Pennsylvania legislators consider violent game tax

M

MegaDrive20XX

Segatron Genesis... call me the wizard.
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/pennsylvania-legislators-consider-violent-game-tax/


GamePolitics spent a little time at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last week for its hearing on violent video games. During the proceedings, a pair of State Representatives questioned the Penn. Joint State Commission about ways violent video games could be targeted. For example, putting a 5% tax on violent game sales, with those funds being allocated to parental education programs. Another suggests withholding tax incentives from companies that make violent video games.

BOO!
 
Well there is also a problem with there consumer education program mostly it's going change nothing and not help at all because the problem right now isn't that the parents don't understand ratings they just don't for whatever reason care just as parents have for years let there kids see rated-R movies which weren't apporiate either.
I will say there is a problem with ESRB enforcement in my area since saturday I got carded getting a copy of Yakuza but not picking up a bottle of Old Crow whiskey.
 
Yeah I know Zidart the thing is thought I have gotten used it started happening acouple years ago that stopped getting carded for booze and well to this day I still get carded for video games the really wierd one is walmart though they don't check my ID on rated R movies or beer but they do on video games.
 
redneckgamer 213 said:
Yeah I know Zidart the thing is thought I have gotten used it started happening acouple years ago that stopped getting carded for booze and well to this day I still get carded for video games the really wierd one is walmart though they don't check my ID on rated R movies or beer but they do on video games.
Click to expand...

honestly i thought the government would not be able to do anything to mess with game ESRB ratings in any possible way, the worst case scenario i saw was something like UK where they ban some games ,but taxing for them is equally as bad
 
Zidart said:
honestly i thought the government would not be able to do anything to mess with game ESRB ratings in any possible way, the worst case scenario i saw was something like UK where they ban some games ,but taxing for them is equally as bad
Click to expand...
Well a better idea is if your going to do anything make it child negilence punishable with a $1,000 fine if a parent let's there kid have an M rated somehow I think problem would fix it's self right quick then.
 
redneckgamer 213 said:
Well a better idea is if your going to do anything make it child negilence punishable with a $1,000 fine if a parent let's there kid have an M rated somehow I think problem would fix it's self right quick then.
Click to expand...
My parents would owe the government about $50,000 right now.  More to the point, this would turn the ESRB into a government agency, rather than the self-regulatory agency it is now.  It isn't up to the government to tell parents that a game is not for their children.  It is up to the parent to make an informed decision for their child.

Now, about the law at hand, there is nothing wrong with the government taxing, but the fact that they are singling out video games, violent ones specifically, isn't right. Games should be subject to a sales tax, and just a sales tax. No need to tack on a bunch of crap after it.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
My parents would owe the government about $50,000 right now. More to the point, this would turn the ESRB into a government agency, rather than the self-regulatory agency it is now. It isn't up to the government to tell parents that a game is not for their children. It is up to the parent to make an informed decision for their child.

Now, about the law at hand, there is nothing wrong with the government taxing, but the fact that they are singling out video games, violent ones specifically, isn't right. Games should be subject to a sales tax, and just a sales tax. No need to tack on a bunch of crap after it.
Click to expand...
Hey I agree the government should stay out of this however they seem unwilling to do this and instead want levy unfair tax on certain types of games for a program that is guranteed to fail since there is nothing in current ESRB liturature that's readily available online that anyone should have any trouble understanding.
 
redneckgamer 213 said:
Hey I agree the government should stay out of this however they seem unwilling to do this and instead want levy unfair tax on certain types of games for a program that is guranteed to fail since there is nothing in current ESRB liturature that's readily available online that anyone should have any trouble understanding.
Click to expand...
But substituting one form of government interference for another isn't the solution. No government interference is.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
But substituting one form of government interference for another isn't the solution. No government interference is.
Click to expand...
Well Homicidal idealy no form of government interference would be best but sooner or later the slimely politicians are going to do something man that's just the way it is afterall the one thing both liberals and conservatives can agree on is they want our heads on a stick man.
 
redneckgamer 213 said:
Well Homicidal idealy no form of government interference would be best but sooner or later the slimely politicians are going to do something man that's just the way it is afterall the one thing both liberals and conservatives can agree on is they want our heads on a stick man.
Click to expand...
They won't do anything if I have anything to say about it. Maybe it is inevitable, but I'm not too keen on supporting any kind of interference (what you suggested is perhaps even more extreme).
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
They won't do anything if I have anything to say about it. Maybe it is inevitable, but I'm not too keen on supporting any kind of interference (what you suggested is perhaps even more extreme).
Click to expand...
Well I'm not going to actaualy support any sort law either Homicidal that restricts gaming however I'm hoping that if we do endup with laws dealing with gaming that the pentalies hit parents since there kids are the reason why we are going haves these laws in the first place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top