GDC 2007: videogame censorship and legislation

Next Generation alerts all of us that during the GDC session entitled Censorship of Video Game Content: Time to Fight Back, attorney Lawrence G. Walters said that “ItÂ’s the blurring between reality and virtual reality that worries people, and brings lawmakers to action.”

While he cites examples of failed legislation that emphasize the recognition of videogames as a protected form of expression, he warns that missteps from the industry might mess things up in the long-run.

To counter further research and studies that look for the connection of videogames to violence, Walters suggests that the games industry invest in research of their own. As he says: “Arm yourself with evidence.”

He says that a research bank of positive studies and positive relationships with parents – the folks ultimately responsible for enforcing ratings – can aid the industry in the fight against games legislation.

While regulators and “ace attorneys” claim that their game legislation is in the best interest of children, that anti-game laws will protect youth, Walters argues: “We donÂ’t want to protect them so much that they have no rights when they become adults.”

Yeah, nice idea. We for one would like to hear reports concerning scientific studies that look into the effects of strategy/simulation/planning games like SimCity on children’s organizational skills and creative talents. It should be a safe hypothesis that the Master of Orion geek will have an advantage when it comes to socio-economic subjects, right?

Next Generation alerts all of us that during the GDC session entitled Censorship of Video Game Content: Time to Fight Back, attorney Lawrence G. Walters said that “ItÂ’s the blurring between reality and virtual reality that worries people, and brings lawmakers to action.”

While he cites examples of failed legislation that emphasize the recognition of videogames as a protected form of expression, he warns that missteps from the industry might mess things up in the long-run.

To counter further research and studies that look for the connection of videogames to violence, Walters suggests that the games industry invest in research of their own. As he says: “Arm yourself with evidence.”

He says that a research bank of positive studies and positive relationships with parents – the folks ultimately responsible for enforcing ratings – can aid the industry in the fight against games legislation.

While regulators and “ace attorneys” claim that their game legislation is in the best interest of children, that anti-game laws will protect youth, Walters argues: “We donÂ’t want to protect them so much that they have no rights when they become adults.”

Yeah, nice idea. We for one would like to hear reports concerning scientific studies that look into the effects of strategy/simulation/planning games like SimCity on children’s organizational skills and creative talents. It should be a safe hypothesis that the Master of Orion geek will have an advantage when it comes to socio-economic subjects, right?