Bill to Tax Violent Video Games Introduced in Oklahoma

I believe this is ok if they do it because they want to stop minors playing games that they shouldn't. But if they are doing it because they think that video games can create a murderer, they should have no support from no one.
A video game isn't any different from a board game. If you get mad from losing in a board game, you will also get equally mad when you lose in a video game. It's as simple as that. Different people reacts differently.

thats so wrong. judging by the charity he chose, the guy must really have a terrible belief of what video games are. Hint, not every game is called Grand Theft Auto...

Disagree with the sales tax for Teen rated games.

I can sorta, kinda, not-really see a tax for mature and adult rated games. Although I'll admit the only reason why I am not completely against the tax is because it is being put to something that is becoming increasingly important in the US.

BUT, I don't live in Oklahoma, so my opinion doesn't matter anyway.

what about graphic tv, movies and music too? graphic art?

Last I checked the supreme court defined video games as a work of art, another medium similar to video .. do they tax violent video, paintings, music and books? If they don't then the government is getting in the way of free trade and the fair market.

I have a good idea, how about spending a little more time looking at how to fix our economy and get people working than going after one of the only successful markets left in this country.

yeah sure tax violent video games, but please tax every violent movie, tv show, music with violence, etc as well

Interesting. Once violent video games become an income source for governments they will have legal protection; like cigarettes. Try to ban video games then. Heck, EA might even get its own bailout.

Welcome to the military-entertainment complex!

Lets see, were going to slap a 5% tax on violent video games ... exactly how is that going to stop minors from playing them? Its up to parents and stores to make sure kids don't play games they shouldn't, not the government.

How about a tax on every movie and tv show with anything violence or maybe even the school plays etc.......where does this end.

they need to ban kids from owning "violent" games. kids need to be studying not playing the next FPS or violent RPG. it's strange that they card people when buying porn but not violent movies/games. either have it all open and available or none of it. parents are to blame, stop buying violent video games for your kids.

This is completely stupid, another classic example of why every political legislator should be part time only. Don't they have better things to do? (apparently not), this is just sound bite legislation, it sounds great to the soccer moms.

Just think, if part time then the salary he would have been paid could be used for better purposes, the days of public servants serving the public are long over, they only serve themselves to our money, wake up people!!!

1% today, 10% tomorrow.

I've been playing violent video games since I was 4 years old and I've yet to commit even a traffic violation in my life.

Should we even support the ESA's actions towards this piece of legislation? I'm still burned by their support of SOPA and PIPA. We gamers always do our part to support the industry in stopping legislation like this, but when has the industry stepped up to protect our rights in fighting SOPA? They haven't.

They want to stop the government from treating the industry as a bunch of criminals sullying the minds of the young, but they treat their supporters like a bunch of thieves who steal software at every opportunity.

Screw you ESA. You're on your own.

How does taxing mature games help prevent minors playing them? A better idea is to show the retailer the age of the child whom the parent is buying for and then slap on a 5% income tax to discourage the parent.

But really, stop treating every gamer as potential gun slinging murderer and you'll probably invoke less violent upbringing. Then again, it's oklahoma.

causation vs correlation

We already have that... is called Commercials, you know those annoying interruptions that we get while watching our TV shows.

They should tax all games then. After all, they all contribute to obesity. Arguably, leapster type "edu-games" being pushed on toddlers are doing more harm however.

Except there are commercials for every type of TV show there is, there are no exceptions, if it's on TV and not a special thing (or a cable channel) it will have commercials so it's not the same as taxing only violent games.

i dont give a flying buck what he thinks, show me some proof. also these people usually have no life thats why they have to intrude on others. tom sullivan did an awesome interview with a legislator years ago, and during the interview he asked the lady why she thought she needed to tell people how to live there lives and here answer was "because i have no life" i give her props for her honesty but srsly she shoulda lost her job the minute that left her mouth

how about more leanency to violence in schools... here me out

my parents generation, it wasnt as horrible as it gets now, they dont talk about it much, but really a punch to the face of the person making fun of you ends allot of the "bullying"

neighbor who was in school about 7-10 years older than me, was picked on till the day he beat the crap out of the worst one... ended the crap that day... life improved significantly.

