CA Game Bill Struck Down, Governor Vows Appeal

GamePolitics has the full story today on the removal of California's violent games law. A judge has found it unconstitutional after a protracted legal battle. The law was originally passed back in 2005. "The bill, championed by then-Assembly Speaker Leland Yee (D) was signed into law by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (left) on October 7th, 2005. The video game industry filed suit to block the law 10 days later. Judge Ronald Whyte issued a preliminary injunction on December 22nd, blocking the California law from its planned effective date of January 1st, 2006. Since then, both sides have been waiting for Judge Whyte's final ruling. Today it has come." The law's sponsor Leland Yee is quite disappointed by the ruling, of course, and Governor Schwarzenegger plans to appeal the decision.

Re:Irony

[faloi]

Hypocritical, yes. Understandable, yes.

Like so many things, one just has to follow the money. Lots of senators and governors who enjoy a lot of money from the *AA type groups are all too eager to jump on the bandwagon against violent video games. It avoids having to answer hard questions about what your supporters do to earn money, and gives you a chance to "save the children."

Before anyone asks why it is unconstitutional...

[bigbigbison]

Every time these stories about videogame laws come up someone asks what is wrong with having laws like this.

Here's the problem:
In the USA no other medium has its ratings enforced by the government. Not the music industry, not the comic book industry, not the internet, not tv, and not the film industry. The MPAA ratings are self-enforced. If someone under 17 isn't allowed into an R-rated movie without an adult it is because the movie industry is inforcing those rules, not the government.

Therefore, if the videogame industry were to be singled out as the only medium to have its ratings enforced by the government there would have to be a mountain of evidence suggesting that violent videogames were harmful to minors. No such mountain exists. As such, these laws are misguided at best and hollow attempts on the part of politicians to appear "pro-family" at worst.

Re:Good for them

[Compholio]

the laws got one right for a change. Let parents and consumers decide what's right, not overly conservative right ring politicians. I have one set of parents, I don't need the Governator as another.

Actually, the law got it wrong and it was corrected by the judicial branch. Note that people that disagree with judges doing things like this say that they're being "activist judges" and "going against the will of the people." Which, as it happens, is one of the purposes of the judicial branch as set forth by the constitution.

Re:Good for them

[Yahweh Doesn't Exist]

>Let parents and consumers decide what's right, not overly conservative right ring politicians.

are you some sort of completely retarded left-wing hippy? the right-wing typically advocates personal freedoms and responsibilities, as well as a generally small government with few restrictions on commerce. how could this law possibly be associated with right-wing politicians? they'd have to be totally ignorant of the facts, too stupid to think about things logically, and complete hypocrites. and you think people would ever vote for such politicians.

go home troll, no way it'd ever happen...

Re:Irony

[jonnythan]

He has been in some incredibly violent movies, but minors are not allowed to buy those movies.

I don't see any reason why minors should be allowed to buy incredibly violent video games.

Re:Good for them

[Belacgod]

Where have you been living for the past 12 years? The right wing's just as bad as the left now on cultural content.

Re:Irony

[Kamots]

"The video game industry has *not* taken care of this itself. It apparently refuses to."

Care to back that up?

Essentially the same system is in place for movies and video games. If anything video game ratings are more restrictive than movie ratings. Both rating systems are voluntarily enforced by retailers, and if you look at any major video/game retailer you'll see very similar if not identical policies are in place regarding the sale of games and movies to minors.

Re:Irony

[Applekid]

"The video game industry has *not* taken care of this itself. It apparently refuses to."

Care to back that up?

Actually, yeah, there's no gaming lobby trying to win favors from those in power. The shakeup from government into the gaming sector is pretty much the same as a shakedown to see what sort of money will fall out from them in the end.

Re:Go for the wallet

[MightyMartian]

I dunno, does the US population do that? Certainly, certain groups (states rightists, the ACLU, the gun lobby) make lots of noise when legislatures try to make end-runs around the Constitution, but that hardly means the public at large does.