14 DAY TRIAL // Video games have been considered a blight on society by many individuals, scattered more or less evenly around the globe. The interactive and immersive nature of the violent titles, along with the explicit gore, led some to voice out their strong belief that these games had a direct impact on the mind of the young, desensitizing them to violence and snuffing out any sign of compassion. Video games have been turned into lead suspects and escape goats for several acts of real-life violence. As such, society has begun to view gamers as antisocial outcasts, with little if any regard at all for human life, indifferent to the suffering around them. Like we really care what they think.
Even more, these people seek to censor these titles and remove them from circulation. America, as one of the leaders in game development and publishing, has seen its share of controversy, but has so far managed to avoid any permanent interdiction. But Venezuela is a different story altogether. According to Agence France-Presse, the National Assembly of Venezuela has approved a law that will punish retailers or any kind of distributors that trade violent games, with a sentence of up to five years of imprisonment. Vendors that deal with toy weapons are also subject to incarceration, as the main goal of the law is to "prevent the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, rental and use of videos, games and war toys of a violent nature."
Apparently, Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, an outspoken critic of the US foreign policy, has deemed the yo-yo a far more suitable toy. Chavez previously marched to war against games and other toys, accusing them of promoting "egoism, individualism, and violence." One violent title that had to suffer the consequences of its depiction of violence in Venezuela was Pandemic Studios' Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. The game puts players in the shoes of a soldier of fortune that finds himself fighting "a power-hungry tyrant" that is at the country's leadership.
At the time of its launch, the game was labeled "a justification for imperial aggression" by one legislator. The attempt at censorship is a futile one, as history proved in the past. Merchants are very versatile individuals, and, if anything, they'll use the law and Chavez's words against himself. It would be no wonder if a yo-yo toy that makes use of America's hip-hop culture of drugs and violence would make it on the market, in a simple attempt to defy and annoy the president.