Oklahoma 'Games As Porn' Bill Signed Into Law Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has signed into law the State-specific Bill HB30004, which redefines a list of items, such as hardcore pornography, which are deemed “harmful to minors”, to include video games which use “inappropriate violence”.
The bill was authored by Republican State Representative Fred Morgan, and takes a similar stance to Utah Republican David Hogue’s HB257 “games as porn” bill, which was struck down in March, but would have made it a felony to knowingly exhibit or sell violent video games to minors.
The new Oklahoma law is due to come into effect from November 1st, but is in the meantime likely to be contested by industry body the ESA, under First Amendment concerns. Despite being one of the more draconian anti-games bills put before a State senate HB30004 has faced limited opposition, with apparently little concern being given to the consistent problems other similar bills have faced from legal challenges.
The new law will make it a felony for anyone in Oklahoma to sell, rent or display games which contain inappropriate violence, with stores required to keep such games hidden in a similar manner to pornographic magazines and videos. The bill ignores the ESRB age rating for games, and instead makes its own definition of inappropriate violence.
This definition considers inappropriate any game which “lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value” and which features glamorized or gratuitous violence; uses that violence to shock or stimulate; features violence that is not contextually relevant to the material; has violence so pervasive that it serves as the thread holding the plot of the material together; trivializes the serious nature of realistic violence; does not demonstrate the consequences or effects of realistic violence; uses brutal weapons designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain and damage; endorses or glorifies torture or excessive weaponry, or depicts lead characters who resort to violence freely.
This definition considers inappropriate any game which “lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value” and which features glamorized or gratuitous violence; uses that violence to shock or stimulate; features violence that is not contextually relevant to the material; has violence so pervasive that it serves as the thread holding the plot of the material together; trivializes the serious nature of realistic violence; does not demonstrate the consequences or effects of realistic violence; uses brutal weapons designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain and damage; endorses or glorifies torture or excessive weaponry, or depicts lead characters who resort to violence freely.
Hmm, you just need to look the right way at games. For example, Soldier of Fortunte taught me medical value when i saw all those body parts.
I bet most games can be put under that.
Hmm, do this means we cant make movies any more either? Or watch the news?
"Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich"
Hesten wrote:This definition considers inappropriate any game which “lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value” and which features glamorized or gratuitous violence; uses that violence to shock or stimulate; features violence that is not contextually relevant to the material; has violence so pervasive that it serves as the thread holding the plot of the material together; trivializes the serious nature of realistic violence; does not demonstrate the consequences or effects of realistic violence; uses brutal weapons designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain and damage; endorses or glorifies torture or excessive weaponry, or depicts lead characters who resort to violence freely.
Hmm, you just need to look the right way at games. For example, Soldier of Fortunte taught me medical value when i saw all those body parts.
I bet most games can be put under that.
Hmm, do this means we cant make movies any more either? Or watch the news?
Actually, CHILDREN can't go to R rated movies, nor rent porn. This is not an infraction on the civil rights of adults. Whether children should have the right to look at and buy this material is an entirely different legal question. I'm not supporting the law by any means, but please don't confuse the issue. Minors do not have the same rights as adults.
I tell it like a true mackadelic.
Founder of Ixtlan - the SCUM of Veeshan.
But do you really want to have to step behind a beaded doorway because now they have to stock Grand Theft Auto with Princess Guzzlea's Anal Emporeum?
Most games rated M or AO don't have anything real significant on the cover. Shit, most movies have worse covers than video games have. For the faults the ESRB does have(hot coffee and the Oblivion rerating things), for parents that don't know/follow video games, it usually works out really well.
This bill should be scrapped and I hope the ESA pulls through.
Animalor wrote:But do you really want to have to step behind a beaded doorway because now they have to stock Grand Theft Auto with Princess Guzzlea's Anal Emporeum?
That would provided a convienient excuse to go and browse porn! "Uhh....no, Im not looking for porn...I'm browsing their video game selection!
