24th June 2008, 10:27 PM
http://kotaku.com/5019410/new-york-senat...ation-bill
Despite what the guy writing this article says, this is VERY bad.
Let's assume for a moment that this law is really "harmless". If that's the case, why did they bother to pass it? Clearly this law accomplishes nothing if it doesn't do anything. Why add a law that accomplishes nothing? To make a political statement? Such statements can be made in either more meaningful ways or just by stating them. It's never a good idea to just add laws for the heck of it. No real thought was put into this decision and that's dangerous in and of itself.
Now let's take it a step further, recognizing that a board for rating these games would cost money. That's fine when it's game companies paying the fees. However, when it's New Yorkers, paying for something that helps no one at all, it's harmful. This isn't a road, or medicine, or schooling, or anything that would help the public good in a real and meaningful way, it's a game rating board! They don't deserve tax payer money.
Finally, let's make one thing straight. It's very likely that if they do shift the burden off taxpayers, it will be shifted to the game designers. This won't be a problem for major game companies. However, if you are making Cave Story, a free game programmed in a garage somewhere by someone that can't afford to pay rating fees, then you have just restricted the ability of someone to make their art and deploy it widely. That's fine if their "art" is, say, child pornography or gutting and displaying bodies from walls. It isn't fine when it's a law made for no reason that protects no one.
This law IS harmful, and if other places adobt it, it will make it VERY hard for amateur game designers to get a start, and for what?
Despite what the guy writing this article says, this is VERY bad.
Let's assume for a moment that this law is really "harmless". If that's the case, why did they bother to pass it? Clearly this law accomplishes nothing if it doesn't do anything. Why add a law that accomplishes nothing? To make a political statement? Such statements can be made in either more meaningful ways or just by stating them. It's never a good idea to just add laws for the heck of it. No real thought was put into this decision and that's dangerous in and of itself.
Now let's take it a step further, recognizing that a board for rating these games would cost money. That's fine when it's game companies paying the fees. However, when it's New Yorkers, paying for something that helps no one at all, it's harmful. This isn't a road, or medicine, or schooling, or anything that would help the public good in a real and meaningful way, it's a game rating board! They don't deserve tax payer money.
Finally, let's make one thing straight. It's very likely that if they do shift the burden off taxpayers, it will be shifted to the game designers. This won't be a problem for major game companies. However, if you are making Cave Story, a free game programmed in a garage somewhere by someone that can't afford to pay rating fees, then you have just restricted the ability of someone to make their art and deploy it widely. That's fine if their "art" is, say, child pornography or gutting and displaying bodies from walls. It isn't fine when it's a law made for no reason that protects no one.
This law IS harmful, and if other places adobt it, it will make it VERY hard for amateur game designers to get a start, and for what?
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
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