New York bill could put violent games under lock and key
It's not exactly the same as keeping pornography behind that threadbare red curtain in the back of the video store, but it's close. GamePolitics reports that New York assemblyman Brian Kolb (R) has submitted a new bill -- which looks awfully similar to a bill he submitted in 2007 -- that would place some serious restrictions on games "advocating or glamorizing" a whole rainbow of illicit activities including "commission of a violent crime, suicide, sodomy, rape, incest, bestiality, [and] sado-masochism," among other things.
The law would require New York retailers to apply warning labels to any game that contained such activities and, furthermore, all such games would need to be kept in a "sealed and locked container" inaccessible to customers -- something most retailers already do for all games. Retailers who do not comply -- or "non-custodial" adults who purchase regulated games for minors -- would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Of course, the ESRB already labels the content of every game sold in North America. That's not good enough for the New York legislature -- which should be apparent by now -- as the bill states that ESRB labels are "insufficient warnings" for concerned parents and that minors are purchasing violent games "with little or no resistance from retailers". This is in spite of the fact that it's actually harder for kids to obtain M-rated games these days. Spending tax dollars on redundancy? Inconceivable!
[Via GamePolitics]
