Makers of Violent Video Games May Face Additional Tax

[TechFan@ic]

US Vice President Joe Biden after a meeting yesterday claimed that there’s no legal obstacle to an initiative that would see violent content creators being hit with an additional tax, saying

there is no restriction on the ability to do that, there’s no legal reason why they couldn’t

 

This suggestion of additional tax was put forward by Franklin Graham, son of the evangelist Billy Graham and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
The meeting also included Barrett Duke, the vice president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, Bruce Reed, Biden’s chief of staff, and Melissa Rogers, the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, according to people who attended.

So as things stand, seems like there is a growing support of video game industry taxation by a number of special interest groups on capitol hell ( I intentionally misspelled that).

What do you guys think ? this seems to me like another push for politicians to secure a small piece of the massive gaming industry pie.

[MzCatieB]

when are they going to introduce the stupid person tax... 

why only target video games T_T so annoying how the media does this ever few months 

[naca1227]

US Vice President Joe Biden after a meeting yesterday claimed that there’s no legal obstacle to an initiative that would see violent content creators being hit with an additional tax, saying

 

This suggestion of additional tax was put forward by Franklin Graham, son of the evangelist Billy Graham and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The meeting also included Barrett Duke, the vice president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, Bruce Reed, Biden’s chief of staff, and Melissa Rogers, the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, according to people who attended.

So as things stand, seems like there is a growing support of video game industry taxation by a number of special interest groups on capitol hell ( I intentionally misspelled that).

What do you guys think ? this seems to me like another push for politicians to secure a small piece of the massive gaming industry pie.

But what is "violent" Mario Brothers is potentially "violent" you know? I mean everyday life is "violent". Your cat is "violent". Come on people. What about movies? It's okay for movies to be violent because watching movies is accepted in modern day society right? But for these old men who know nothing of video games to meddle with these kinds of things without feedback from the people besides angry soccer mom's who buy their kids Call of Duty and think nothing of it until they see the airport scene.

[silencerbob]

Wheres this "tax" money going?  Programs to disarm people who have guns?  How many of them would voulenteer their time to be told how to change their way of life?  I dont get it.

[unidentical]

Well then they'll have to tax movies, tv shows, and books that feature violence as well.... lol.

 

Anyhow, they don't need a violence tax, they need to hold parents accountable for teaching their crappy kids right from wrong.

[TechFan@ic]

But what is "violent" Mario Brothers is potentially "violent" you know? I mean everyday life is "violent". Your cat is "violent". Come on people. What about movies? It's okay for movies to be violent because watching movies is accepted in modern day society right? But for these old men who know nothing of video games to meddle with these kinds of things without feedback from the people besides angry soccer mom's who buy their kids Call of Duty and think nothing of it until they see the airport scene.

They're planning to tax violent movies as well. You're absolutely right, it's ridiculous ! just another reason for the dirty politicians to score a few bucks on the lobbyists.

[tabuburn]

What's the point of ESRB then? You can't blame the game makers when stupid parents buy games for their kids when it says on the box which age group it should be played by.

[naca1227]

They're planning to tax violent movies as well. You're absolutely right, it's ridiculous ! just another reason for the dirty politicians to score a few bucks.

Yeah exactly. You know what's violent? When police officers beat the shit out of some dude for no tangible reason, all in the sake of "self defense" and they get away with it too. God forbid the man they accuse is black, it's life in prison for him

[SkilledRebuilds]

What's the point of ESRB then? You can't blame the game makers when stupid parents buy games for their kids when it says on the box which age group it should be played by.

This This and Did I mention...Totally THIS!

Being the AGE demographic has been getting higher and higher in the last ten years,..Adults Ruining it for Adults "Providing for our kids" MY ASS! Its revenue plain and simple!

[XiaoPigs]

Is the government getting stupider and stupider? Oh wait that isn't a question, that's a fucking fact. For god sake man if video games are the source of our problems, wouldn't like everyone be pill munching hippies like PacMan was. 

