Cigarette-like Warnings Coming To Video Games?

Let me just say right up front. This is yet another incredibly stupid idea courtesy of meddling politicians who don’t have the first clue about gaming, gamers, or digital living and yet persist in foisting yet another nanny-state piece of legislation in order to get votes come election time.

The newest bit of stupidity comes from Congressman Joe Baca who wants all video games to carry warning labels on their packaging similar to the kind you find on cigarette packages. This attempt at goodie-two-shoes vote getting is going by the name of Video Game Health Labeling Act and the proposed text reads something like this:

WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior

This of course is a claim made without any absolute scientific proof as pointed out by Chris Pereira at 1UP.com, a major gaming blog, where he writes:

There have indeed been several studies which have claimed something along those lines, but there have also been numerous studies that suggest the exact opposite. Gamasutra notes a recent review by the Australian government which was summed up by Federal Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor when he said, “Evidence about the effect of violent computer games on the aggression displayed by those who play them is inconclusive.”

While the chances of this bill actually making it through is pretty slim it is just another repeat try and trying to exert government control on the gaming industry.

Good luck with that bill.

image courtesy of 1UP.com