NY Bill Seeks to Prohibit Sales of Racist Games to Minors

A new bill currently under consideration by the New York Assembly would prohibit the sale of games featuring negative racial stereotypes to minors.

The bill, AO1474, was drafted by Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright, and seeks to prohibit "the sale to minors of certain rated video games containing a rating that reflects the content of various degrees of profanity, racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a specific group of persons." The first thing that comes to mind? Grand Theft Auto, obviously. Racial slurs abound, every other mission you're killing "the Koreans" or "the Russians" or "the Irish", and yeah, it's pretty profane. But here's the thing - the bill specifically seeks to prohibit sales of games "containing a rating that reflects" the allegedly malicious content. In the case of a game like GTA, it's already rated Mature, and minors technically aren't allowed to buy it anyway. For a lot of the games Wright presumably wants to keep out of kids hands, this is most likely the case: kids are already prohibited from buying them.

The intent of this legislation is certainly admirable, and it's good to see someone care about the touchy subject of race in games. But Wright seems woefully out of touch with what he's trying to stomp out, and sadly enough, he doesn't seem to be alone. New York's legislators seem to have a knack for redundancy when it comes to anti-game legislation. As GamePolitics points out, last year they passed a law that required that game packages show ratings and that consoles offer parental controls - two things that, as anyone who's ever looked at a game box or turned on a console would know, already exist.

Now, cut that whole rating clause out of the bill and we might be onto something here. It's not just Mature-rated games like GTA that are chock-full of racist stereotypes. Videogames on the whole, even the most beloved ones, are full of them. Considering you can argue for almost anything as a stereotype these days, well, maybe we could get sales of every damn videogame prohibited in New York. Nope, sorry youngster, you can't buy Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo because Dee Jay is clearly a stereotype of Jamaicans. No, you can't buy NBA 2K9, because it implies that all African-Americans play basketball. No, you can't buy Ninja Gaiden 2, because no, Japan is not full of badass ninja dudes and evil monsters. That's wrong. That's racist.

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Congratulations to New York for finally standing up for what they believe it and fight for a cause that has already been fought. The article does pick up on a good point. Who says what is and isn't a stereotype?

Why not lobby games that use the same off the shelf plots and tired set of stock characters? That's a cause worth fighting for.

Alright, sure, Keith L.T. Wright, you go ahead and do that. I'll stay here and wait for the bill that prohibits the sale of movies, books, and TV shows that contain racial stereotypes for minors. What? You're not going to make one? I'm sorry, where's the scientific study that proves that videogames drastically influence the actions of minors, but no other forms of media do?

Ah, that's right. It doesn't exist.

No, Japan is not full of badass ninja dudes and evil monsters. That's wrong. That's racist.

This made me laugh. Who's to say what is and is not a sterotype?

A handful of characters being stereotypical is not a stereotype, a blanket statement is. None of these games say outright that one race is a particular way overall.

Also, I hate these laws that restrict things for children specifically. The irony in this case is that those laws are based off of stereotypes of children that cast all kids in a way such that they shouldn't play these games.

I'm not sure why people say that kids should be restricted from some things as an entire group, or why access to these games should be restricted at all. After all, the buyer in question can make their own decision about whether the game is too mature for them and suffer the consequences (if there are any in this case).

"Racist" can be a very broad term. This bill is just a tool for NYC to ban any game they don't like.

Slippery Slope! Slippery Slope!

Who decides what consists of racism in a game? And how do we know those people will be fair about it? And further, what's to say these people aren't political correctness obsessed assholes who will start pulling a Jack Thompson every time a game is released?

New York is the home of negative racial stereotypes. Every single pop-culture stereotype that's been beaten to death over the years has originated from New York. With the possible exception of exploding Arabs.

They're not protecting any children, they're not changing the image of New York, they're pushing through more needless legislation to win a few more votes from the panicking mothers demographic.

Jesus christ, what are my representatives doing to me?!

Doesn't this already exist? Obviously racism alone doesn't merit a higher rating (or does it?), but "derogatory language" and other factors already raise ratings which supposedly prevent minors from buying these things, don't they?

In the words of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, "Damn you Hymietown!"

johnx61:
Slippery Slope! Slippery Slope!

Who decides what consists of racism in a game? And how do we know those people will be fair about it? And further, what's to say these people aren't political correctness obsessed assholes who will start pulling a Jack Thompson every time a game is released?

I was going to say 'subjectivity kills,' but this works, too.

Next they'll be pushing for a law that bar children from buying M rated games...

stompy:
Next they'll be pushing for a law that bar children from buying M rated games...

I am still appalled that this state wasted our tax dollars on that. This is another reactionary, shortsighted piece of garbage that is used by politicians to capitalize on the fear of technology some parents have and score some points with them.

Fortunately, I doubt this would get as far for the sheer ridiculousness of the scope of what might be considered potentially racist.

Anarien:
I am still appalled that this state wasted our tax dollars on that. This is another reactionary, shortsighted piece of garbage that is used by politicians to capitalize on the fear of technology some parents have and score some points with them.

Politicians have always used the scapegoat in order to win voters. It is a waste like you said, but it will continue, because no politician has the balls to tell parents to raise their children better.

Oh, for crying out loud. Even if this bill should happen to get passed (knowing the idiocy of the average politician, it's possible) it'll get shot down in court in about 5 seconds. What a waste of time and money.

Why don't they just pass a bill saying that people who are black can't listen to rap and Russians can't drink vodka, because that's too stereotypical.

I hate stupid (note the stupid part) politicians.