Violent Video Games under Attack again

Studios that make video games deemed too violent will pay more taxes Has anyone in Washington played a video game lately? Lawmakers are now again making violent video games the scapegoat for society's ills. Or at least that's the impression I get from this latest bill proposal . It's basically a sin tax on video game makers. Instead of getting the tax break, or credit, for making video games here in the US, those studios will will now pay more. From Ashe Schow, in an online article from the Washington Examiner: One of the plan's provisions: “Preventing makers of violent video games from qualifying for the R&D tax credit." This is funny, given the fact that on the very next page the summary says the bill “stops the practice of using the tax code to pick winners and losers based on political power rather than economic merit.” How is letting every industry except the violent video game industry keep the R&D tax credit not picking winners and losers? continue reading at WashingtonExaminer.com It doesn't matter to me whether you paint yourself in red or blue. This kind of political pandering only causes more problems. It seems to me that someone on the hill thinks this is a pelt they can put on the wall. If these politicians are so concerned about violence in mainstream culture, why does the National Football League receive tax exemption. Most of the NFL stadium costs are offset by state funding i.e. your tax dollars. It's obvious to me that no one in Washington plays video games. If they did, they would understand using punitive taxes to single out "violent" video games would set a precedence for artistic censorship. Consider the impact on the Oscars best picture category for example. Movies like American Beauty, Gladiator, The Departed, No Country for Old Men, and The Wolf of Wall Street (my prediction for this year's winner) would all have been deemed too violent and should pay punitive taxes. Why do "tax credits" matter? Let me put this in terms a gamer would understand. It costs a lot of money to make big games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto. Having to pay more money in taxes is a cost that doesn't help pay for the game's production. Since these companies are in business to make money, that extra cost will be passed on to you, the gamer - the consumer. In the end, a tax on violent video games is a tax on gamers. And for what? Violent video games are bad for you? Oh like whiskey, cigars, skydiving, fast cars, knives, and wet floors. I've already talked about the misplaced targeting of violent video games in the Gamers On Tap podcast . There is an abundance of benefits to video games even the violent ones. Whether it's sports psychologists recognizing similar skill sets in eSports and traditional sports or the prosocial aspects to online gaming, video games are being recognized for their health benefits. Dr Mark Griffiths, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University. The educational benefits of videogames The Huffington Post 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You American Psychology Association Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds Finally, I wanted to suggest that games like Gone Home, The Last of US, and The Walking Dead are games that contain violence. But its just part of the game. It's an ingredient. Just because some old people in Washington don't understand video games doesn't make it alright to punish gamers.

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Violent Video Games under Attack again is an episode from Gamers On Tap by Eric McLeroy.

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This episode was published on Feb 27, 2014.

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