Warning labels on video games

From the ECA action page:

Rep. Joe Baca (D CA-43), along with Rep. Frank Wolf (R VA-10) as co-sponsor, thinks its 2009 again and have introduced H.R. 4204, “The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2012.” This bill, if passed, would require a warning label be affixed to all games rated E (for Everyone) or up by the ESRB, regardless of the content descriptors. The warning would read: `WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior.' The ECA needs your help to make sure this bill does not become law.

Congress is simply misinformed on this issue. While Congressman Baca has cited “scientific studies,” the vast majority of studies show that there is no proven causal link between violent video games and negatively aggressive behavior. In fact, several studies suggest that playing video games can be helpful to young people, such as this study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Further, the bill requires the label on games that are not rated E or above for violence, which could confuse parents and undermine the ESRB, which according to the FTC is the most enforced media retail system.

“The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2012” is an unconstitutional restraint on speech that would harm consumers and parents alike. Please join with the ECA. Let your Representatives know that you want them to let the industry and parents continue to use a system that works, and have Congress stay focused on the real problems facing our nation.

TL;DR = two idiots in Congress wants to label all video games, regardless of ESRB rating, as harmful in the same aspect as labeling cigarettes. Yay for more throwing away more money at anti-video game legislation that surely won't pass.

Tell your reps anyway.

I really doubt we need to take action because Congress seems to have been doing just fine without us anyways.

`WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior.'

The same dang thing could be said about TV and music. I hate people that single out video games.

Because we don't have more important things to do than combat video game addiction and those stupid enough to be influenced by them?

Because we don't have more important things to do than combat video game addiction and those stupid enough to be influenced by them?

You know what would be funny?
If this passes, there will be signs on children learning programs of this.
You know what the dumbpineapple parents will think?
"OMG THIS "E" RATED GAME CAN MAKE LITTLE CHILDREN VIOLENT? OMG SO NOT BUYING THIS."
And when they notice it's on every game.
"Oh, I guess just some type of warning for the more vigular games. Hmm, I guess Call of Duty sounds like something that makes them listen! I'm gonna buy that!"

I see it coming... oh wait. It WON'T PASS.

I fail to see how this accomplishes anything, or harms the consumer/parents, except maybe in the case of collectors who feel it would be defacing the packaging of their game.

I scrolled through a list of E rated Wii games on GameStop to make sure. While most of them are well-known children-friendly Nintendo titles like Mario and Pokemon, there were a few that parents would definitely recognize as well, such as games designed around game shows like Wheel of Fortune and the Biggest Loser. There are also titles like Alvin and the Chipmunks, Barbie, Disney Princesses, Go Diego Go, High School Musical...etc. These are pretty mainstream names that parents just know because they're marketed toward their kids.

It really doesn't take more than an idiot with half a brain to realize this label is plastered onto everything E+, and doesn't necessarily mean the game has violent content and therefore should not be purchased. Disney Princesses, really? So violent, omigod.

If they were going to be selectively placing this label on only certain titles, I could see the problem... but blanketing it over everything above such a low rating defeats the purpose and makes it completely useless and a huge waste of time and money, in my opinion. :\

While I hope it doesn't -- if this passes, it'll just be another label everyone overlooks because it's on EVERYTHING.

@Abbeh: you don't understand. They really don't want people to let their kids play even Disney Princesses or Reader Rabbit's ABC's.
It's a slippery slope, you see. Let your daughter play Dora the Explorer now, you won't be able to prevent her playing Lara Croft next year, and who knows where that will lead!

Stupid law. Waste of time and money.

Yes because parents REALLY listened to the ratings on videogames before. Wuts an M rating? Oh I want to buy this for my 5 year old *hands over Grand Theft Auto* Yeah that's probably happened thousands of times over the course of the past decade.

This law is completely useless, especially if you put it on a videogame like "nintendogs" it's so dangerous and violent.

Yes because parents REALLY listened to the ratings on videogames before. Wuts an M rating? Oh I want to buy this for my 5 year old *hands over Grand Theft Auto* Yeah that's probably happened thousands of times over the course of the past decade.

This law is completely useless, especially if you put it on a videogame like "nintendogs" it's so dangerous and violent.

YOU BETTER PICK UP THE POOP, PICK UP THE POOP!

next is what? they'll put pictures of serial murders on it like they put pictures of cancerous lungs on cigs?

A waste of ink.

More like

WARNING: Exposure to the congress has been linked to aggressive behavior and brain farts.

Yes because parents REALLY listened to the ratings on videogames before. Wuts an M rating? Oh I want to buy this for my 5 year old *hands over Grand Theft Auto* Yeah that's probably happened thousands of times over the course of the past decade.

Parents' fault for not knowing any better. Really, it's right there on the box, and there are notices (as far as I know in Gamestop stores) about the ESRB rating system. If you still ignore those and buy games for your kids that aren't age-appropriate anyway, then you are a bad parent.

[video=youtube;_fTPC34dvTc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fTPC34dvTc&feature=related[/video]

This music video explains it all.

lmao, my parents have been buying me M rated games since I was like 12. That must mean I'll be a serial killer in just a few short years, right? Considering every call of duty game's sales after modern warfare 1, I think the entire planet would be considered psychopathic murderers by now. I don't see that happening.

Games with more mature themes probably help PREVENT kids and teens from doing that kind of crazy stupid pomegranate. Not cause it.

Another waste of money and time by congress. At this point I think they're just bringing up the retarded bills repeatedly intentionally to make sure nothing important actually fucking gets done.

I find this funny because shooting people endlessly on games has absolutely no connection with shooting real people in my head. They are just two completely different things. Else I'd go crazy every time I kill someone on TF2.

I wouldn't even care about this. Even if they were to pass it, wouldn't change anything. Video games don't have such a ridiculous stigma and a bill made by a bunch of morons who believe flying kites should be the only sensible form of entertainment won't change that.

The description label we have now apparently doesn't work, so let's put yet another useless label on it? Makes perfect sense.


If a videogame inspires you to become truly violent in real life, you probably had some psychological issues long before you played the game in the first place. People just like to blame videogames as an easy scapegoat.

I really don't get why people are banning video games, when there's military service where they will teach you how to kill REAL people.

Australia has banned a few games already because they're "too violent".

Mortal Kombat is one of them...