Rhode Island State Senators (D) Paul Jabour, (D) Beatrice Lanzi, and (D) Michael McCaffrey are sponsoring a bill which proposes fines and jail time for retail outlets that sell games rated "M" (Mature) or "AO"(Adults Only) to underage consumers. The bill proposes that violators will be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to a year in jail.
The Parents Television Council (PTC) has come forward in support of the proposed bill. The PTC Rhode Island Chapter Director, Marcia Weeder released a statement saying, "Half of the retailers our chapter visited responded with contempt when it was pointed out that they weren't following the ratings when selling adult games to children. Obviously, penalties are needed tot enforce what should be a simple thing to control. If we can prohibit the sale of tobacco, alcohol, and pornography to minors without restricting the rights of adults, we can do the same with adult games."
I agree with the PTC and the State Senators of Rhode Island. I found it to be a bit surprising that video game ratings weren't legally enforced. People can't purchase tickets to an R rated movie without showing ID, so why shouldn't the same apply to video games with similar content? And more importantly what's the use of these video game ratings if there if children are still purchasing inappropriate games? The ratings seem arbitrary without retailer support. Upon reviewing some controversial games, it is very apparent that certain audiences should not be exposed to that kind of content. I applaud the state of Rhode Island as well as the PTC, with hopes that others will follow their lead.
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