Archive for the ‘Save Gaming’ Category.
10th May 2008, 02:23 pm
H.R. 5990, the “Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act”, was recently introduced by Rep. Jim Matheson [D-UT]. The bill would do the following:
- Mandate for all video games the display of an age-based content rating determined by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB)
- Direct the Federal Trade Commission to require that all video game retailers display information about the ESRB rating system
- Prohibit the sale of ESRB-rated “Adults Only” games to minors
- Prohibit the sale of ESRB-rated “Mature” games to minors under 17 years of age
- Declares a violation of the any of above to be an “Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice” and establishes a $5,000 civil fine for each violation
If you disagree with this legislation, and I’ll bet that most Pittco attendees would, please write to your Congressman, urging him or her to argue and vote against it. If you need inspiration for a letter, read the one which Colin Dean wrote to Congressman Altmire to urge him to vote against H.R. 5990.
29th March 2008, 04:42 pm
A fairly new organization called the Video Game Voters Network has started a campaign in reaction to a coming Congressional vote which could affect video games. It could apparently criminalize the sale of violent/sexual video games to minors and levy a special tax to all video game-related sales. That’s just the start, too.
Fill in your address on this form, and a very well-written letter (in my unbiased opinion) will be dispatched to your appropriate Congressperson.
http://www.videogamevoters.org/takeaction/writecongress/
I changed the title of the letter to be Responsible Education, not Unconstitutional Regulation and I urge you to do the same to remind your Congressperson that the federal government has not been granted the right to regulate video games in any way.
There’s another, similar feature of the site which allows you to send the FTC report on the current video game rating system, a report which says that the system works effectively. Please take advantage of this form, too.
It took me less than 3 minutes to do both forms, and I’m sure our Congresspeople, especially Rep. Murphy and Rep. Altmire, would love to hear from members of Pittco, Pittsburgh’s largest video gaming group.
