A new video game bill is being reviewed by Oregon lawmakers. The new bill will make it illegal to sell or rent out "ultra-violent" games to gamers under 18.

Representative Arnie Roblan of Coos Bay, Oregon (District 9) sponsored the said bill - House Bill 3511. The bill defines ultra-violent as "a video game depicting serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious or cruel." But if a parent or guardian is present or gave consent, a child under 18 can buy a violent game.

The punishment for selling such games aren't defined just yet. Hmm... The bill is a bit vague (at least from this writer's point of view). How does one put fences on what is "heinous, atrocious, or cruel"? And what if a violent game's characters are all aliens or animals? Stay tuned.

Mature=rated games are under fire again as the Parents Television Council (PTC) is seeking to get ads for violent games off of public transport units in Portland, Oregon and Chicago.

It is well documented that some months back, Boston's MBTA trains had to cease displaying Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories ads because of pressure from concerned parents and other organizations.

In the latest skirmish between parents and M-games, the PTC issued a press release together with the organization Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC) asking Denver's Regional Transport District (RTD) to bar such games from advertising on public transport that reads:

In the latest mass transit controversy, the Parents Television Council (PTC) has partnered with the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC), which led the fight against Boston’s GTA ads. The organizations issued a joint press release yesterday calling upon Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) to reject future ads for games rated M and AO.

Citing ads for Vice City Stories which ran on RTD trains last Fall, the PTC formalized the request at the RTD’s monthly board meeting on Tuesday. PTC Denver Chapter Director George Robison said at the meeting:

Our public transportation network serves more than half the residents of Colorado and is doing them a disservice with its tacit approval for the dangerous content in the Mature-rated video games that are advertised throughout the system. I’m here today to remind Chairman Chris Martinez and the board that they have a responsibility to act in the best interest of those who voted you into these important positions…

The Denver RTD has yet to post an official statement in response to the press release.

And the saga of the GTA ads pull-down continues. We've just crossed out Denver and Boston on our list of places to look for GTA ads, and from the looks of it, Oregon will be joining the duo.

Oregon's TriMet public transport agency announced the pullout of GTA ads from the sides of their buses in response to protests from passengers who said the game promoted criminal violence.

TriMet mentioned they didn't endorse ads that encouraged illegal activity, and that they were unaware of the game's nature when the national agency that purchased the space posted the ad. (You guys NEVER played GTA titles?)

TriMet's set to lose around US $71,000 for the pull-down, and further notes that they will be adding an extra review board to make sure similar slip-ups will not be happening again. Okay, videogame ads encouraging illegal activity - now to go after comics, movies, TV, magazines, anime (No way!)...