I’m stunned. Just stunned. Ya, there’s lots of coverage out there on violence, censorship, sex and all that’s wrong with games - most of which I have to read, unfortunately. The latest Yee interview up at IGN has got to take the cake. The rhetoric and hyperbole are beyond belief. How many egregious errors can you spot? ESA making a profit? Role of ESRB to prevent access? Parent and child being escorted out of an R-rated movie? Only the “interactive violent games” where people get hurt, but not the other violent games???

Bottom line, censorship doesn’t work. Yee’s bill would have zero impact as the “kids” would still get to the games they want via other means: parents, older friends, internet/piracy, etc. Ironically, they’d likely still get most games from their parents, which the FTC reports as being responsible for over 80% of all game purchases. So, not even addressing all the other issues of constitutionality, freedom of expression/access, value/merits of games and actual effects, the bill would do nothing to limit access or make a parent’s job easier.

It is amazing the extent to which this kind of soapbox preaching takes place unabated. As soon as someone tries to defend games/gamers, they are roasted and/or discredited as being paid off. Sadly, no one seems interested in a fair debate on the issues.

Sigh.

PS: Ya, I’m skirting around the whole coffee debate as I’m waiting until there’s some real sense of resolution…