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{{Infobox United States federal proposed legislation |
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| ⚫ | The [[United States]] '''Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935)''' |
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| name = Truth in Video Game Rating Act |
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| fullname = A bill to direct the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe rules to prohibit deceptive conduct in the rating of video and computer games and for other purposes. |
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| introduced in the = 109th |
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| sponsored by = [[Sam Brownback]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Kansas|KS]]) |
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| introducedin = Senate |
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| introducedbill = [https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3935 S.3935] |
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| introducedby = [[Sam Brownback]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Kansas|KS]]) |
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| introduceddate = September 26, 2006 |
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| committees = [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation|Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]] |
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}} |
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| ⚫ | The [[United States]] '''Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935)''' was a failed [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]] that was introduced by then Senator [[Sam Brownback]] (R-KS) on September 26, 2006. The act would require the [[ESRB]] to have access to the full content of and hands-on time with the games it was to rate, rather than simply relying on the video demonstrations submitted by developers and publishers.<ref name="gamasutra">{{cite web | title=Senate Proposes New ESRB Legislation | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11030 | work=[[Gamasutra]] | accessdate=September 27, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311010442/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11030 | archive-date=2007-03-11 | url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, the ESRB would become oversighted by the [[Government Accountability Office]] (GAO), and the [[Federal Trade Commission]] would define details of content for the ESRB ratings.<ref name="gamasutra"/> Brownback said of the bill's introduction, "The current video game ratings system needs improvement because reviewers do not see the full content of games and don’t even play the games they are supposed to rate. For video game ratings to be meaningful and worthy of a parent’s trust, the game ratings must be more objective and accurate."<ref name="gamasutra"/> |
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The bill was one of several proposed federal and state legislation that were introduced following the media attention from the [[Hot Coffee (mod)|"Hot Coffee" scenes]] in ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' in mid-2005, and the [[ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion|ESRB re-rating]] of ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'' in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060807-7441.html | title = Congress seeks truth in video game ratings | work = [[Ars Technica]] | date = September 27, 2006 | accessdate = November 21, 2021 | first = Eric | last =Bangeman }}</ref> In the case of "Hot Coffee", while the sexually-explicit content had been originally hidden by Rockstar Games at release, modders had been able to patch the game to show it, causing the ESRB to re-evaluate the game from Mature to Adults-Only.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-30-who-spilled-hot-coffee | title = Who spilled Hot Coffee? | first = Simon | last = Parkin | date = December 2, 2012 | accessdate = November 14, 2021 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref> ''Oblivion'' had been rated as Teen but was changed to Mature after a mod revealed that the game included art assets with violent depictions and nudity.<ref name="BDNBTG">{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/op-ed/797-Boobies-Did-Not-Break-the-Game-The-ESRB-Clears-the-Air-On-Oblivi |title="Boobies Did Not Break the Game": The ESRB Clears the Air On Oblivion |first=Michael |last=Zenke |work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |date=June 19, 2007 |access-date=July 2, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230114016/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/op-ed/797-Boobies-Did-Not-Break-the-Game-The-ESRB-Clears-the-Air-On-Oblivi |archive-date=December 30, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The bill makes no considerations for [[mod (computer gaming)|mods]], [[Mod (computer gaming)#Total conversion|total conversion]]s, [[user generated content]], [[procedurally generated content]], unused disc space, blocked/disabled out portions of code, player behavior in online games, and various other factors out of the control of the developers (such as how the player decides to play the unsaid game). |
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Prior to Brownback's bill, Senators [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Joe Lieberman]], and [[Evan Bayh]] had introduced the [[Family Entertainment Protection Act]] in December 2005, which called for a federal mandate enforcement of the ESRB ratings system in order to protect children from inappropriate content, though the legislation failed to pass.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.engadget.com/2005/12/16/family-entertainment-protection-act-now-filed/|title=Family Entertainment Protection Act Now Filed|author=Jennie Lees|publisher=[[Engadget]]|date=December 16, 2005|access-date=August 4, 2015}}</ref> The ESRB had been summoned to testify before Congress on these matters in June 2006, where ESRB president Patricia Vance stated that the group had changed its rules, and that "after a game ships, if disclosure is found to have been incomplete, recent enhancements to the ESRB enforcement system will soon allow for the imposition of fines up to USD 1 million."<ref name="gibiz congress">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=17722 | title = ESRB promises heavy fines for publisher nondisclosure | first = Paul | last = Loughrey | date = June 15, 2006 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060630030245/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=17722 | archive-date = June 30, 2006 }}</ref> Vance also explained the difficulties of reviewing every element of a game, some which take more than 100 hours to complete and would require professional players, well beyond the experience of the average video game player.<ref name="gibiz congress"/> |
