Illinois lawmakers have passed yet another in the now long line of restrictive sales laws for violent and/or sexually explicit games to minors. Similar laws have been passed in other areas of the country, however federal courts have repeatedly struck the laws down.
The measure now goes to Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who proposed the ban late last year after hearing about the video game JFK Reloaded, which puts the player in the role of President Kennedy's assassin.
Personally, I've never heard of JFK Reloaded, so I can't tell you anything about it, folks.
Unlike previous attempts at this type of law, under this Illinois legislation, clerks who knowingly sell "adult" video games to minors could be fined $1,000. They could defend themselves by showing they did not know the buyer was a minor or that they followed the industry ratings on the games.
The legislation leaves it to stores to determine which games are too violent or sexually explicit for minors, and retailers have argued it turns them into "violence and sensitivity police."
A federal judge last summer struck down a Washington state ban as a violation of free speech because it banned selling to minors video games depicting violence against police officers but not other depictions of violence. Federal courts have also struck down bans in Indianapolis and St. Louis County, Mo., saying the measures encroach on the First Amendment.
The judge in Washington state also determined the ban was too broad because it was unclear which games would be banned — something Illinois lawmakers say could be a problem with the legislation now headed to Blagojevich's desk.
"What we have is all we ever get — all fluff and no stuff," Republican Rep. Bill Black said.
But supporters of the law insist the government has a duty to help parents shield children from violence and sexuality. "Don't let them become the monsters that we see in these violent games," Democratic Rep. Monique Davis said.
Governement tried to censor movies, books, music, hell, even comic books back in the 40s. The 40s. Think about that. Blue and yellow Batman. Superman.
Rediculous.
But anyway, it wont happen. Becuase I think, even the judges up top know that for every one person that commits some crime "because video games made him do it" there are millions of people who didnt do a damn thing.
Heh, I'm tempted to comment in length here but I don't think you folks want to get me going on the topic of politics. Trust me, my rantings and ravings could destroy civilization as we know it. ;)
That being said, these sorts of laws typically don't stand up to the courts so even if I lived in Illinois I wouldn't really worry. This sort of thing is done mostly to score points with the public, and even the folks behind them don't expect anything to come of them.
I think the most important things here are 1. they keep saying they're going to ban sexually explicit games (When was the last time you saw one of those, really?) and 2. they're harassing the retail outlets about it, regardless of the fact that the JFK "game" is sold off the website.
It really goes to show that the people trying to make these laws are totally uninformed.
thus JKF game could have also been commisioned by some Govt Hack to bolster their argument. Pay a programming team enough cash to make a no name controversial game name..and boom..instant media hype. :)
These people are just stupid. And BIASED as hell. The marketing people for some of the campaigners against videogames back in 95 said that you couldn't refer to them as "videogames" on TV if you were pushing their agenda. You had to use the term "Murder Simulator". I kid you not. JFK reloaded is probably an excuse by the same group or sympathizers, to justify the scapegoating of alternative messages. Using these easily scapegoated media, and adhering more illiterate and close-minded soccer moms to vote for you? That's just priceless.
This is one of the rare occasions I'm glad I don't live in a country with "laws" or "democracy" like you guys.
What these people don't seem to realise is that before violent video games, tv, movies, music and other art forms... there were still "monsters" around. Hitler wasn't influenced by video games to burn people alive in concentration camps. If we continue patronizing the public, (especially children) I predict that things will get even worse.
If you want help teaching your kids, don't ask the goverment, ask friends and neighbors. Do something yourself, like... (god forbid) actually teaching your children some values.
I've heard of this JFK games several times in the past year or so... and every single time it's been because of "controversy" in some media article.
Politicians/parents/whoever, are giving it far too much attention. And if it is a game rather than a project, then it's because of the media attention that anyone is going to want to buy it.
Can anyone produce some link to this JFK:Reloaded. The government cant have people thinking for themselves or they might form an opinion. And they dont want opinions that conflict with their interests getting any momentum so they just make a bunch of laws to prevent anything from happening at all.
I highly doubt that game is in any videogame store in illinois. And whatever person or parent that would sell or buy a game about the jfk assassination is just plain sick. It's okay though, Blagojevich will be voted out next term. (he's repeated booed by crowds anywhere south of northern illinois and chicago, the democratic stronghold of illinois) Now, don't make this into a political arguement, the number one reason I don't like my governor is that when was running, he promised the people of Vandalia that he would not close down the correctional center that gives alot of jobs to people in the town. Yet after he got elected, he wanted to close it down, and still does.
I can see this law as one of those ones that are enforced to shut up the soccer mums and will never be really enforced by retailers.
The notion that "it's up to the retailers to decide which games are too violent" is too easy to turn your back on.
My example:
7 yr old Kid "I want to by GTA 5"
Retailer "sure kid, whatever"
(mother of son comes in)
Mother "Did you sell this game to my son?"
Retailer "Yes"
Mother "You know there is a law that gives you forbids you to sell an 'adult' game to my 7 yr old kid"
Retailer "That same law says that it's just to us what we consider as 'adult' - so go f*** yourself random soccer mum"
i recently saw an attempt to recreate the so called "magic bullet" that made 7 wounds between JFK and the governor. they were succesfull at the proper trajectories, but failed to cause 7 wounds on ballistic style gelatin (made to simulate human flesh), the only made 6. not really important to how the government there is going just a step too far in control the games being sold, just a point that oswald got really "lucky" w/ his second shot, and that people who were interested enough in it to recreate the scene in a game format actually are showing how we can use the types of gaming platforms to do genuine research on a physics heavy scenario like that fateful day in Dallas.
I don't know too many details on JFK Reloaded. The only thing I know about it is that it was made to see if it's in anyway possible to shoot one bullet and actually hit targets the way it did in the JFK assasination. The importance of the project was to show how things can completely change in a 3d space. I believe the results were that it is possible to recreate the bullet that was shot in hat assasination, but I could be wrong. The thing I don't get about it is that it's being labeled as a game, not as a project. Either the politicians aren't listening to the details, or it could be some type of cover up that the government is hiding. Before I get too carried away with this conspiracy theory, I just want to say that I'm glad that someone did his research and decided to see if it's really possible. I think people should see this as an eyeopener to what is possible with technology like games than a way to limit freedom of speech and curiosity.
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