[ilya]

From IGN and World-Gaming Network:

The Oklahoma Senate has unanimously approved a controversial violent games bill, HB3004, putting the "games as porn" bill one step closer to being signed into law. The House also unanimously approved the bill in March. Now the legislation will be sent back to the House for another approval, after which it will be placed on Democratic Governor Brad Henry's desk, awaiting his signature.

HB3004 seeks to amend an existing Oklahoma statute, and redefine what is considered "harmful to minors." Authored by State Rep. Fred Morgan (R), the bill would add "inappropriate violence" to the statute. In the actual wording of the bill, "harmful to minors" means: "the material or performance lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for minors." (But if Sony is going to have to demonstrate the serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value of the latest Ratchet & Clank game, they may be in trouble.)

The effect of this legislation, if passed, would mean the Oklahoma government could designate certain games "inappropriate," and the games would then be treated like pornography—meaning it would be illegal for retailers to sell the game to minors. What makes the Oklahoma Senate's unanimous decision particularly significant is that similar bills in other states have been killed time and time again, because of the same vague wording of HB3004's definitions of "inappropriate."

Does this mean that Freespace is porn?

[vyper]

It would figure it if were. Also, lose the blueness - hard to read.

[Flipside]

They've tried pushing this through a few times, indeed, Michigan ruled the last ruling to discriminate against video games as unconstitutional only a few weeks ago. The governor will probably sign it into law, but then it will get kicked out by the the Supreme court because it clearly violates the First Amendment.

[an0n]

Who gives a **** if minors can't buy violent or sexually suggestive games?

[Turambar]

minors, lol

[Flipside]

It's not really a question of the legislation itself, it's more a question that the law is being applied only to Video Games, minors can still go and watch M rated movies etc without the cinema getting any kind of comeback. That is the problem with the Bill, it opens the door to the segregation of Video Games from other forms of media.

[an0n]

And?

I'm not American and I'm generally opposed to games being developed by huge multi-nationals, so if the bill cripples the income of the big boys and forces people to outsource their coding to other countries - depriving the US economy of yet more income - I'm all for it.

[Ford Prefect]

In the actual wording of the bill, "harmful to minors" means: "the material or performance lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for minors."

Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that they're defining "harmful" solely on the basis of the characteristics it lacks, as opposed to qualities it possesses?

[Flipside]

And?

I'm not American and I'm generally opposed to games being developed by huge multi-nationals, so if the bill cripples the income of the big boys and forces people to outsource their coding to other countries - depriving the US economy of yet more income - I'm all for it.

Same feelings here to be honest, if the US doesn't want its money, I'm sure the EU will be happy to take it. I'm just not sure how this will impact Independent game developers in the US either.

[an0n]

It won't.

They'll just make their **** and farm it outside the US or from EU servers.

[Ace]

Political value for minors? So if it was the official George W. Rampage it'd be legal then? ('kill em lefties for Jesus!)

Hell art is subjective, and tons of this stuff had 'scientific value for minors' at least as much as Star Trek does...

[Bobboau]

THINK OF THE MINERS !!!!!