AUTHOR: Dave Sypniewski DATE: Saturday, December 03, 2005 ----- BODY: In the last few months, video games have really come under fire for their violent content, sex, and four letter words. In Illinois, there's nothing better to do than assign cops to a stakeout at Target, Kmart, and Toys R Us to wait for a 13 year old to slap a copy of a video game rated "Mature. Must be 18 to purchase" on the checkout counter! I don't know what to make of this whole mess...on one hand, the 1st Amendment stopped the proposed ban. That Amendment is fuzzier than ever and that's why it's used for everything. When John Hancock put his John Hancock on the Constitution, do you think he forsaw the X-BOX 360? On the other hand, some of these games are pretty intense and graphics are as close to real life as ever. There's no need to drag the 1st Amendment into the argument by saying game makers have a right to make these things and sell them to whoever has a handful of cash. The truth is, lawmakers that have the proposal to ban these games laying on their desk are trying to crack down on something 30 years too late. Death and survival are what these games were founded on, and it doesn't matter if it's a Disney game or the so called "adult" games because in the end, the player has to die! Back to Atari. The post-Pong 1970's brought games like "Pitfall" and "Space Invaders". The first thing to say is, "Poor Pitfall Harry". That guyalways had to look over his shoulder at something coming after him. He didn't just die...he got mauled to death by hungry crocodiles with sharp teeth! Never mind the other stuff like getting stung to death by a big scorpion, drowning to a slow death in quicksand, or falling from a long rope. What about "Space Invaders"? Is this how we're going to respond should we ever get a visit from a higher intelligence? Shoot and kill right away before we even get a chance to snap a Polaroid? Hey, the parents have a responsibility to know what their kids are doing BUT, can you really blame the video games themselves? To the lawmakers down in Springfield, rip up the proposals to pass a new law that bans these games and quit wasting valuable time, UNLESS there's a guarantee that everyone puts down their guns. Ummm, that will never happen! Now, time to get back to "Leisure Suit Larry". Take THAT Springfield! -------- Squealing Pig WORLDWIDE!: Are the kids outta control? It's all Atari's fault!

Squealing Pig WORLDWIDE!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Are the kids outta control? It's all Atari's fault!

In the last few months, video games have really come under fire for their violent content, sex, and four letter words. In Illinois, there's nothing better to do than assign cops to a stakeout at Target, Kmart, and Toys R Us to wait for a 13 year old to slap a copy of a video game rated "Mature. Must be 18 to purchase" on the checkout counter! I don't know what to make of this whole mess...on one hand, the 1st Amendment stopped the proposed ban. That Amendment is fuzzier than ever and that's why it's used for everything. When John Hancock put his John Hancock on the Constitution, do you think he forsaw the X-BOX 360? On the other hand, some of these games are pretty intense and graphics are as close to real life as ever. There's no need to drag the 1st Amendment into the argument by saying game makers have a right to make these things and sell them to whoever has a handful of cash. The truth is, lawmakers that have the proposal to ban these games laying on their desk are trying to crack down on something 30 years too late. Death and survival are what these games were founded on, and it doesn't matter if it's a Disney game or the so called "adult" games because in the end, the player has to die! Back to Atari. The post-Pong 1970's brought games like "Pitfall" and "Space Invaders". The first thing to say is, "Poor Pitfall Harry". That guyalways had to look over his shoulder at something coming after him. He didn't just die...he got mauled to death by hungry crocodiles with sharp teeth! Never mind the other stuff like getting stung to death by a big scorpion, drowning to a slow death in quicksand, or falling from a long rope. What about "Space Invaders"? Is this how we're going to respond should we ever get a visit from a higher intelligence? Shoot and kill right away before we even get a chance to snap a Polaroid? Hey, the parents have a responsibility to know what their kids are doing BUT, can you really blame the video games themselves? To the lawmakers down in Springfield, rip up the proposals to pass a new law that bans these games and quit wasting valuable time, UNLESS there's a guarantee that everyone puts down their guns. Ummm, that will never happen! Now, time to get back to "Leisure Suit Larry". Take THAT Springfield!

posted by Dave Sypniewski at Saturday, December 03, 2005

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