Lawmakers want to put a label on your video games!

**The Black Wolf** · 03-20-2012

http://www.gamespot.com/news/lawmake...-games-6367177

"Violence in Video Games Labeling Act" would stamp all games rated E, E10+, T, M, and AO with label saying violent games are linked with aggressive behavior.

1

Almost every game will be required to carry a warning label like those found on cigarettes if a new bill introduced to Congress this week proves successful.
Two Washington lawmakers want warning labels on most games.

Two Washington lawmakers want warning labels on most games.

Introduced by Joe Baca (D-California), the "Violence in Video Games Labeling Act," (H.R. 4204), would require all games rated E, E10+, T, M, and AO by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to carry a stamp that reads, "WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior."

The only games that would be excluded from the labels would be titles rated EC (Early Childhood). The label is to be placed in a "clear and conspicuous" location on the game's box, and is not limited to physical games alone.

If signed into law, the Consumer Product Safety Commission would have 180 days to create rules that require such games to bear the warning label.

In a press release on Baca's website, the lawmaker lambasted the video game industry for not have a system in place to warn users of the "potentially damaging content" in games.

"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," Baca said. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility."

Baca said the Violence in Video Games Labeling Act is a response to what he calls increasing evidence that games are connected to a plethora of short- and long-term "detrimental" effects.

"Meanwhile, research continues to show that playing violent video games is a casual risk factor for a host of detrimental effects in both the short- and long-term, including increasing the likelihood of physically aggressive behavior," he said. "American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products."

Baca said studies from the Pediatrics Journal, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Research on Aggression highlight a connection between violent games and aggressive tendencies in children and teenagers.

Frank Wolf (R. Virginia) is co-sponsoring the bill.

"Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents--and children--about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior," Wolf said.

A representative from the Entertainment Software Association issued the following statement to GameSpot:

"Unfortunately, Representative Baca’s facially unconstitutional bill--which has been introduced to no avail in each of six successive Congressional sessions, beginning in 2002--needlessly concerns parents with flawed research and junk science. Numerous medical experts, research authorities, and courts across the country, including the United States Supreme Court, exhaustively reviewed the research Representative Baca uses to base his bill and found it lacking and unpersuasive. Independent scientific researchers found no causal connection between video games and real life violence."

This is not the first time Baca and Wolf have put forth legislation seeking to stamp games with warning labels. In 2009, the congressional pair brought forth the Video Game Health Labeling Act, which sought to place a health warning on games rated T or above. That bill was unsuccessful.

What are your thoughts? Are video games as dangerous as cigarettes?

**Naxi** · 03-20-2012

Nothing to say, the label is simply wrong.

**admartian** · 03-20-2012

They should also do this to movies, tv shows, and music then.

Oh wait, they won't?

Never mind then. I guess it's nothing to do with an agenda against video games....

**Chille** · 03-20-2012

Can we have some games have the label warning may make you horny?

**gumionday** · 03-21-2012

can we put warning labels on politicians?

**R3D D3V!L** · 03-21-2012

I can tell you how much of a difference it will make...

**Nitey** · 03-21-2012

**Kuro** · 03-21-2012

sigh..lawmakers

**Blacksite** · 03-21-2012

Originally Posted by gumionday

can we put warning labels on politicians?

Awesome. +rep

**mooninites** · 03-21-2012

This just shows how lawmakers are idiots and don't really do anything important anymore.

**DreDayDetox** · 03-21-2012

Well let's see, I played Duke Nukem, Nightmare Creatures, Conkers Bad Fur Day and Turok 1 through 3 before I was 13 years old. Now here I am typing on the forums sitting at home, completely normal. Those videogames did not make me shoot up a school because I was bullied nor did I go on a random killing spree. However, movies and tv have affected me more emotionally than a fucking virtual, code-based game on a fucking disc.

And I'm still prone to violence?

**Yuuichi** · 03-21-2012

Originally Posted by DreDayDetox

Well let's see, I played Duke Nukem, Nightmare Creatures, Conkers Bad Fur Day and Turok 1 through 3 before I was 13 years old. Now here I am typing on the forums sitting at home, completely normal. Those videogames did not make me shoot up a school because I was bullied nor did I go on a random killing spree. However, movies and tv have affected me more emotionally than a fucking virtual, code-based game on a fucking disc.

And I'm still prone to violence?

well.....

**DreDayDetox** · 03-21-2012

Originally Posted by Yuuichi

well.....

LOL that was good, rep.

**Funeralfog** · 03-21-2012

nothing wanted me to reenact violent shit more than movies. with video games you can take your frustrations out on in game things.

**Equinoqs** · 03-21-2012

Time for labels on voting booths, warning voters of the stupidity that election years can cause.

**HellsJester** · 03-21-2012

Label This!

**Sir_Scud** · 03-21-2012

^^^^^^

This sums up perfectly what I think of the matter.

**Versus** · 03-21-2012

Somebody needs to put a warning label on Washington that warns people that they don't ever get real shit done that actually helps people.

Or a label that says "we're too partisan to actually come together with good ideas to improve the value of American life".

**rbrtchng** · 03-21-2012

It won't pass. It's introduced by a Democrat, and is an idea that will probably see Obama support. But since Obama is a total p***y, and Republicans are complete obstructionist, it'll just fail and be used to attack Obama more.

Whoever introduced this is a massive moron. It has no support, and only opposition. The whole "moral value" gets shot to hell when met with rich corporations, and I'd argue that the gaming giants are amongst the rich corporations. Republicans need the youth vote, and the Democrats need the youth vote even more. On an election year, there's no way in hell this will pass. Someone in Congress is just trolling.