The Governator signed the California videogame law. The good news is that it is much more reasonable than the original proposal by assemblyman Leland Yee. The bad news is that discussion of violence in videogames is still polarized between extremes. On one hand we have people who are shocked by the examples of videogame excess that have been presented to them, and thus feel strongly that “something should be done.” On the other hand we have people who fear the trend toward legislating restrictions on creative content, and thus oppose all attempts to criticize videogame content. Most of the gaming community falls somewhere in between, closer to the free speech side of the equation. As a mother and a videogame producer I understand both arguments. That said, I come down firmly on the side of free speech, even while I remain exasperated by the relative lack of variety in the content and style of today's games.

But this is a discussion I don’t have time to begin right now. More on this later. Please feel free to comment.

comments...
Tom Beek said...
The only issue that stands with regard to content of video games is the issue of accessibility by children. The US and state constitutions do not allow interfereing with freedom of expression, such as video game content.It is plainly obvious that many video games are as innappropriate for children as Guns and Amo and Hustler magazines. But that doesn't mean that they should be outlawed, just that there must be an effective method for keeping these types of games away from children. Our values and ideals are part of what our children should inherit. I don't believe that it is appropriate for anyone to play a game wherein they mercilessly shoot members of the general public. It's embarassing that such a game actually exists, what to speak of selling like hot-cakes. I find it creepy. But I also find hard liquor and cigarettes creepy, yet outlawing them is even creepier. Control is what is appropriate.Heck, if we do this right, we could even end up with a special tax on violent video games to pay for the publicly funded mental health services many children require after growing up shooting their peers in computer games.
At 2:27 PM , marianne said...
I wonder if we will keep pushing the boundaries until we do provoke outright censorship, or if we are in another of the regularly-occurring moments in history when new ideas shake things up before the offending material is co-opted by the larger culture. Led Zepplin sells Cadillacs. I can't quite imagine what strange product might result from Rockstar Games being integrated into the ravenous beast of commercialism. Limited edition Manhunt SUVs? When my son was growing up we had a strict non-violence rule about videogames and movies because I wanted him to understand that I am disturbed by the idea that we would choose to entertain ourselves by destroying things and hurting people. As he got a little older, the conversations grew more complex and the rules evolved somewhat to allow games I believed he could handle. But I kept an inviolable no-death in our home rule for a long time after I agreed that he could play more mature-themed (ha! what a euphemism) games. Just because I agreed to allow him to play something didn't mean I wanted it in my home.When I began working in the game industry, I got a chance to play games of all kinds. I was a little disturbed to find that I love shooters. I expected to love driving and racing games, since in real life I love to drive nice performance cars and I despise shooting guns. But my favorite parts of Jak II (for instance) are the areas where I have to clear out a lot of creatures, or better still the shooting range. Love it. Can't get enough. And driving in a game gives me anxiety. In real life, I'll still not pick up a gun and not turn down a chance to drive a fast car. And no amount of picking off virtual monsters with a hugely powerful virtual weapon will change that. At what point is an individual capable of differentiating between reality and game? At what point is the individual's value system robust enough to withstand simulated behaviors that run counter to core beliefs?Ultimately, I agree with you that many games are distasteful and even harmful to young children but not worthy of censorship. And now my job calls...