6/06/2005
Violent Video Games Are Not Child’s Play, Washington Officials Warn
WASHINGTON, (AFP) — Linking best-selling violent or sexually explicit video games to youth crime, Washington’s mayor and councilmembers are calling for steep penalties for anyone providing them to minors.
Businesses that sell or rent such games — like those in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto or Mortal Kombat series — to people under 17 could lose their license and face fines of up to 10,000 dollars under a bill unveiled Thursday.
People who sell, rent or furnish such games to minors face a fine of up to 1,000 dollars, according to the regulation, provided to AFP by Washington Councilmember Adrian Fenty’s office.
"These ultraviolent and sexually explicit games are obscene and encourage our youth to commit crime in our community,’’ Fenty warns in a statement on his official Internet site.
"These are not the simple games of a few years ago; these are not like any mainstream action movie. These games graphically depict scenes of rape, murder and mayhem, and even the video industry agrees that they are not suitable for children. It’s time the community takes a stand,’’ he said.
The regulation applies to games that the industrycreated Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has officially declared for "Adults Only,’’ or "AO,’’ which are intended for people 18 and over, and "Mature,’’ or "M,’’ for gamers 17 and over.
The ESRB says "AO’’ games ‘’may include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence,’’ while "M’’ titles "may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language.’’
The just-released "Playboy: The Mansion,’’ in which gamers take over Hugh Hefner’s magazine empire and hold parties at his famous home, gets an "M’’ for "nudity, strong sexual content (and) use of alcohol,’’ the ESRB warns.
The fighting game "Mortal Kombat: Deception,’’ in which players can kill each other in graphic and gruesome ways, like pulling off an enemy’s head with the spinal column attached, received an "M’’ for "blood and gore (and) violence.’’
A search on the ESRB’s Internet site turned up no "AO’’ games for video-game consoles like the Sony Playstation or the Microsoft X-Box, but found 18 such titles overall, most of them for personal computers
Businesses that sell or rent such games — like those in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto or Mortal Kombat series — to people under 17 could lose their license and face fines of up to 10,000 dollars under a bill unveiled Thursday.
People who sell, rent or furnish such games to minors face a fine of up to 1,000 dollars, according to the regulation, provided to AFP by Washington Councilmember Adrian Fenty’s office.
"These ultraviolent and sexually explicit games are obscene and encourage our youth to commit crime in our community,’’ Fenty warns in a statement on his official Internet site.
"These are not the simple games of a few years ago; these are not like any mainstream action movie. These games graphically depict scenes of rape, murder and mayhem, and even the video industry agrees that they are not suitable for children. It’s time the community takes a stand,’’ he said.
The regulation applies to games that the industrycreated Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has officially declared for "Adults Only,’’ or "AO,’’ which are intended for people 18 and over, and "Mature,’’ or "M,’’ for gamers 17 and over.
The ESRB says "AO’’ games ‘’may include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence,’’ while "M’’ titles "may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language.’’
The just-released "Playboy: The Mansion,’’ in which gamers take over Hugh Hefner’s magazine empire and hold parties at his famous home, gets an "M’’ for "nudity, strong sexual content (and) use of alcohol,’’ the ESRB warns.
The fighting game "Mortal Kombat: Deception,’’ in which players can kill each other in graphic and gruesome ways, like pulling off an enemy’s head with the spinal column attached, received an "M’’ for "blood and gore (and) violence.’’
A search on the ESRB’s Internet site turned up no "AO’’ games for video-game consoles like the Sony Playstation or the Microsoft X-Box, but found 18 such titles overall, most of them for personal computers
