Violent Video Game Ban Overturned

[The Straight Story]

Violent Video Game Ban Overturned
Written by Elizabeth Bishop, Senior Internet News Producer

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is vowing to appeal a federal judge's ruling that a new state law banning the sale of violent video games to children is unconstitutional.

Schwarzenegger, who signed the law in 2005, says many of the games are made for adults, and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte echoes a recent string of rulings in other states where similar laws were struck down after challenges by video game industry groups.

The law had been on hold since the Video Software Dealers Association and the Entertainment Software Association sued California officials. The industry asked that it be overturned on the grounds that such games are protected forms of expression under the First Amendment.

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=31265

[Deja Q]

1. He probably hated all his movies being rated 'R' too...

:eyes:

[gollygee]

2. So it doesn't actually ban the games?

It just bans the sale of them to children?

I guess I'd need to know the specifics - like how is "children" defined and how is "violent video games" defined. I remain neutral at this point assuming it just bans the sale to children and doesn't ban them outright.

[Akoto]

3. Well, in this developer's mind ...

If "violent video games" means exactly what it says, I hope the kids like playing Elmo's Spelling Contest. There are (and have always been) precious few video games that contain zero violence of any kind. Even Mario Brothers had it!

If they're narrowing it down to, say, Grand Theft Auto standards ... That, I can understand.

[gollygee]

5. Yeah that's what I meant

We got my daughter (5) a whack-a-mole game for her DS. It says it has violence. Well it's just whacking the little cartoon moles on the head. I can live with that. LOL. It would be silly to ban kids from getting that. But there are games I would rather kids, though I'm not sure just how "kids" should be defined, be unable to get. At some age though people should be able to get what they want.

[Solon]

4. Problem is that it can't just apply to video games...

There are no laws, outside of obscenity/pornography laws, regulating the ratings of any other creative medium. Literature doesn't even have such a system, neither does Music, outside of warnings like "Explicit lyrics", Movies have such a system, but it isn't legally enforced, there is no law saying its illegal to allow a child to watch an "R" rated movie or sell them the same. Those are rules set up by the MPAA, that says to movie theaters, enforce this rule or don't get anymore of our movies. Stores also independently set up their own rules regarding the sale of such material to minors, some have no rules, some have strict rules.