US State Representative files bill to ban sale of GTA and other violent games

Over the course of its illustrious run in the industry for nearly two decades now, the GTA franchise has always managed to find itself in the crosshairs of controversy and even legislation.

The gaming community definitely remembers Jack Thompson's campaign against the GTA franchise as well as other titles like Doom and Mortal Kombat as he took issue with the content on offer. While it ultimately didn't amount to much, GTA has always made its way onto news headlines, one way or the other.

Now in 2021, a South Side Democratic state representative has introduced a bill that would effectively ban the sale of GTA, along with other violent games in the state of Chicago.

Earlier this week, Rep. Marcus Evans Jr filed HB3531, an amendment to a 2012 law that prevents select video games from being sold to minors.

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Marcus Evans Jr files bill to ban sale of GTA and other violent games

NEWS: Chicago Suntimes reports a lawmaker in the US by the name of Marcus Evans wants to introduce a bill to ban GTA from being sold in the US due to a high number of carjacking.Hopefully the judge throws the case out of the window. https://t.co/yt2bpE5XRZ

— VideoTech (@videotech_) February 23, 2021

Effectively, HB3531 would ban the sale of video games that contain themes depicting “psychological harm,” including “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.”

The bill has been filed as a direct response to rising carjacking rates after Rep. Marcus Evans Jr was contacted by members of Operation Safe Pump, an initiative aimed to prevent carjackings in gas stations and shopping centers.

This is what Rep. Marcus Evans Jr, as reported by Chicago Sun-Times had this to say regarding the ban of GTA, along with other violent games:

"The bill would prohibit the sale of some of these games that promote the activities that we’re suffering from in our communities."

Early Walker, who started Operation Safe Pump, had this to add:

“I feel like this game [GTA] has become a huge issue in this spectrum. When you compare the two, you see harsh similarities as it relates to these carjackings.”

While this isn't the first time the GTA franchise or video games at large have been pointed at as the primary culprit, it is almost certain it is not going to be the last.

The debate around whether video games promote violent and illegal behavior in real life is one that has been raging on since the early 90s.

It remains to be seen whether the bill picks up momentum and materializes into something substantial.