There has been a lot of talk in the video games industry about Utah House bill 353. There main complaint is that it will punish retailers for following the rating system. That if will force retailers to drop the rating system altogether. The Video Games Voting Network, a great organization supporting the rights of gamers across the nation recent sent me an email asking me to write my congressman in oppostion of this bill. They say there is no need for the bill as 80% of underage buyers are already being turned down and Utah has an amazing 94% particaption rate in the ESRB system. Why jeapordize this with unesccasry regulation. I on the other hand see this as a method to let the industry regulate itself with govermnment backing. Obviously the system is failing if 20% are still able to get their hands on M rated games. I guess 80% isn’t bad, is it? If your doctor only had an 80% survial rate you would still go with him, right?
It is either and industry rating the games with government backing in the enforcement role or government rating and enforcement. Lets face it there is no way the industry can enforce the rating system. Anyhoo that is why I am in favor of Utah House Bill 353.