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This bill was unacted upon during its original session and was reintroduced by Senator Brownback on February 14, 2007 under the same title "the Truth in Video Game Rating Act" with a new session number (S.568). As of March 2007, S.568 remains in the Senate Committee.<ref>[http://washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_568.html#toc1 WashingtonWatch.com - S. 568, The Truth in Video Game Rating Act<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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This bill was unacted upon during its original session and was reintroduced by Senator Brownback on February 14, 2007, under the same title "the Truth in Video Game Rating Act" with a new session number (S.568). The bill remained in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and expired at the end of the 110th Congress without further action.<ref>{{cite web|title=S.568 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Truth in Video Game Rating Act|date=13 February 2007 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/568/committees|accessdate=1 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801084307/https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/568/committees|archive-date=2017-08-01|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/6386990.html Brownback Bill Would Improve Video Game Ratings - Senator says current game ratings system lacks objectivity], ''[[Sam Brownback]]'' Press release'', September 27, 2006 |
*[http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/6386990.html Brownback Bill Would Improve Video Game Ratings - Senator says current game ratings system lacks objectivity], ''[[Sam Brownback]]'' Press release'', September 27, 2006 |
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*[ |
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060823203037/http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/333899.html Congressman Sponsors "Truth in Video Game Rating Act"], ''[[GamePolitics.com]]'', September 27, 2006 |
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*[http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/ |
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20060921152613/http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/337735.html ESA Responds to Congressman's "Truth in Video Game Rating Act"], ''[[GamePolitics.com]]'', September 27, 2006 |
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**[http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/337735.html ESA Responds to Congressman's "Truth in Video Game Rating Act"], ''[[GamePolitics.com]]'', September 27, 2006 |
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{{Video game controversy}} |
{{Video game controversy}} |
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===Progress=== |
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The [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]] also known as the entertainment software rating board is responsible for rating video games based on what age the player should be, and what content is allowed in the games. They have been rating video, and computer games for the last 2 decades in the [[United States]] and [[Canada.]] There ratings are meant to be used as guidelines for parents and children to see if it is acceptable for them to play the game or not. The [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]] is a [[self-regulated organization]], so the federal government does not enforce the guidelines set by them. However on January 15, 2013,[[Jim Matheson]] the representative for Utah’s 4th congressional district introduced a new bill to the House of Representatives. This bill is called the '''video games ratings enforcement act''', and its purpose was to require all video games to have a visible rating on the cover. It also wanted it to be illegal for anyone under 18 to buy/rent video games that were rated as adult video games.<ref>{{cite web | title=Text of the Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act | url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr287}}</ref> This means it would be deemed illegal for anyone to sell/ rent out video games that did not have a visible rating on the cover/ packaging of the video game. It also would require the store clerks at retailers to check for ID when selling video games to ensure that the buyer is buying a game that is age appropriate. In case there were retailers, or people that did not abide by these rules, they would face a maximum fine of $5000 per infringement.<ref>{{cite web | title=Text of the Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act | url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr287}}</ref> Currently most retailers in the U.S and Canada only carry games that have an ESRB rating on Although the rating system has been around for quite some time, it was after the [[Sandy Hook]] shooting that occurred in Newton, Connecticut that gun violence was linked back to the violence seen in video games. The U.S president [[Barack Obama]] has also tried to get researchers to try and discover whether or not children are being affected by violence in video games.<ref>{{cite web | title=Bill seeks stricter enforcement of video game ratings | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/01/18/bill-stricter-video-game-ratings/1844665/}}</ref> Currently the bill only has a 1% chance of being passed as it deals with censorship, and the inability for game developers to release their games freely. However if the law is to pass, then retailers and video game developers have 180 days to change the layout of there operations to meet the requirements of the law.<ref>{{cite web | title=Censorship At Its Finest: H.R. 287, The "Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act" | url=http://transparentseas.net/2013/01/17/censorship-at-its-finest-h-r-287-the-video-games-ratings-enforcement-act/}}</ref> The people opposing the bill believe that it should be up to the parents of the children to decide whether or not they want them playing the game, and not against the law. |
