A new law passed recently in Venezuela now means gamers in the South American country can no longer purchase and enjoy video games where violence is involved. In a strange effort to curb the violent crime currently being experienced in Caracas, the ban means anyone caught selling or distributing violent video games can face a potential jail term of three to five years, which –as some critics have noted- is far harsher than the crime of selling weapons to children, which attracts a one to five year sentence.
It’s not only games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Dragon Age: Origins that are affected by the new law, tamer titles like The Legend of Zelda and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are also included due to the combat aspects and virtual weapons. In fact any game where a weapon is involved is included in the ban, and even being in possession of a rom, either on a hard drive or an R4 card could result in a fine or worse.
Violent video games aren’t the only products that are being banned, as any toy that has a weapon or imitates an armed force would be banned, including those that don’t have weapons but have the potential to create a game where a situation of aggression or violence can arise. Which hypothetically includes such simple toys as LEGO, because theoretically a young child could create a toy gun out of the simple bricks and simulate gunplay.
Whilst the law may help to stem the wide spread piracy of video games in Venezuela, it’s almost a sure thing to say that the law will only frustrate gamers and alienate them further because of a lack of understanding. A gamer may ultimately end up in a prison alongside murderers and drug lords because they were in possession of a copy of Halo 3. The ban also means young players will miss out on potential learning tools, as most games are presented in English, with the end product resulting in a generation of young adults potentially with bi-lingual abilities that can enhance education and job prospects.
In a city where the police practically abandon areas to lawlessness every night, it seems quite bizarre that a government can single out a recreational past-time as a source of violence and claim that by banning games they are helping to influence a solution to a problem that is described as complex and multifaceted. But, as some who work within Venezuela’s gaming industry have pointed out, children who turn violent from playing violent games are already violent, and that a better solution to the problem is to find out what the true cause of child violence is. And after all, hasn’t violence always existed? Perhaps a better solution would be increased policing and tighter regulations on firearms.
Article Source: GlobalPost