when i was in 7th grade, got surrounded by a group of 50+ people who all wanted to get a kick in on me, one who wanted to jump off a small hill to body slam me... not a single teacher who watched it cared. 2 weeks later i choked the person responsible for everything bad in my life at that point till he turned purple. 90% of all the crap that happened to me stopped when they saw it took 6 people to get me off him... same teachers who saw them surround me saw that... reason nothing happend to me... and a week later the other person who... lets say mentally challenged (not really but so stupid) decided to go after me, and after i flipped him over my back down a hill, the rest of the 10% that still annoyed me stopped.

if any of this happened today they(we) would be expelled.
you cant go to a teacher either, because that makes you everyone's enemy.

i really think we should open the doors a bit on violence in schools, because that, as bad as it sounds, is how most problems get solved, and solved fast.

this is very true and so unbelievably ignored.

Amen.

This. Its just another way to try and tax people. Add to the fact that all of the gamers I know are pretty slim, I think that it making children obese is just BS.

Obesity comes from parents not showing kids how to eat right and not pushing them to enjoy gaming and go out for sports or to play. I have always been a stick and have always played games.

Most bullies are bullies because they either have a parent who is the same way to them or because they are spoild brats who are never taught right and wrong. I was never a bully, in fact was picked on, and have always played games. Hell I started GTA when I was very young and have yet to shoot a person and steal a car.

Stop blaming games for parents mistakes. Why not put a 1% tax on parents who kids are obese bullies? Make them start teaching their kids how to behave and eat.

I swear, gamers always get shafted.

Teen, are you freaking kidding me? I would never smoke in my life, but I don't like the rediculous taxes on cigarettes because it is the government getting involved where it shouldn't. Odd that this bill wasn't introduced by a Republican...

A game cost $60.
Tax is 1%.
So the game now costs $60.60.
Wow, 60 cents will definitely deter the purchase of violent video games.

I agree with Alidan. When I was picked on in the 1st grade I went home crying. My parents told me if he does it again to hit back...I did and it worked so I continued with that mentality. Bullys will go toward the path of least resistance. If you put up a fight, he'll go after that which causes him less effort.

I don't think they should single out any games--just a 1% tax that goes to programs to get children outside and then this thing would be all positive.

When I was a kid, my friends and I went outside and played basketball or tag in the yard most days at some point (the 90's). Now I never see children outside because they're playing a basketball video game instead. That's a bad thing.

Hey we should also tax minors buying sexy underwear and revealing clothing as it promotes sex for them.

This is nothing more than a tax scheme. Not only is it one but it is a poorly masked one at that. The average gamer is a adult, there are more adult gamers than there are kids it is a fact. Most money that goes into buying games comes from adults even if teen or kid happens to play it as well in the household. Most kids do not have the disposable income for games as the average adult gamer. Therefor all this really is, is a tax aimed at the popularity of video-games. No where does it say the tax is exempt when a adult purchases the game. I am sure the state program that it is going to will also not see 100% of it or eventually any at all.

I will agree too much gaming to the point of neglecting one's own health is a negative thing that some people do have a problem with. However the act of taxation isn't going to curb this. In children good parenting is the only thing that is going to prevent this. Not a tax, not a government program. The government isn't the answer to all of life's problems. Also how soon would it become 2%? 4%? When the tax stops going to the failure program but still remains and when gamers become the new overtaxed group just like smokers are today.

You are missing the big picture. This is on top of any other taxes that exist for one. Also just imagine how many sales are made in that state when it comes to every video game rated teen and up. 60 cents. If lets say 1 million games sell in that state in one year that is what $600,000? (doing it from the top of my head may be wrong) Also it is likely only 1% to make it easier to become a tax law and will gradually be increased as time goes on. If successful it will likely spread to other states as well.

Sounds like a disguised left wing plot to get more of the taxpayers money under a, excuse me for doing this, 'cause'.