California Court Kills Video Game Law

[Luv Blu's]

On friday California courts rejected a video game law that would prevent renting or buying adult (M) themed games to minors.

http://sfchronicle.us/cgi-bin/articl...&type=business

I like the Star Trek reference from the courts.

[murphjp]

I think that would be a good law. I'm sorry but 12 year olds shouldn't be playing GTA4.

[Luv Blu's]

I could be ingnorant on the issue, but I thought under age kids couldn't buy or rent M rated games already. I do agree kids shouldn't be playing GTA, unless their parents are o.k. with it, then it falls on their heads. I've been in Blockbuster before where they wouldn't rent this young kid a SAW movie, he looked like he was 11 or 12.
I work with kids and I know the parents will not allow them to play Mature games, but I doubt very few of them know how to put a parental lock on the system.
Plus i'm sure some kid has a Youtube video showing others how to bypass the parental lock system anyways.
In my opinion it comes down to parents knowing what their kids are playing, This isn't the era of Atari gaming anymore.

[Rishi]

I could be ingnorant on the issue, but I thought under age kids couldn't buy or rent M rated games already.

As it stands, retailers have voluntarily decided not to sell M rated games to minors. California wanted to make it law, which seems a little redundant unless there are tons of retailers down there that will sell to minors (here in Canada, I don't know of any).

Although I agree that kids probably shouldn't be playing M rated games, I think it's something to be decided between them and their parents and not by the government. The trouble is that too many people are expecting the government to rise their kids for them.

[Hunting Wabbits]

Yee should have been tossed out when he was up for reelection. With so many critical issues facing California they are spending our money on this useless "feel good" garbage that is blatantly unconstitutional.

I think that would be a good law. I'm sorry but 12 year olds shouldn't be playing GTA4.

How many 12 year olds do you think there are wandering around with a spare $60 in their pockets to buy GTA4 with??

[Clessy]

I think that would be a good law. I'm sorry but 12 year olds shouldn't be playing GTA4.

The rating system is bullshit in the first place. Kids should play wtf ever there parents say they can.

I'm scared if you've raised your kid poorly enough to not be on the mental and emotional level to handle gta4. Its a fucking game. Anyone who doesnt get the difference between real life in a game scares the fuck out of me. Especially people who say there influenced to attack by a game.

[EonNomad]

How many 12 year olds do you think there are wandering around with a spare $60 in their pockets to buy GTA4 with??

lmao i wonder how the kids get their hands on that money if and when they do.

[Windows V]

How many 12 year olds do you think there are wandering around with a spare $60 in their pockets to buy GTA4 with??

Oh come on, California is not exactly the poorest state in the union. There are plenty of ways a minor can get ahold of GTA4. Not having a job won't stop him; I'm not so sure that an actual law would either, but it would help. Then again, with stores already voluntarily enforcing this, not much more a law would do.

[Hunting Wabbits]

Oh come on, California is not exactly the poorest state in the union. There are plenty of ways a minor can get ahold of GTA4. Not having a job won't stop him; I'm not so sure that an actual law would either, but it would help. Then again, with stores already voluntarily enforcing this, not much more a law would do.

Sure there are.. And pretty much not a single one would be stopped by that legislation. Parents are still perfectly free to buy a game like for a child of any age. It doesn't do anyone (except lawyers or certain publishers of law books) favors to put redundant or unenforceable laws on the books. It has all the utility of a new law to make knife assaults against children illegal. Sure that is already covered in half a dozen other ways, but what is really important is that politicians LOOK like they are protecting the children..

Sorry, but I'd rather they save the legal fees so that they could actually pay a few more of the state workers who have been forced to take unpaid time off ever week, and leave it to the parents to be involved in their kids activities.

And that isn't even going into the horrible misrepresentations of study data they are trying to use to justify this bunk.