Comments on: Massachusetts “Games-As-Porn” Bill

By: Waldo

Waldo — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:22:33 +0000

Text of the bill if anyone doesn’t want to click the link…

SECTION 1. Section 31 of Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as 2 appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by 3 deleting the definition �Harmful to Minors� inserting the following 4 new definition:� 5 �Harmful to minors�, matter is harmful to minors if it is obscene 6 or, if taken as a whole, it (1) describes or represents nudity, sexual 7 conduct or sexual excitement, so as to appeal predominantly to the 8 prurient interest of minors; (2) depicts violence in a manner patently 9 offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community, so as to
10 appeal predominantly to the morbid interest in violence of minors; 11 (3) is patently contrary to prevailing standards of adults in the 12 county where the offense was committed as to suitable material for 13 such minors; and (4) lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scien14tific value for minors.�

SECTION 2. Said Section 31 of Chapter 272, as so appearing, is 2 hereby further amended by inserting in the definition of �Visual 3 Material� after the word �videotape�, the following:� �interactive 4 media,�.

All it says to me is “we recognize that there is video content inappropriate for minors and we are amending this to include video games”

The only real issue is who decides what games are on that list? If it’s the ESRB that’s fine by me.

By: Waldo

Waldo — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:17:46 +0000

Games as porn? Maybe “games as alcohol” or “games as driving” or “games as getting into an R rated movie” maybe? What’s the big problem with having rules about what games younger kids have access to? To deny or skew the message is to… well deny that maybe it’s not appropriate for kids to play certain games. It works for movies and works fine - and cleanly and clearly puts the onus on the parent to be the responsible “they got it because I approved it” party.

By: VPellen

VPellen — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:55:56 +0000

That’s what you get for living in the US.

By: Draegan

Draegan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:42:23 +0000

Thats what you get for living in Mass.

By: Thermoses

Thermoses — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:03:50 +0000

The most disturbing part is that the bill is so poorly and openly worded. How do you determine what “depicts violence in a manner patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community, so as to appeal predominantly to the morbid interest in violence of minors;”? What’s the meter stick here? By what’s on TV?