Video games have been coming under increasing attack with the government's attempt to rein in the growing sophistication of violent content.
The government views these precautions as necessary in maintaining a safe, moral society. Software companies consider these authoritative measures to restrict the sale and content of video games a violation of creative and artistic freedom.
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1179 into law, which according to the press release on the Office of the Governor website, "prohibits the sale or rental of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18 and requires a label to be affixed to all games falling into this category."
It also goes on to establish penalties for anyone who breaks this law, by imposing "a fine of up to $1,000 on anyone who sells or rents violent video games to minors."
The bill is another attempt to impose legal restrictions on video games after similar measures were viewed as unconstitutional by federal judges in St. Louis, Washington state and Indianapolis.
Many industries were upset to hear this decision, most notably the software companies who will be most affected by the new law.
Doug Lowenstein, the president of the Entertainment Software Association responded in a press release to the new law.
"We are disappointed that politicians of both parties chose to toss overboard the First Amendment and free artistic and creative expression in favor of political expediency," he stated.
"We think this is an effort by legislators to usurp the role of parents," said ESA's general counsel Gail Markels, in this past Wednesday's issue of USA Today.
She feels that parents should decide what their children watch and play.
While this may seem antiquated in the face of these new laws, parents are the ones who interact daily with their children. They know their children better than anyone else, and are the most qualified to make a judgment on what is appropriate for them.
"This is all about parents making the decisions," Markels said. "They decide what books are suitable for their kids, what movies are suitable for their kids, and they should do the same thing with video games."
This is not the first time that politicians have become involved in the world of video gaming. In 1993, Senators Joseph Lieberman and Herb Kohl attacked the game "Mortal Kombat" for its excessive violence. Software companies formed the Entertainment Software Rating Board in order to tell parents which games were appropriate for children.
This action clearly shows an industry which shares concerns with parents, and took action when they realized families needed guidance. Take-Two, publishers of the hot "Grand Theft Auto" franchise have been vocal in their support of this rating system.
Paul Eibeler, Take-Two's President and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement in support of the rating system that his company has "always worked to keep mature-themed video game content out of the hands of children and we will continue to work closely with the ESRB and community leaders to improve and better promote a reliable rating system to help consumers make informed choices about which video games are appropriate for each individual."
The companies clearly have nothing to hide, and are interested in making the consumer aware of the content of their products.
Schwarzenegger has been very quick to decide the fate of video games in California.
One wonders why Schwarzenegger did not choose to go so aggressively after the movie industry, in which he has had a lengthy and equally violent career. His fame was built on ultra violent films such as "Terminator," "Predator" and "True Lies."
If his interests are truly to protect children, there should be a broader focus on all facets of entertainment.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
