media lives."
"Studies prove that playing these violent video games are bad for kids mental and physical health," said Jim Steyer, "The health threat involved with kids playing such games is equivalent to smoking cigarettes."
You gotta love those common sense organizations!
[Thanks, Raffy]