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=== References === |
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<references /> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Truth In Video Game Rating Act}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Truth In Video Game Rating Act}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Proposed legislation of the 109th United States Congress]] |
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[[Category:2006 in law]] |
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[[Category:Video game censorship]] |
[[Category:Video game censorship]] |
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[[Category:Video game law]] |
[[Category:Video game law]] |
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[[Category:Video gaming in the United States]] |
[[Category:Video gaming in the United States]] |
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[[Category:2006 in video gaming]] |
[[Category:2006 in video gaming]] |
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[[Category:2006 in the United States]] |
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Latest revision as of 11:16, 2 March 2023
.svg) | |
| Long title | A bill to direct the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe rules to prohibit deceptive conduct in the rating of video and computer games and for other purposes. |
|---|---|
| Announced in | the 109th United States Congress |
| Sponsored by | Sam Brownback (R-KS) |
| Legislative history | |
| |
The United States Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935) was a failed bill that was introduced by then Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) on September 26, 2006. The act would require the ESRB to have access to the full content of and hands-on time with the games it was to rate, rather than simply relying on the video demonstrations submitted by developers and publishers.[1] In addition, the ESRB would become oversighted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Federal Trade Commission would define details of content for the ESRB ratings.[1] Brownback said of the bill's introduction, "The current video game ratings system needs improvement because reviewers do not see the full content of games and don’t even play the games they are supposed to rate. For video game ratings to be meaningful and worthy of a parent’s trust, the game ratings must be more objective and accurate."[1]
The bill was one of several proposed federal and state legislation that were introduced following the media attention from the "Hot Coffee" scenes in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in mid-2005, and the ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in 2006.[2] In the case of "Hot Coffee", while the sexually-explicit content had been originally hidden by Rockstar Games at release, modders had been able to patch the game to show it, causing the ESRB to re-evaluate the game from Mature to Adults-Only.[3] Oblivion had been rated as Teen but was changed to Mature after a mod revealed that the game included art assets with violent depictions and nudity.[4]
Prior to Brownback's bill, Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and Evan Bayh had introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act in December 2005, which called for a federal mandate enforcement of the ESRB ratings system in order to protect children from inappropriate content, though the legislation failed to pass.[5] The ESRB had been summoned to testify before Congress on these matters in June 2006, where ESRB president Patricia Vance stated that the group had changed its rules, and that "after a game ships, if disclosure is found to have been incomplete, recent enhancements to the ESRB enforcement system will soon allow for the imposition of fines up to USD 1 million."[6] Vance also explained the difficulties of reviewing every element of a game, some which take more than 100 hours to complete and would require professional players, well beyond the experience of the average video game player.[6]
This bill was unacted upon during its original session and was reintroduced by Senator Brownback on February 14, 2007, under the same title "the Truth in Video Game Rating Act" with a new session number (S.568). The bill remained in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and expired at the end of the 110th Congress without further action.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Senate Proposes New ESRB Legislation". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved September 27, 2006.
- ^ Bangeman, Eric (September 27, 2006). "Congress seeks truth in video game ratings". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ Parkin, Simon (December 2, 2012). "Who spilled Hot Coffee?". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
- ^ Zenke, Michael (June 19, 2007). ""Boobies Did Not Break the Game": The ESRB Clears the Air On Oblivion". The Escapist. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
- ^ Jennie Lees (December 16, 2005). "Family Entertainment Protection Act Now Filed". Engadget. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ a b Loughrey, Paul (June 15, 2006). "ESRB promises heavy fines for publisher nondisclosure". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006.
- ^ "S.568 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Truth in Video Game Rating Act". 13 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
External links
[edit]- Brownback Bill Would Improve Video Game Ratings - Senator says current game ratings system lacks objectivity, Sam Brownback Press release, September 27, 2006
- Congressman Sponsors "Truth in Video Game Rating Act", GamePolitics.com, September 27, 2006
- ESA Responds to Congressman's "Truth in Video Game Rating Act", GamePolitics.com, September 27, 2006