A Chicago lawmaker is proposing to ban all video games that incur violence like the famous Grant Theft Auto series. This was after numerous carjacking incidents happened in the city.
According to Chicago Sun-Time, Democratic Rep. Marcus Evan Jr. introduced a bill that will amend the city’s 2012 law that prevents the sale of violent games to minors into a total ban. HB3551 applies to minors or people under 18 and expands it wholesale.
In the summary, HB3531 states that it “Amends the Violent Video Game Law in the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes provisions that restrict the sale or rental of violent video games to minors to prohibit the sale of all violent video games.”
Furthermore, the bill also would change the definition of “violent video game” under the Criminal Code to mean video games that “allows a user or player to control a character within the video game that is encouraged to perpetuate human-on-human violence in which the player kills or otherwise causes serious physical or psychological harm to another human or an animal.”
However, Electronic Software Association doesn’t share the same opinion with the proposed bill and states in an interview with IGN:
“While our industry understands and shares the concerns about what has been happening in Chicago, there simply is no evidence of a link between interactive entertainment and real-world violence. We believe the solution to this complex problem resides in examining thoroughly the actual factors that drive such behaviors rather than erroneously ascribing blame to videogames based solely upon speculation.”
Lawmakers since the dawn of video games have imposed and proposed bills against or to video games, especially when it comes to violence. Hawaiian lawmakers proposed a ban of games that includes loot boxes instigating that the mechanics are gambling.
Although the bill is yet to be reviewed and voted on, Chicago placed a $1,000 fine to retailers who would be caught selling violent video games to anyone under 18.
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