Californian Video Game Sales Law Rears Up Again
Don't these people have anything better to do?
Governor Arnie's gaming fun.
California, that is the US state that elected a man who portrayed a gun-toting, murderous machine creature as its governor? It is also the state that wanted to bring in legislation making it a criminal offence to sell video games with ratings inappropriate for kids to kids.
This was California Civil Code §§ 1746-1746.5, passed in 2005 and overturned in 2007. Well, now it's being dug up again, this time by Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini who appeared before a panel of judges this week pleading the case.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the official explained to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week that, "Games in which players score points by killing, maiming, raping or dismembering human figures are 'intrinsically harmful to the kids that play them'.
Paul Smith, (a lawyer for the Video Software Dealers Association and the Entertainment), thinks, according to The LA Times, that this kind of a law is "very scary". He responded, "Maybe a state will say we shouldn't let you sell, without a parent's permission, books about homosexuality or sex education or birth control".
The debate - which is strange to Brits like us - raged on. Chief Judge Alex Kozinski mentioned that the proposed legislation wasn't about banning video games but penalising retailers who sell rated video games to minors. "It's sort of like the movies and their rating systems" was his insight.
Good old state Senator Yee piled in via a written statement - the original law being his - stating that his wish was for the judges to "empower parents with the ultimate decision over whether or not their children play in a world of violence and murder."
How's about the parents taking notice of what their kids are playing in the first place Senator? And you might like to check out the games on Governor Arnold's own website.
We expect to see the legislation kicked out of court in a few weeks time.
This was California Civil Code §§ 1746-1746.5, passed in 2005 and overturned in 2007. Well, now it's being dug up again, this time by Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini who appeared before a panel of judges this week pleading the case.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the official explained to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week that, "Games in which players score points by killing, maiming, raping or dismembering human figures are 'intrinsically harmful to the kids that play them'.
Paul Smith, (a lawyer for the Video Software Dealers Association and the Entertainment), thinks, according to The LA Times, that this kind of a law is "very scary". He responded, "Maybe a state will say we shouldn't let you sell, without a parent's permission, books about homosexuality or sex education or birth control".
The debate - which is strange to Brits like us - raged on. Chief Judge Alex Kozinski mentioned that the proposed legislation wasn't about banning video games but penalising retailers who sell rated video games to minors. "It's sort of like the movies and their rating systems" was his insight.
Good old state Senator Yee piled in via a written statement - the original law being his - stating that his wish was for the judges to "empower parents with the ultimate decision over whether or not their children play in a world of violence and murder."
How's about the parents taking notice of what their kids are playing in the first place Senator? And you might like to check out the games on Governor Arnold's own website.
We expect to see the legislation kicked out of court in a few weeks time.