As many of you may know, this October brings with it a legal case determining government legislation of video games and restriction of their sales. This brings the entire medium under scrutiny and will hold huge ramifications for the industry as a whole. The Entertainment Consumers Association, an organization comprised of gamers, developers, and publishers, has created a petition regarding the bill.
The ECA wrote:
For nearly two decades, elected officials have tried to regulate which video games you can buy, rent and play. Every single time they’ve passed a law, the federal courts have struck it down as unconstitutional. But this may change this fall. It only takes a few seconds to speak out, http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1781
The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear the State of California’s infamous ‘violent video game case,’ Schwarzenegger v. EMA. That means that this year, or early next, the Court is going to decide whether to agree with the lower federal courts or not. Agreeing would mean that they believe that video games are, and should continue to be, First Amendment protected speech; just like books, movies and music. The court disagreeing would mean that they think video games should be treated differently. This could lead to new bills and laws curtailing video game access in states across the country.
Join others in signing The Gamer Petition, http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1781.
It is no exaggeration to state that their hearing represents the single most important moment for gamers, and the pivotal issue for gaming, in the sector’s history.
Previous attempts at video game legislation have been made, none of them successful. California is currently the most restrictive state regarding free access to video games. The passage of this law constitutes an abridgment of the First Amendment rights of game developers and a restriction on the liberty of the artist to access his audience. Anyone with a passing interest in protecting the freedom of gaming in the future should sign this petition.
So spread the word, tweet this, post it on Facebook and get your friends to know about the case and the petition.
Thanks!
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