An Unfair Tax on Gamers ? OGR – Old Game Reviewer
Earlier today I read an article on GameInformer.com that really irked me. The subject of the matter was a bill for the taxation of ?violent? video games in Oklahoma. Any game with a ESRB issued rating of Teen, Mature, or Adults would receive 1% tax that go towards programs that prevent bullying and childhood obesity. Now your probably saying it?s only 1% and it?s even going to a good cause so what?s the big deal. My problem with this bill is that is sets a poor precedent. Gamers are being punished for something that is not their fault. After all are you telling kids to chow down on that greasy Big Mac? Video games are not the sole cause for obesity or violence among the youth of America. These problems have been going on long before video games where around and they will be going on long after they are gone. I?ll save you all the trouble and I won?t go any further on what I think the true reasons are for these social issues.
The second thing that got me going might be a little nitpicky but I think it is something that should have been clarified better. The Okalahoma representative, who is oddly enough named William Fourkiller, was quoted saying ?Violent video games contribute to some of our social problems like obesity and bullying.? Now if you go back to the fact that the tax would only be for games rated T,M, or AO that there is two little things wrong with his statement. There are games with these ratings that have little to no violence in them and are rated this way because of other factors. So really the tax is not on violent video games but really it?s for games with inappropriate content for a younger audience.
The final thing that made me wonder is how are games rated T-AO the only cause of obesity among young gamers. First of all, in theory some of these obese children shouldn?t even be playing these games. Second of all just because a game is rated E doesn?t mean you do any less sitting on your butt. So if I?m understanding this correctly gamers that are of 13 years of age or older , since you are required to be 13 to purchase a game rated T, are the responsible for a child they have not relation to what so ever for being fat or bringing a gun to school? Now look at your library of games and pay attention to the amount of games you own that are rated E, probably not to many. For me out of the out of the 77 games I own for just my 360 and PS3 6 of them are rated E and the rest are all T and M. So almost anytime I buy according to William Fourkiller I am contributing to violence and obesity among youth.
Yes I have a few problems with this bill and I really hope for gamers? sake that it doesn?t pass. Sure even if it does get passed it wouldn?t be affecting me all the way over in New Jersey. But who?s to say this idea won?t spread across the country and possibly even increase over time.
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Source: http://oldgamereviewer.com/2012/02/02/13567/
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