New York Game Bill One Step Closer to Passage

A New York game bill that would make it a felony to sell a violent game to a minor is one step closer to passage. The New York Senate and Assembly reached an agreement on the bill late last night, but the current session ended before the bill could be passed by both houses. The i's should be dotted and the t's crossed when everyone reconvenes in July.

According to Lower Hudson Online:

[An agreement was reached yesterday that] would place limits on who can see violent video games. It would make it a felony to sell violent and obscene video games to minors. In addition, manufacturers would have to equip game consoles with parental-control devices, retailers would have to label games that are violent and obscene, and the state would establish a committee to study the problem.

Senator Andrew Lanza (R) described the kinds of games his legislation is targeting as "Games that, for instance, reward you for shooting and murdering New York City police officers." Oh, he must be referring to* Kill That Dirty NY Cop, Kill Him Dead*, for the Wii. Pfft, that game sucked anyway.

The bill should pass in July, at which point Governor Eliot Spitzer is fully expected to sign it into law.

Deals elude governor, lawmakers [Lower Hudson Online, via GamePolitics]