NY Videogame Bill Undermines ESRB

GamePolitics is reporting that a bill introduced just four days ago in New York's senate will soon become the law of the land. Written by Rep. Andrew Lanza, the bill's goals are extremely vague. Aiming to 'crack down on video game violence', the bill will 'establish the Advisory Council on Interactive Media and Youth Violence to review the [ESRB] rating system and its effectiveness, and recommend additional steps that can be taken to curb children's access and exposure to such adult-only material.' Unsurprisingly after drawing on public fear and a lack of education to ram through useless legislation, Lanza isn't above some gloating. "Speaking in support of his bill, Sen. Lanza apparently couldn't resist drawing on the shock value of controversial amateur game V-Tech Rampage (which he mistakenly refers to as V-Tech Massacre), even though his legislation would have no effect at all on this non-industry, non-retail, non-rated, non-professional Flash game: The recent release of 'V-Tech Massacre,' a sick game which exploits the Virginia Tech University tragedy, is a painful reminder of the culture of violence which has severe consequences on our youth and society ..." Along with Best Buy's decision to include CMA ratings on videogames, this would seem to be another harsh blow to the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

Whatever the rating

[Sciros]

If I think my kid will like it (and it won't make him dumber), I'll buy it. If I'm responsible enough to raise a kid in the first place, let's hope I have the brains to decide what games are "appropriate" for him myself. Ratings are for the parents who want a rebellious streak in their kids down the road.

Censorship - Plain and Simple

[Discordian_Eris]

I have mod points, but this needs to be said. Having the industry regulate itself is one thing. Having the government do it is some altogether different. What the NY bill does is nothing less than establish a board of censorship whose sole duty will be to essentially blacklist games in the state of NY. It makes no sense whatsoever for any honest legislator to introduce a bill like this when he damn well ought to know that it will be shot down in the federal court system as unconstitutional.

Re:THINKOFTHECHILDREN!

[drinkypoo]

Who the hell do you think you are who gets to determine that only the "smart kids" should get to learn... and how are you going to determine who "they" are?

You aren't. What you're going to do is spend if not equal time with students (insofar as they need it) then more time with the students who are bored because they're done with your stupid work, and you have two choices; they can learn more, or they can be disrupting the class. This problem didn't originate with the No Child Left Behind act; I was the smart kid (false modesty is worth nothing) who was disrupting the class because he was bored. NCLB simply codifies this sad state of affairs.

ignoring the fact that educating students isn't a one or the other... teachers can educate both slow AND exceptional learners using a variety of differentiated instructions.

Sorry, with class sizes pushing forty in many if not most places, and the no child left behind act meaning that teachers who don't achieve the impossible and get ALL the least-capable students up to speed are penalized, they don't have time for that shit. Not that most of them cared enough to do it.

A student slow to learning during their primary years isn't doomed to a life of abject failure.

That's very true. But by giving them more attention than is really warranted (meaning that they end up taking up the vast majority of the teacher's time) the education of all other children suffers.

A big part of the problem is parents insufficiently involved in their children's school experience, but I don't want to go off in all directions right now.

Funny, adults with children rate public education highly, and people without children rate them poorly.

You must have been a product of the public education system, because you're mixing singulars and plurals.

Regardless, most adults with children are not experts on education, they're just happy to have someone babysit their children for the majority of the day, and amazed that they're learning anything. They've been so brainwashed by the laughing happy "it's okay as long as you try" culture that they're incapable of making a serious judgement.

Also, I submit to you that most people are fucking idiots. It's not so much that they lack a brain as that they've learned all their lives not to use theirs - beginning when their parents told them "BECAUSE I SAID SO" but truly ingrained in school when they're told "SIT DOWN IN YOUR ASSIGNED SEAT AND DO AS YOU ARE TOLD". You should note also that intelligence and childbearing are, for the most part, inversely correlated. People with more intelligence are both less likely to have children, and likely to have less children. Therefore the people who actually have children are pretty much the least qualified (on average) to make judgements about the education system.