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Source: http://forumplanet.gamespy.com/in_the_news/b48785/19811079/p1Concerned by the wildly popular release of the intensely violent and racy Grand Theft Auto IV, Massachusetts State Rep. William Lantigua (D) is spearheading a proposed bill, supported by some 20 other state lawmakers, which would restrict the sale of video games with graphic violence or nudity from minors 17 and under (which would make games rated "M" for players 17 and up only available to adults 18 or older). "As a parent, I feel the less exposure to violence, the less they'll imitate the garbage on TV and video games," Laqntigua said.
GTA IV, which made $500 million in its first week of sales, broke all sales records and market expectations. Previously the industry's best seller was Halo 3, which made $300 million in its first week and was also criticized for its high level of violence. These unprecedented blockbusters for the gaming world have been turning heads, and while more people than ever before are taking the medium as seriously as Hollywood in terms of integrity and importance, it's also attracting a lot of negative attention.
The games are troubling to one Andover mom, Amy Riemer, who stated, "Why do they need the reality of scantily clad women and blowing each other's heads off and bombs, I don't understand." Ms. Riemer refuses to buy such games for her teenage sons, however she feels that even the proposed ban would not be enough. She notes that other parents would still have the right to buy these games for their own children, who would then go on to share them with others, such as her own sons. Forbidding them from going to other kids' houses is a step she would feel uneasy about.
Luckily for Ms. Riemer and Rep. Lantigua, most experts are saying that the effect of violent games on impressionable young minds may not be as bad as hyped. "There is no research that shows a link between criminal behavior or killing people with violence in television or video games," said Cheryl Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Mass General Hospital. Olson was the co-author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do. She states that while games have become more violent since the early 1990s, studies show youth violence has actually decreased over the same timeline.
The proposed bill has only a slight chance of succeeding, anyway. It deals with video games as "contrary to adult standards" and "lack serious literary, artistic political or scientific value," a testy first amendment issue. Nine states have passed similar bans in the past only to have them struck down by the courts.
Not everyone in Boston is on board, either. Rep. Barry Finegold (D) is the vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which has to consider this bill before it can pass. Finegold believes the proposed ban is frivolous and futile, stating, "I understand what they're saying, but this is like banning Ozzy when I was a teenager." He has also stated that raising children is the responsibility of parents, not the state legislature. "I'm not thrilled that the games are that violent, but ultimately it's up to the parents. That's their job."
