The topic of banning video games is once more on the table, this time it's Chicago, IL leadership leading the charge. Right now, Representative Marcus C. Evans Jr. has filed documents to make changes to an already-present 2012 law to make it possible to ban violent video games to minors in the state, especially titles like Grand Theft Auto, after a rise in carjackings and overall violent crimes have been noted. 

The notion being discussed falls under House Bill 3531 and aims to ban the retail sale of all "violent video games" for Illinois residents. What constitutes as a violent video game? According to the bill, it's a game that “allows a user or player to control a character within the video game that is encouraged to perpetuate human-on-human violence in which the player kills or otherwise causes serious physical or psychological harm to another human or an animal.” 

According to a recent report from the Chicago Sun-Times, the rate of violent crimes and carjackings as has increased, with 218 reports solely from the month of January alone. The Chicago representatives are claiming that video games like Grand Theft Auto are providing "inspiration" for these types of criminal activities and that banning them would be "safer" for all communities affected.

So what happens if this bill is passed yet the sale of these types of games continues? The bill proposes a $1,000 fine for anyone that buys, rents, or sells a game that falls under this classification. 

Also included in the definition of a "violent video game," as detailed in the bill, is any game that includes carjacking, which they are looking to classify as something that causes "serious physical harm."

This isn't the first time a bill like this has been brought to the table but it will most certainly be ridiculed as it has in the past. We saw the pushback when a similar notion was attempted back in 2011 where the Supreme Court ruled against the state of California when that state tried something similar. In the ruling, the Supreme Court stated that banning the sale of games, especially to minors, would be an infringement on Free Speech. 

Numerous reports have stated that there is no direct correlation between violence and video games despite that being the narrative sold by mainstream media for decades now. You can learn more about the various studies regarding any possible correlation with a few different resources found here, here, and here. 

In the wise words of CJ: "Aw, s**t, here we go again." 

[Source: Chicago Sun-Times]

Earlier this month, CD Projekt Red shared the unfortunate news that it was hit by a malicious hacking attack that included all of the source code for Cyberpunk 2077, an unreleased version of The Witcher 3, Gwent coding, and "incriminating info." Since then, the data has been sold, and while the company is doing everything it can to halt the spread of the stolen information, including utilizing DMCA strikes, the pulled focus has delayed a substantial update for Cyberpunk 2077 following the title's chaotic launch. 

The studio took to Twitter to relay the news about the delayed update. "While we clearly wanted to deliver Patch 1.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 in the timespan we detailed previously, the recent cyber attack on the studio's IT infrastructure and extensive scope of the update means this unfortunately will not happen," began the announcement. 

It’s not the news we enjoy sharing, but we want to make sure we launch this update properly. Stay tuned for more information as the time draws closer. Thank you for your continued patience and support. 3/3

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) February 24, 2021

"Our goal for Patch 1.2 goes beyond any of our previous updates," the post continues. "We've been working on numerous overall quality improvements and fixes, and we still have work to do do to make sure that what you get." 

While this isn't the update that the team wanted to give, the pulled focus does make sense. CD Projekt Red did mention, however, that the studio is working hard to hit a mid-March launch for the latest update, a patch that is meant to tackle many of the quality-of-life improvements that were criticized when the title first made its debut. 

While the company continues to combat the damage done, the Polish studio has confirmed that it has already been in talks with local law enforcement, as well as the president of the Personal Data Protection Office, as part of an ongoing investigation. 

Information also included in the hack goes beyond just game source codes, it also includes personal developer information and other sensitive materials that could be dangerous on an individual basis. For now, the investigation and attempts to slow the spread of the sold data continue while the rest of the team continues its work on the game itself.