Comment on Stop killing games
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 weeks agoIt is a citizens’ initiative for the EU. Ross has been consulting with legal experts and even members of parliament in these territories in order to get this off the ground. This is not some feel-good change.org thing; this has legal ramifications, albeit with an absurdly high threshold to clear.
Gambling is bad and it ruins lives. So let’s get some legislature. Oh noes, now there can be no kissing or depiction of blood in any game because sex ruins lives and so does murder!
This is a strawman. We do legislate gambling already. Several countries have legislated loot boxes already without adding violent content on as a rider.
This initiative, which again, has actual legal implications unlike most petitions you’ve ever heard of, can only ask for so much before it’s in lawmakers’ hands. Terminology like “reasonably functional” is used all over laws on the books, and courts rule on what is reasonable or not. It would be reasonable to say that a video game is no longer functional if you can’t play it anymore. Lobbyists and special interest groups are why we have an industry subsidized by legalized gambling for children and other ways of fucking us over.
NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
And vagueries that will be interpreted by courts that likely have no knowledge of what a vidya game even is will resolve that?
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
We have to hope they do, because the industry would love to never resolve this on its own. So far there are reasonable laws on the books in places in places like Belgium and Australia for things like loot boxes. Also, you do your argument a real disservice by using childish language like “vidya games” and “oh noes”.
NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Hoping things will turn out great is for idiots.
So rather than advocate for some vagueries that are primed to be corrupted… maybe actually start with those specific actionable laws to establish precedent that can be worked on.
Because a judge who has no idea what a vidya game is: “Oh, my grandson plays that gotchinson impact game. He is a good kid so clearly this is a different problem and this case is trash”. Or, more likely “Minecraft?!?! THAT IS THE GAME WHERE YOU HAVE UNCENSORED SEX WITH PROSTITUTES AND THEN MURDER THEM!!!”. Because the vast majority of court cases don’t have proper experts involved but still lead to precedent that can cause problems down the line. Hence why there is a lot of pressure to settle when “tech” ends up in court.
Also: If your only argument is that I am not taking the “Stop Killing Games” movement seriously enough? You don’t have one. Which… is par for the course.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I agree. Hence this initiative. Nothing will change without action, is this is the action that EU citizens can feasibly take. I’ve written my legislators, and that’s about all I can do in the US, other than spread the word on social media.
I wasn’t making that argument at all.