Former Congressman Joe Lieberman has died at the age of 82. He was a passionate campaigner against video games, and in one case, mortal kombat He made fun of him for saying he wanted the series to be banned.
The former vice presidential candidate died of complications from a fall, his family said in a statement.
Mr. Lieberman is perhaps best known to gamers for his views on an industry that caused a moral panic in the 1990s.
He campaigned heavily against violent game franchises such as: mortal kombat And that night trap He said he wishes gaming could be “constitutionally banned.”
mortal kombat is a fighting game franchise. night trapThe film, released in 1992, was controversial due to its portrayal of violence against women, and was even temporarily banned in the United States before being re-released.
Lieberman, along with Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl, helped lead video game hearings in the Senate in 1993 and 1994 and ultimately led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Review Board (ESRB). connected. Parents and consumers can make informed choices about which games are suitable for their families. ”
For example, American games still have ESRB ratings: “E” for everyone, “T” for teens and older, and “M” for adults 17 and older.
when Mortal Kombat II Released in 1993 by developer Midway, the game was at the height of the anti-video game movement, which included “Friendships” and co-creator John Tobias was Added in honor of the Congressional hearings that were held.
“Friendship” is a finishing move that was introduced in response to public controversy over the original's terrifying “Fatality” finishing move. mortal kombat.
Mortal Kombat II All Friendship Arcadewww.youtube.com
Although Lieberman helped introduce the rating system and later said it was “better than the movie,” he continued to criticize the game: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City This was released in 2002 and was slammed as “terrible”.
Violence in video games continues to be a controversial topic to this day, stemming from a debate that Lieberman was at the forefront of when it began in the 1990s.
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