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Friday, December 2nd, 2005
Time
Event
2:01p
When it is released next year, Rockstar's upcoming Bully can expect a bit of a beating from British Labour MP Keith Vaz.
Vaz, whose opposition to the game has been chronicled previously on GamePolitics, continues to pursue the matter. Yesterday, he pressed Parliamentary Secretary Nigel Griffiths for a debate on regulation of the video game industry, and asked whether Griffiths was aware of Vaz motion to ban Bully in the U.K.
"If my honorable Friend has seen the motion," Vaz said, "He will know that Rockstar has decided to publish a game called 'Bully,' and that a central character is someone called Jimmy Hopkins. Players will be given points as the character terrorizes other schoolchildren psychologically. Given the rise of bullying, I believe that the video should be banned. May we have a debate so that we can hear the Government's view?"
Griffiths replied, "My honorabale friend is right to raise the continuing concern about the matter. While I cannot offer him a debate, I shall certainly ensure that the Minister responsible for such matters is aware of the concern."
Stay tuned. The Bully debate is sure to loom large in both the U.K. and USA in 2006.2:04p
On Tuesday it was Hillary Clinton of New York and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Now, Senator Evah Bayh (D-IN) has declared himself in favor of legislation restricting the sale of violent games to minors. The former Indiana governor is said to be considering a presidential run in 2008.
A press release on Bayh's website says that Bayh, the father of twin 10-year-old boys, recently completed a statewide tour of Indiana to gather support for his proposed video game legislation.
"Parents are doing everything they can today to provide their children with the tools they need to succeed in life, but they can't be everywhere at once," Bayh said. "Right now, it's too easy for children to purchase violent video games that are meant for adults. When the Senate returns to work next year, I hope to introduce legislation with my colleagues that will help parents draw a line against the violence that their children see."
Bayh's plan would prevent minors from purchasing M-rated games and fine retailers that violate the provisions of the proposed law. According to the senator, only half of retail stores report that they currently train employees in the use of the ESRB system.
( Read more... ) 3:21p
A contentious week continues...
The National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has released a statement critical of the Annual Video Game Report Card issued on Tuesday by the National Institute on Media and the Family.
According to the PTA, "The 10th Annual MediaWise Video and Computer Game Report Card, released yesterday by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), contained erroneous statements about National PTA's position on the Entertainment Software Rating Board's (ESRB) rating system. In fact, National PTA does not endorse NIMF's report. Further, it does not agree with the reports characterization of ESRB and its rating system."
"National PTA works with groups like the ESRB to provide information about the rating system to assist parents and children so they can make an informed decision in purchase and game play. National PTA continues to ensure parents are informed and retailers enforce the rules. "
With nearly 6 million members, the National PTA is the largest volunteer parent organization in the United States. So what is the PTA concerned about? The Annual Video Game Report Card was highly critical of the ESRB, awarding the ratings board a grade of "F". The report card mentions the PTA in this paragraph:
"In response to the ESRB's recent failure, the National Institute on Media and the Family will convene a summit next year on video game ratings with the leading national organizations dedicated to children's health and welfare, including Children Now, the National PTA, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. We plan to issue and endorse a set of ratings recommendations."
( Read more... ) 5:07p
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly has ruled in favor of the video game industry in its suit against the Safe Games Illinois Act.
The ruling is a huge victory for the video game industry, including the ESA, VSDA and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA). It represents a major defeat for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (left), who championed the legislation.
You can view the first page of Judge Kennelly's ruling. If you're hardcore, and want the whole 53-page enchilada, click here.
( Read more... ) 10:42p
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) are taking a victory lap in Illinois. Both groups released statements in response to Federal Judge Matthew Kennelly's ruling that the Safe Games Illinois Act is unconstitutional.
VSDA president Bo Andersen said, "Today's ruling that the Illinois video game law is unconstitutional is as gratifying as it was predictable... It is unfortunate that Governor Blagojevich and Illinois legislators, in their rush to enact this law, ignored the legal experts who pointed out these defects and warned that the law would be overturned as a violation of the First Amendment."
ESA boss Doug Lowenstein added, "We said a year ago when the Governor of Illinois proposed this statute that the court would strike down this law, and that it would be a shame to waste the time and money of Illinois' taxpayers on a political exercise... This is the fifth decision of this type. It's our hope that politicians will start to work cooperatively with the industry by helping parents in ways that are constitutional, effective, and sensible."
For his part, Gov. Rod Blagojevich vowed to appeal the ruling, saying "This battle is not over. Parents should be able to expect that their kids will not have access to excessively violent and sexually explicit video games without their permission."
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