gamepolitics: Oklahoma Games Bill Passes - Heads to Guv for Signature

Game Politics (

gamepolitics) wrote,
@ 2006-05-24 17:26:00

Entry tags:

brad henry, fred morgan, legislation, oklahoma, republicans

Oklahoma Games Bill Passes - Heads to Guv for Signature

Oklahoma T.V. station KBSI-52 is reporting that Oklahoma's video game bill, HB3004, cleared its final legislative hurdle today. The bill will now go to Gov. Brad Henry who has five days to sign the measure into law.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Fred Morgan (R, seen at left), was passed unanimously by the Oklahoma House. HB3004 had previously been approved in both the House and Senate, but amendments made to the Senate version necessitated a trip back to the House for concurrence.

"I am so delighted the House leadership saw the importance of this bill, which is crucial for support of Oklahoma's cherished family values," said Morgan. "These games expose malleable minds to unnecessary violence and graphic sexual content. The psychological research is overwhelming for the harm these games can pose to children."

"We're not dealing with Pac Man anymore," Morgan continued. "These games allow players to take on the role of killers in some cases, allow players to steal money and kill prostitutes... manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children. The research is clear. Exposure to these games creates an anti-social environment for our children."

HB3004 enjoys the support of the Parents Television Council (PTC).

Should Gov. Henry sign the bill into law, it will undoubtedly trigger a First Amendment challenge by the video game industry. Several weeks back GP reported that a source in Henry's office indicated the Guv is likely to approve the measure.

Want to talk about it? You can discuss this story via the "comments" feature (click below), or in the new GamePolitics Forums...

(Post a new comment)

	Is it me... shaun_skipper 2006-05-24 09:41 pm UTC (link)
	Or is this like a scratch on an old record that just keeps repeating, and repeating. These guys really need to poke their heads up and see that the Court is going to strike this down. End of story. (Reply to this)

megadanx
2006-05-24 09:50 pm UTC (link)

"We're not dealing with Pac Man anymore," Morgan continued. "These games allow players to take on the role of killers in some cases, allow players to steal money and kill prostitutes... manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children. The research is clear. Exposure to these games creates an anti-social environment for our children."

Did the research done about how games are benefical (excuse my spelling) just get up and disappear?

(Reply to this)

	and yet.... enmitywithin 2006-05-24 09:50 pm UTC (link)
	even if it gets passed into law, it's not going to be used, on grounds of constitutionality. (Reply to this)

Rep. Morgan...

semperar
2006-05-24 09:55 pm UTC (link)

"The psychological research is overwhelming for the harm these games can pose to children."

Care to explain?

"These games allow players to take on the role of killers in some cases, allow players to steal money and kill prostitutes..."

Name more than one game that matches that description.

"manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children."

Care to explain?

"Exposure to these games creates an anti-social environment for our children."

I guess I'm anti-social then. It's been a crazy thirteen years of anti-socializing for me.

(Reply to this)

	Oh Gawd...... ianc14 2006-05-24 10:05 pm UTC (link)
	manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children. GTA Not Marketed To Children. You bet if it wernt for the screening a certain someone would proclaiming how he helped this pass.... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Oh Gawd...... enmitywithin 2006-05-25 10:35 am UTC (link)
	as long as they have their delusions that Jack thompson is correct in saying that they are being marketed, they will believe it. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Where is it? l0que 2006-05-24 10:36 pm UTC (link)
	"manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children. The research is clear." Where is the goddamn research they keep talking about??? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Where is it? enmitywithin 2006-05-25 10:37 am UTC (link)
	I know, it's at the same place where they keep their dignity and ability to parent. (Reply to this) (Parent)

And so it begins... again.

gray17
2006-05-24 11:43 pm UTC (link)

"We're not dealing with Pac Man anymore," Morgan continued. "These games allow players to take on the role of killers in some cases, allow players to steal money and kill prostitutes... manufacturers are getting even more sophisticated in the way they market these games to children.

Forgetting the crap about about psychological stuff for the moment, I'd love to see their "proof" that game development companies are marketing M rated games to children. Sure it can be technically accurate, as even people as young as their twenties can find themselves refering to even 18 year olds as kids. But obviously the intention is to claim that they're being marketed to young children. And I have yet to find a block of programming on TV aimed at the pre-teen crowd that has ads for stuff like GTA and God of War. Or Halo, or Doom, etc. ad nauseum. Websites aimed at younger kids aren't going to carry ads for those sorts of games either, for a variety of reasons. And the kids sections at the library and book store ain't carrying or carrying ads for M rated games either. So where exactly are these games being marketed to kids?

