The GHZ Forum

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 11:49 am**

<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050520/ap_ ... games">Ill. Senate OKs Video Game Restrictions</a>

Fri May 20, 9:43 AM ET
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Senate approved a version of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed restrictions on the sales of violent and sexually explicit video games to children, even though some senators said the idea is unconstitutional.

The measure approved Thursday would require store owners to determine which games are too violent or sexually explicit for anyone under 18. Anyone selling them to a minor could be fined.

Both chambers have now approved the video game restrictions, but the Senate version removed the possibility of jail time for offenders. That means the revised bill now goes back to the House.

The sponsor, Sen. Deanna Demuzio, denied the measure would interfere with free speech rights.

"Video games are not art or media," she said. "They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war."

But other senators said the courts have already struck down similar laws elsewhere. They predicted the Senate-approved measure would never take effect and the state would end up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Still, even some critics said they would not vote against the measure for fear it would be used against them politically.

"I'm going to vote for this bill, but I'm voting for it for one reason Ã¢â‚¬â€ because this is a political bill," said Sen. Mike Jacobs. "If I vote against it, it will show up in a campaign mail piece."

My favorite part:
<i>"Video games are not art or media," she said. "They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war."</i>

Haha, yes. Katamari Damacy and Harvest Moon are going to teach me how to FIGHT IN A WAR. Resident Evil? SO REALISTIC. I know how to use a gun because Leon taught me! Lara Croft shows me that I can fire two guns while flipping in the air and NOT MISS!

I wish these people would understand that the whole goddamn gaming world isn't about Quake and Halo.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 12:14 pm**

I have been programmed to destroy beep.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 12:18 pm**

Store owners are supposed to determine the content of games? Don't we already have an organization dedicated solely to this purpose?

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 12:19 pm**

Shit! Playing Flicky has turned me into an Uber Commando!
Bwahahahahahahah!

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 12:48 pm**

"Video games are not art or media," she said. "They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war."

Obviously, the U.S. needs to prepare themselves from the threat of the Koopa Troopa brigade.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 1:00 pm**

Man, there really is nothing new that I can say about this sort of thing. If the governor wants to make a name for himself, I say, go ahead, feck off, do what you like.

It's just, it irks the heck out of me to see people like him and his senator friend decide they know what's best when it's clear they haven't done a dot of actual investigation. I can see exactly what they know; whatever media reports they've googled up, plus a good measure of hearsay and unjustified bad reputation that they already know about.

They'll be banning PokÃƒÂ©mon next because of all that tentacle rape in "japanimation."

Fortunately I'm on another continent. Unfortunately, that continent is one that seems determined to become the biggest buraeucracy this world has ever known, so we'll see....

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 1:38 pm**

That bastard! I'm going to jump on his head and collect any coins he drops, that'll teach him.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 3:22 pm**

Didn't the ending of Metal Gear Solid 2 say that the whole mission Raiden was doing a simulation? And Snake was all like "Making all the people play a simulation to become stealth operatives", or something alone those lines.

Not that the ending was any good.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 3:34 pm**

Ugh. Just Ugh.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 3:57 pm**

Poison Eggroll wrote:Didn't the ending of Metal Gear Solid 2 say that the whole mission Raiden was doing a simulation? And Snake was all like "Making all the people play a simulation to become stealth operatives", or something alone those lines.

Not that the ending was any good.

The Metal Gear games also teach us that you can sneak up on anybody as long as you disguise yourself as a cardboard box with feet.

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 4:05 pm**

Omni Hunter wrote:Shit! Playing Flicky has turned me into an Uber Commando!
Bwahahahahahahah!

You too? Flicky Commandos!
Yeah, I hate stupid people. Not media? Then what in hell is Media to this person? Is it just what the TV tells her? Or her constituency?

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2005 8:23 pm**

What's objectionable and what isn't is solely a matter of opinion.
However, in general, I'd just like to say my name is Chuck, and Senator Deanna can get fucked.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 5:24 am**

I wouldn't mind so much if it was something sane like giving video games a similar, country wide rating system to movies and videos and making it legally enforcable. But this just seems unworkable and ridiculous. Simulation in preparation to war. Ha. And what happens if a store owner for selling a gory game to an eight year old? "I thought it was suitable! Honest!"

...

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 5:32 am**

I can understand her point of view. Because I played Pac-man so much, I now spend my time in darkened rooms swallowing pills, and listening to repetitive music.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 8:52 am**

You stole that from a t-shirt, you whore.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 9:22 am**

Nah, that's a real quote from someone in the 80's, trying to prove how ridiculous it is that people could be influenced by videogames.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 10:28 am**

And the America decepcion continues...

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 11:52 am**

Deanna Demuzio's been watching "Toys" too much in my opinion.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 12:29 pm**

Dache wrote:Nah, that's a real quote from someone in the 80's, trying to prove how ridiculous it is that people could be influenced by videogames.

Yeah, I haven't a clue who.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 2:10 pm**

"(3) provides that it is an affirmative defense to a violation of selling or renting violent or sexually explicit video games to minors that the defendant was a family member of the minor for whom the game was purchased or that the minor who purchased the game exhibited a draft card, driver's license, birth certificate or other official or apparently official document purporting to establish that the minor was 18 years of age or older, which the defendant reasonably relied on and reasonably believe to be authentic."

Cool. Now all we have to do is release a game about fake IDs, something like Fake ID Tycoon, Mario Fake ID. Bah.

This is as stupid as the Parental Advisory thing. Why can't the video-game companies defend themselves? Or even the gamers? Bah, the senate is a joke, so is this senator woman.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2005 2:16 pm**

There's no point to the proposed system at all. Like any other system it can be abused.

Posted: **Mon May 23, 2005 2:02 pm**

DarkPrime wrote:
Dache wrote:Nah, that's a real quote from someone in the 80's, trying to prove how ridiculous it is that people could be influenced by videogames.
Yeah, I haven't a clue who.

A Nintendo executive, if memory serves... I sadly can't remember her name.

The GHZ Forum

Video Games are WAR SIMULATIONS

Video Games are WAR SIMULATIONS