No Separation Between Games And State

Good Game

By: Fernando Dutra

Posted: 3/7/08

Comments regarding the connection between video games and politics are normally met with blank, unknowing stares, given the dissimilarity between the two. However, video games do play a small, but notable, role in politics. It wasn't too long ago that New Mexico's "No Child Gets Left Inside" video game tax bill was introduced, which would have implemented a 1 percent excise tax on game, console and television purchases as a way to promote outdoor activities. An Alabama trial defendant argued something along the lines of "video games influenced me" as a defense to murder. Laws of Play's Anthony Prestia interviewed Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia on video game legislation, discovering that Scalia holds the belief that since minors are held to prohibitions that adults aren't, laws restricting the purchase of M-rated titles without a parent could be constitutional. As of now, though, these laws are being rejected by district courts throughout the nation.

While not at the forefront of political discourse, video games have played a role in the current presidential campaign. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney had advertisements concerned with ridding our nation of an "ocean of filth." In a campaign advertisement in Iowa in July 2007, Romney stated, "It's time to clean up the water in which our kids are swimming. I've proposed that we enforce our obscenity laws again and that we get serious against those retailers that sell adult video games that are filled with violence, that we go after those retailers."

Presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been noticeably silent about his stance on video games or possible legislation to regulate them, though an endorsement from Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), who has historically been vocal about reforming the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and co-sponsored the Family Entertainment Protection Act (with Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)) may have stronger consequences in the future for McCain's stance.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been the most vocal from the Democratic party lines. Aside from co-sponsoring the Family Entertainment Protection Act, Clinton has asked the ESRB to disclose how their video game ratings process works with regards to the Rockstar "Manhunt 2" controversy. In the letter, co-signed by Sens. Lieberman, Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Clinton wrote, "We are writing to suggest that it may be desirable to revise or enhance the current ESRB rating system. We continue to believe that the ESRB takes seriously its responsibility with respect to the ratings and their enforcement. However, we believe that a number of issues have been raised regarding the release of Manhunt 2." In an online interview conducted by Common Sense Media, Clinton said, with regards to her stance of video game legislation, "When I am president, I will work to protect children from inappropriate video game content."

On the other hand, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was of the position that he'd "be more inclined to let the video game industry try to police itself … than to have the government regulate [violent game sales], at least as a first step." Though Obama hasn't been as vocal about video games as Clinton, the issue seems to be making its way into his speeches.

"We're going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that's going to take some time," Obama said in his Wisconsin victory speech.

This undercurrent of indolence associated with video games is an assumption that may prove important to Obama's future plans for the video game industry. Though he plans to allow the industry to regulate itself, he shows a clear indication that, in his mind, underachieving and video games are synonymous, or in the very least closely related.