Senator Leland Yee: Parents, Don't Let Your Kids Buy GTA IV

[x3sphere]

Anti-videogame violence activist and California senator Leland Yee is strongly urging all parents not to purchase Rockstar's upcoming crime-filled epic, Grand Theft Auto IV.

"Unfortunately, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have a history of deceiving the ratings board and the public on the true content of their games," said Yee in a press statement. He added, "Parents beware: this game undoubtedly glorifies violence, is extremely realistic and designed for adults only."

The release goes on to implicitly criticize the ESRB for basing their ratings on a "short video clip" and allegedly failing to review the full content of each game rated.

Earth to Yee: it's common sense that parents shouldn't let their children play GTA. Was issuing such a warning even needed?

Senator Yee Urges Parents to Avoid Latest Ultra-Violent Video Game Thursday, April 24, 2008

Latest Grand Theft Auto Video Game to be Released Tuesday

SACRAMENTO - Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), the author of California's law attempting to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors, today urged parents to avoid purchasing the latest graphically violent video game - Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV - scheduled for release on Tuesday, April 29. GTA IV, the newest in the ultra-violent video game series, is expected to be the year's most popular game despite its rating of M (Mature) for adult audiences.

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing," said Yee, who is also a child psychologist. "Unfortunately, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have a history of deceiving the ratings board and the public on the true content of their games. Parents beware: this game undoubtedly glorifies violence, is extremely realistic and designed for adults only."

In June 2005, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and GTA's creator Rockstar, were involved in a multi-million dollar scandal called "Hot Coffee," in which Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game originally rated M by the ESRB, was found to have hidden animations allowing players to watch graphic scenes of oral sex, nudity, and simulated intercourse. The scandal resulted in the game being pulled from most store shelves, a $2.75 million class-action settlement, and the stocks of the Rockstar's parent company (Take Two Interactive) losing nearly half their value.

The ESRB rates a game based solely on a short video clip and information supplied by the game's maker and does not actually play or review the full content of the game. While M-rated games are designed for adults, there is no prohibition to selling such games to children. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can successfully purchase M-rated games.

In addition, a recent report by the National Institute on Media & the Family found complacency among retailers, parents and the gaming industry regarding video game rating awareness, enforcement and usage. Among the report's highlights was a retailer grade of C-, with national retailers receiving a D and rental stores collecting a failing (F) grade. The game industry as a whole received a C and the ESRB received a C+.

Yee's 2005 law to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors in California is currently being litigated in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A bill authored by Yee in 2004, which has gone into effect, requires video game retailers to post signs informing consumers of the video game rating system.

Parents can learn more about GTA IV by visiting various online parental resources including www.whattheyplay.com, www.commonsensemedia.com, and www.parentstv.org.

 

[skparasite]

You're forgetting a large portion of the USA doesn't even know what common sense is.

Or else this wouldn't even be happening.

 

[Cheezeball99]

You're forgetting a large portion of the USA doesn't even know what common sense is.

Or else this wouldn't even be happening.

Well that's not very nice, to classify citizens of my US like that, albeit fairly accurate.:wink:

Really, though, if parents buy it for their kids it's their own fault- there's not a whole lot of other ways kids that aren't of age could even afford it. Sheesh.

 

[d1ddy]

USA is the worst country in the world , ever since george bush , our country has been getting ass fucked over and over >.>

 

[Kwipper]

Oh.. no. Don't these fucktards ever learn from Jack Thompson by not following in his footsteps?

 

[Acerthief]

Idiots. (Not you guys, I meant the people who you know who I'm talking about. Whew!)
If they have to warn parents, it means the senator didn't even do his own job to protect kids from buying M+ games.

 

[Richlando]

That's the spirit,profanity always gets your point across.And to say that a large portion of the USA doesn't have common sense is sophism.And purely unneeded here..

 

[Cheezeball99]

That's the spirit,profanity always gets your point across.And to say that a large portion of the USA doesn't have common sense is sophism.And purely unneeded here..

Touche- but it's our right as Americans to bitch and scream about things, but never do anything to remedy them. That's what we do best!:smile:

 

[wooooow]

<p>G.T.A is pretty cool, only idiots cant tell what's not whats reality and wats a game, and only idiots make the game part of them and act all g.t.a, its stupid and pointless to put this up when u probably know ur not gunna imitate g.t.a</p>