Lets say, just for the sake of argument, that the bill passes and the courts allow it to go into effect. Unlikely, but like I said, just for the sake of argument.

What happens?

Well, retailers are now “on the hook” for their minimum wage clerks actions in selling “regulated” games. As a responsible businessperson, I am FREAKED OUT. My retail margins are already so low that a few infractions of the law and I am in big trouble. What does this retailer do? First, raise prices. No brainer. This is bad for everyone. Next he removes all of the regulated games in order to avoid the fines. He loses sales, so he creates a “back room” where the regulated games are sold and uses this as a defense against prosecution. Soon he is out of the games business or is running a sleezy behind the curtain no-minors-allowed store which will be out of business very soon. As a result kids cannot buy games that the pro-censor crowd likes (like my Mahjongg and Chess games). Essentially he has to choose between two profitable genres, neither can sustain his business alone.

Nice job protecting kids.

Now lets look at what happens to me. I make games that you would be happy to have your kids play. Look at eGames for an example of the kinds of games I make. My margins are so low that the added cost of getting my games rated is a hard expense to cover. Adding another government layer makes me lose money on every product. I can’t raise my prices as I am in a very price sensitive market. Take away some retail space and that is the last straw. My company is gone, POOF, just like that.

Nice job protecting the jobs of the 5 hard working and honest people my company employs, not to mention that the supply of games that you like for kids has been completely destroyed.

So, for the loss of small retailers and boutique developers what do we gain? Well, let me think on that. Hmm... I guess we gain the good feelings of the pro-censorship crowd, which is certainly worth my job and lots of jobs like mine. The big boys in the industry gain immunity from lawsuits, so that’s good, depending on your point of view. We get a new government agency and expanded government control of media, wait that’s not good. We also get vastly lower number and quality of games on the market, so again that is only good from a certain point of view (if you are against all games).

Most of all, I think we will find that the level of violence and sex in games will greatly increase. The big boys are now free to do whatever they want without fear of lawsuits and public backlash. Witness the porn industry. Compare 1950s Playboy with 2005 Playboy, I think you will be shocked, and Playboy is the tamest of the bunch.


So, now what do you think about the game ban?

Update: Misc. Fixes to the text. and the following:

Another thought hit me on this topic.

The ban would be ineffective in keeping kids away from these games. I am reminded of my nephew, a teenager that has an impressive collection of Nintendo Game Boy ROMs. Even after talking to him, and then his mother, about the evils of software theft, he continues to acquire, keep and distribute stolen titles. He spends his money on hardware, the handheld console, the hardware to modify it to play burned ROMs, and a decent PC to run emulators. I do not believe that he is atypical in this regard. How do most teenagers get access to virtually every game available without spending thousands and thousands of dollars? The software thief circuit, that’s where. Somehow I don’t think that the software thieves will check for ID before sending a download.

If you are concerned about your kid getting access to violent games, check their use of the Internet and ask them why there are strange wires and switches hanging out of their XBOX or Playstation 2.

Update II: Welcome Ace of Spades HQ Readers! There are many posts on this topic, please move on up to the main page!