New York Proposes New Video Game Legislation

Politically minded website GamePolitics has reported on a pair of newly proposed New York State specific video game bills aimed at restricting games deemed to contain violent or racist content from minors. The first bill, A00547, was proposed on January 3, 2007 by Democratic representative Kieth Wright, and, if passed, would prohibit the sale of video games “containing a rating that reflects content of various degrees of profanity, racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a specific group of persons.” According to the report, such games would require retailers to check customers' identification as a proof that they are aged 30 or above. The second bill, A02024, was proposed days later on January 11, 2007 by Democratic representative Aurelia Greene, takes a similar yet slightly more broad stance by simply proposing the prohibition of any “mature or violent” games from being purchased by minors. In addition, the bill, if passed, would require that such games would be kept in an area of the store that is inaccessible by minors, presumably behind a counter or in a separate part of the store. Both bills have been passed on to the Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection for consideration. While both bills' wording would seem to target titles rated M (Mature) or AO (Adults Only) by the ESRB, the descriptions are noticeably vague, and could conceivably be extended to include even titles rated as T (Teen), as this rating includes games that feature violence, suggestive themes, or infrequent strong language.