Daily Archives: February 4, 2006

Indiana Violent Videogame Law is Down, But Not Out

While it seems that , for now, Vi Simpson’s Videogame Violence Bill is dead in the water, according to the IU newspaper, Simpson hasn’t given up hope of getting the bill passed into law. According to the article, Simpson said, “I’m hoping we’ll have an opportunity to re-introduce the bills in November, and generate some additional interest in them.”

Of course, let’s not forget that most anti-videogame crusaders are basing their claims on misinformation. For example, take Simpson, who issues a press release about her videogame bill that stated:

“Right now kids can walk into just about any store and get their hands on a video game in which they can shoot police officers, use drugs, steal cars, rape women or even assassinate a president. That’s frightening to say the least,” said Simpson.

It would be frightening — if it were true. But it isn’t.

As Game Politics points out:the notorious JFK Reloaded is not – has never been – available in any retail store. So, unless there is some other game about assassinating a president, she is wrong and her bill wouldn’t do anything (not to mention that there’s no law against a child buying JFK or the Manchurian Candidate, so why should videogames be any different?).

Of course, also in that statement, is that other straw man: rape. In this, SImpson isn’t alone. Our other good buddy Joe Lieberman also seems to think that Rape Master 3000 is a best seller because Lieberman has also said that there are videogames featuring rape. On that webpage there is a videoclip and about 35 seconds into is, Lieberman says, “It’s a crime to sexually abuse or rape a woman. Yet repeatedly in these video games the players are being rewarded for doing exactly that.”

No. No they aren’t. I first said that there are no American videogames that feature rape in them back in January of 2004 — more than TWO years ago! You would think that such a stupid misconception would die by now. Unless someone is still out there selling Custer’s Revenge, then people who say that there are videogames on store shelves that feature rape, they are just plain wrong. I know it, you know it, isn’t it time our elected officials knew it? Even Grand Theft Auto’s Hot Coffee features consensual sex. If you don’t want your kids playing games that feature sex, then fine, but don’t make up things to make is sound worse than you think they are!

So it seems as if we have two options here: Either our elected officials are misinformed and ignorant or they are lying. Isn’t either alternative unacceptable?