(Reply to this)

Is it possible.....

bigman_k
2006-05-24 11:45 pm UTC (link)

To sue politicans for disrimination for merely passing these types of legislation esspecially since these laws have been struck down over 6 times, the politicans know these laws are unconstitutional and no other forms of media are being targeted. I'd love to the the game industry sue each and everyone of these politicans who pass these bills for millions of THEIR OWN dollars and see if they will continue they're idiotic and discriminatory crusade against video games.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Is it possible..... gray17 2006-05-25 02:14 am UTC (link)
	IANAL, but I'm pretty sure it's only possible to sue for discrimination in cases of bias against race and/or gender. Bias against products can't really be sued about. (Reply to this) (Parent)

jesdk
2006-05-25 12:01 am UTC (link)

The research is clear. Exposure to these games creates an anti-social environment for our children.

The fact that the sentence alone is worded so poorly is but a mere nod as to how STUPID these bill-supporters really are.

And even if they could actually pronounce a USEFUL sentence, such as: "exposure to these games will create an anti-social behaviour in our children", then it would STILL be a direct lie.

Violent games don't make people violent.

(Reply to this)

themanymasks
2006-05-25 12:13 am UTC (link)

Here are a couple of facts:

I've been playing violent videogames since I was eleven. I never have been the most mentally stable person, either. But here's the kicker: I've never killed anyone, I've never raped anyone, and in real life, I prefer to sort things out with negotiation, rather than with fists.

The psychological reseach is bullshit, for the most part, I think we can all agree on that. If parents don't want their kids playing these sorts of games, they shouldn't buy the games for their kids. There's this thing I like to call "parenting", and it's apparently something that most "parents" can't be bothered doing.

If you can't be bothered parenting properly, you have no right to be raising children, damnit.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

gray17
2006-05-25 02:23 am UTC (link)

There's this thing I like to call "parenting", and it's apparently something that most "parents" can't be bothered doing.

Only the parents that you hear about. The ones doing the parenting just go ahead and put their foot down on stuff they don't like, and keep their eyes on their kid. As opposed to looking for which politician has the best "It's for the children" line while waiting for the state to put a foot down for them.

Basically you don't hear much about the good parents because they just do their job and butt out of other parents business.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

heres somethign interesting

nitkin1
2006-05-26 02:38 am UTC (link)

if i never played videogames i would never have realized that when people die, its bad. if i never did, i would have just put it in the back of my mind and never thought about death, but when i play videogames i realize that as fun as it is in the virtual world, when people die in real life there are no respawns or savegames. i realize that when someone dies in RL they are gone forever and cannot return. i never would have become so pro-life if i wasnt a gamer.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	pantless_fury 2006-05-25 06:29 am UTC (link)
	I can prove things too. The studies show incontrovertible evidence that gravity is in fact merely the will of god, and when he falls asleep we're all going to fly into space. What studies you say? Uhm, my dog ate them. There should be some kind of accountability for elected officials wasting taxpayer dollars on bills like these. (Reply to this)

	Hmm... nihilist_angst 2006-05-25 01:32 pm UTC (link)
	"These games expose malleable minds to unnecessary violence and graphic sexual content..." Graphic sexual content? What the hell game is he talking about and where can I get a copy?! (Reply to this)

	automancer 2006-05-25 08:45 pm UTC (link)
	Just reading Morgan's comments about the bill made me sigh heavily several times. They don't get it. Gray17 was right about the parents, we only hear about the parents who want the government to do the parenting for them. -Auto (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sabin_blitz 2006-05-26 05:56 pm UTC (link)
	Sadly, that's because they're the most vocal and whiny. The good parents don't do this because they're busy raising their kids to be productive members of society. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	SO delighted... zippydsmlee 2006-05-26 12:34 am UTC (link)
	"I am so delighted the House leadership saw the importance of this bill," I bet you will be as eaquly delighted in seeing this bill thatwastes everyoens time andmoeny being shot down by the courts.... (Reply to this)

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