Tim Greene’s article, “Video Game Ban Ignores Real Issues,” denounces a law that, if passed, would restrict the sale of violent video games to minors. Currently, the Entertainment Software Rating Board places ratings on video games, and it is up to retailers whether they want to sell rated M, for mature, games to minors. In addition to fines on retailers per violation, another matter getting Greene riled up is a new requirement for publishers to print a 2-by-2-inch white sticker on violent games.

I am not a gamer, such as Greene, but since he is a video game enthusiast, columnist and close friend of mine — we even dated at one point — I’ve learned a bit about the subject by association.

This law does not upset me because, aside from the fact it won’t really change anything for consumers, I don’t really think it’s the worst idea to regulate media a little bit more.

People might jump all over my argument, because this law is content-based, and I’d be pretty surprised if the law did pass; but I don’t expect a little government regulation in terms of protecting minors from inappropriate content to turn our country into a page from George Orwell’s “1984.” In fact, that’s the cause for my concern — I’m viewing big brother as a corporate giant, rather than our government.

The voices of the few giant corporations, who own everything — in all aspects of media — are getting to a point where they have far too much say. The driving force for these companies’ motivations is undoubtedly inspired by money. Just take a look, for example, at who owns the news media. 

I know the video game industry works hard to be innovative and creative, and they do an excellent job, but overwhelmingly it seems that “sex sells” is echoing through their ears at a louder volume than the former. Violence in video games is quite overdone, in my opinion.

So, your World War II games are getting repetitive, what do you do? Instead of expanding storylines or improving game play, developers look for easier routes. What’s better than shooting Nazis? How about shooting zombie Nazis?

In terms of me ever becoming a gamer, which I’ll admit is unlikely, there’s too much violence, and most of the sex appeal seems to have a bit of a tendency to favor a male’s perspective.

Many times throughout our past relationship, Greene tried to get me interested in playing video games with him, but the problem was always that I didn’t feel like punching and beating people up as often as was required in order to play.

An enjoyable evening with my significant other shouldn’t include instructions on how to properly use an innocent bystander as a human-shield or the advice; “No, no, you have to kick him in the face or he is not going to stay down.” That, and there was far too much climbing involved — I got sick of Spider-Man falling off the building and having to start over again and again.

All in all, I’m not sure why this law is such a big deal to Greene. Is he afraid of what white adhesives will do to his beloved media? Or, perhaps, he is he simply offended by Arnold’s abdominals.