[tabuburn]

This This and Did I mention...Totally THIS!

Being the AGE demographic has been getting higher and higher in the last ten years,..Adults Ruining it for Adults "Providing for our kids" MY ASS! Its revenue plain and simple!

They should fine those people instead. Also, the retailers that allow those people to buy the games since they don't enforce it even when their kid is clearly standing right next to them.

[Nicktrance]

But for these old men who know nothing of video games to meddle with these kinds of things without feedback from the people besides angry soccer mom's who buy their kids Call of Duty and think nothing of it until they see the airport scene.

What are you talking about these people know their jobs really well... just like how the person who was in charge of regulating the internet knew perfectly how the internet worked...

As tabuburn has said, that's what the ESRB is for, if you buy Call of Duty for a 13 year old and then you're amazed when you her him swearing at other players, you have nobody to blame but yourself for being a bad parent and the same applies for violence. Adding tax on violent games will benefit nobody but the politicians...

[MattDaemontools]

What are you talking about these people know their jobs really well... just like how the person who was in charge of regulating the internet knew perfectly how the internet worked...

As tabuburn has said, that's what the ESRB is for, if you buy Call of Duty for a 13 year old and then you're amazed when you her him swearing at other players, you have nobody to blame but yourself for being a bad parent and the same applies for violence. Adding tax on violent games will benefit nobody but the politicians...

LOL ! I absolutely agree, you guys better shows those monkeys in Washington whose the circus boss !

[joelthezombie15]

biden needs to shut his HUGE mouth and actually know what he is talking about before he makes a bill to change it. 

[That Norwegian Guy]

when are they going to introduce the stupid person tax... 

 

You know politicians would never approve a tax that affects them :P

[IPCharger]

Instead of making additional taxes what about actually making 10 year olds not to play M rated games... You have parents complaining about their children playing violent games when they are the ones that buy them.

[GPUXPert]

Instead of making additional taxes what about actually making 10 year olds not to play M rated games... You have parents complaining about their children playing violent games when they are the ones that buy them.

Indeed, what a strange world we live in.

Parents refuse to take responsibility & think that throwing their responsibilities at the government is a good idea, well I disagree I think that throwing your responsibilities away at the government is extremely irresponsible.

[PhilPC]

You'd think at this time, and in this economy, the US Vice President would have more important things to meet about

[GPUXPert]

You'd think at this time, and in this economy, the US Vice President would have more important things to meet about

Nothing is more important than money to politicians & lobbyists will surely dump a lot of money to see this go through.

[Snickerzz]

Video games are in a lot of other countries, do you see mass shootings there because of video games? No. Its a US problem not video game problem

[Fonil]

I'm proud to be an American, but this makes me unproud that they are. 

[jecho]

Relax we all know that this will never happen. Mostly cause Biden never gets anything really done. It's just to stir up the media so Obama has less of the media time running scandal stories.

[jecho]

Video games are in a lot of other countries, do you see mass shootings there because of video games? No. Its a US problem not video game problem

Correction there are shooting in other countries but the news does not report about them.

http://news.yahoo.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-around-world-114808608.html

Also we have more because we have more gun rights. But gun laws don't really stop criminals. Look at Chicago, one of the highest murder rate city in the nation with VERY strict gun laws.

[sonarctica]

Correction there are shooting in other countries but the news does not report about them.

http://news.yahoo.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-around-world-114808608.html

Also we have more because we have more gun rights. But gun laws don't really stop criminals. Look at Chicago, one of the highest murder rate city in the nation with VERY strict gun laws.

Hopefully this ain't going to be a gun control thread again, we have one of those already. Anyway, everything was so nice and peaceful right? but then the games came in and everyone went mental and started killing people! Looking at you SimCity, making our kids all violent and stuff.

 

On a more serious note, this ain't gonna pass.

[Godlygamer23]

What's considered violent? Pac Man? Crash Team Racing? Spyro? Racing games? This is stupid. If it only goes towards people who make realistic punching/killing violent video games, that would be really dumb.