Senator Clinton is demanding the Federal Trade Commission look into charges the racy computer game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas contains sexually graphic footage and activities in the game .
In what’s become an international incident, Rockstar Game’s always controversial “Grand Theft Auto” line of games continues to remain at the forefront for computer gaming’s problem children. The game’s standard game play includes some great features like carjacking, murder, drug use, gangland killing, corrupt cops and many other aspects of a romanticized gangsta life.
Anyway, the ESRB continues to investigate the rating of M for mature of the GTA:SA game. Senator Clinton thinks the system might be failing though. One of the things she’s requesting is an investigation into whether retailers are doing their job in this problem too. She said statistics from the National Institute on Media and the Family that said 50% of boys between the ages of 7 and 14 were able to buy M rated video games.
“No wonder these games are falling into the hands of our children and no wonder so many parents feel everyday like they are fighting this battle with their hands tied behind their backs,” said Senator Clinton. “We need to do better. We need to do everything we can to make sure that parents have a line of defense against violent and graphic video games and other content that go against the values they are trying to instill in their children.”
One must keep in mind too that the mods are only available for PC version. Console mods are trickier as they generally require additional hardware. Also, in many cases, game companies encourage groups to mod games. Mods can certainly change the uh feel of a game. Mods change the look, playability and many other features of games. In some cases, the mods can keep games active and floating for years after their initial run is over.
Senator Clinton plans to introduce legislation calling for stricter controls on these games. The New York Senator went on to quote the study saying 87% of boys play M-rated games and nearly 25% of all retailers don’t even understand the ratings system they are supposed to enforce. One would have to question parts of this study though. The rating of a game is printed on the box and is pretty clearly marked and working under the assumption that employees were able to fill out a job application, then this ratings system should be able to be enforced.
“The disturbing material in Grand Theft Auto and other games like it is stealing the innocence of our children and it’s making the difficult job of being a parent even harder,” said Senator Clinton. “I am announcing these measures today because I believe that the ability of our children to access pornographic and outrageously violent material on video games rated for adults is spiraling out of control.”
There are many problems with attempting to legislate this type material and getting the government involved. Right now, it’s impossible to legislate the type of things they are asking for. If I’m a 13-year old, chances are I know someone who’s got the game. I’ve managed to mow a couple of lawns and your older cousin, who’s 18, will go get the game for you. Maybe I go over to a friends house who’s parents bought the game for him and you go over there and either burn a copy (an illegal activity of course) or you just borrow the game since he’s beaten it already.
That’s not counting the retailers who don’t card you when you get the game or when you rent the game at your favorite movie and game rental location. Unfortunately, this is a lot of lip service because, like all the other forms of modern media, it’s darned near impossible to completely keep this out of the hands of people who want the game.
Finally, the problem with violence comes into play. It’s perfectly acceptable in movies or games or whatever to murder people by the dozens, to have grand armies marching off to slaughter people out of hand. Movies that show lots of killing and violence get PG13 ratings and you see a woman’s nude body and it goes straight to R. So a gratuitous sex scene has been added and it goes to AO?
SCOTUS has always upheld society’s need to protect children from various elements. That’s’ why 13-year old boys generally can’t buy copies of Hustler. But with the advent of the Internet and it’s international implications, unless we cut off contact from the rest of the world, then society will have an extraordinarily difficult time regulating this type of material because even if we can’t get the game at Wal-Mart, then they could certainly download it from somewhere but that’s another story.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
