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Your opinion on California's Violent Video Game Law?

Do you agree with the law?


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On November 2 the Supreme Court will hear EMA v Schwarzenegger, in which they will judge the constitutionality of a California law that bans the sale of violent, and sexually explicit(games rated M, and AO) video games to minors. If the law is upheld by the court it will be an unprecedented ruling, marking the first time the government would give a privately owned, and run entity, the ESRB the power to restrict the sale of a product. While it may have popular support(72% of recently polled Californians agree with the law) many legal analyst suspect the law to shot down as unconstitutional, and thus giving video games the same protection under the law as other forms of speech.

So I wanted to know what you guys opinion on the law is? Do you agree with, do you think it's constitutional?

Personally I think it's unconstitutional, and will be shot down. The thing to remember is that the movie, and music industry's are not subjected to the same kind of laws, or restrictions. So why should video games be subject to a different standard than other forms of speech?

Here is some more info on the case
Schwarzenegger v. EMA -- Media Coalition
 
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I support banning minors permission into R rated movies and buying mature games and so forth.
But ONLY if it's a balanced and equal ban - like you're pointing out - this isn't.

Now, if the court says "you can't ban based on AGE" then I'll agree with that, too.

I guess I'm neutral - I don't believe that playing games or watching movies is why kids turn out all screwed up. I let my kids play Unreal Tournament which is quite a nasty and profoundly unrealistic game - it's many other factors that play into delinquency.
 
Absolutely not, its nothing but busy body parents wanting the government to do there damm jobs. The entertainment industry for years gets assaulted by pissant social/religious cons and douchebag nanny state liberals because these groups of scum think gaming are the causes violence in kids, school shootings, etc.
 
I don't have a problem with the law. Let's be honest, if parents want their kids to play these games or watch movies or listen to music that has advisories, they can buy it for them. This isn't a law about possession, but about purchase. There's nothing in the law to stop parents from giving these games to their kids if they choose, only about having kids go around their parent's backs and buy them without permission.
 
I'm sorry, but I just don't see a problem with a limitation on the availability of violent content to purchase to adults, after all, we do exactly the same when it comes to sexual content. Quite frankly, I think violence is a far worse thing than loving human interaction, but that's just me.
 
Against it. CD pretty much said what he, I, and any other libertarian worth a damn would say on the subject. Thank you and have a good day.
 
Now, if there was a way to segregate minors from adults in Xbox live and other gaming servers, I would be a happy guy. Kids ruin the gaming experience.

old man voice Back in my day, if we wanted to play video games, we did so without bothering the grownups! Now with the internet, it has all been downhill!
 
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I agree with chevy.

Leave it to California to pass crappy laws :roll:
 
Video games cost between $20-$60 dollars. So how in the **** is little Timmy supposed to buy Grand Theft Auto,Mortal Kombat, Call of Duty or some other violent games if little Timmy does not have a job to have money to buy stuff with or transportation to take his ass to the store? If the parents do not want their kids to have violent video games then they should not give their kids money to go buy violent video games. Parents shouldn't not let their kids run amok in stores so that they can not buy things their parents may not want them having. If Walmart,Best Buy or any other store wishes to impose to some age restriction on certian products then that is their business.
 
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Around here, many children learn to hunt at very young ages.
Around 6 and up.
That is real violence, blood, gore etc.

There is no restriction on that.
I don't think it's right to ban that kind of stuff.
 
pointless ban. If a kid is stupid enough to be influenced by a violent video game into becoming a POS menace to society, he/she is propably stupid enough that he/she is going to be a POS menace to society anyway.
 
If someone thinks violence on television or in video games is why there is violence in the U.S. then they are clueless. All I have to do is look at Japan where the animated television shows typically involve more violent and graphic material than American animation. Yet somehow Japan does not have high rate of violent crime.

This law is about parents shirking their duty. Not their duty to make their kids ignorant of violence, but their duty to raise their children with strong values that will encourage them to avoid violence.
 
The OP says it would be the first time the govt forces restrictive sales of a private company, but that's not really the case. Unless I'm just misunderstanding. The govt forces restrictive sales of tobacco, porn, and alcohol. I don't see this as being anything different, unless I'm missing something??

That aside, I think it's stupid and parents should just actually parent their ****ing kids.
 
The OP says it would be the first time the govt forces restrictive sales of a private company, but that's not really the case. Unless I'm just misunderstanding. The govt forces restrictive sales of tobacco, porn, and alcohol. I don't see this as being anything different, unless I'm missing something??

That aside, I think it's stupid and parents should just actually parent their ****ing kids.

No, it would give the ESRB(Entertainment Software Rating Board), a privately owned, and run organization the ability to restrict the sale of certain titles from a portion of the populous under law. They are the organization that rates games, and it would be the first time in this country that a privately owned organization has that kind of power.
 
No, it would give the ESRB(Entertainment Software Rating Board), a privately owned, and run organization the ability to restrict the sale of certain titles from a portion of the populous under law. They are the organization that rates games, and it would be the first time in this country that a privately owned organization has that kind of power.

Ahhh... gotcha. Okay.

Well that's just dumb
 
Ahhh... gotcha. Okay.

Well that's just dumb

not any more dumb than allowing the Motion Picture Association of America to determine which movies a minor may or may not purchase a ticket to watch.

side note: wiki states that the MPAA rating system is a voluntary system not enforced by law, it is one of various motion picture rating systems used to help parents decide what movies are appropriate for their children. really it is voluntary and not enforced by law? let a theater sell an R-rated ticket to a 15 year old and see what happens if someone complains.

still is a dumb idea. just another way to let lazy parents keep on being lazy.
 
not any more dumb than allowing the Motion Picture Association of America to determine which movies a minor may or may not purchase a ticket to watch.

side note: wiki states that the MPAA rating system is a voluntary system not enforced by law, it is one of various motion picture rating systems used to help parents decide what movies are appropriate for their children. really it is voluntary and not enforced by law? let a theater sell an R-rated ticket to a 15 year old and see what happens if someone complains.

still is a dumb idea. just another way to let lazy parents keep on being lazy.

There might be some industry induced problems, but nothing from the government.
 
not any more dumb than allowing the Motion Picture Association of America to determine which movies a minor may or may not purchase a ticket to watch.

side note: wiki states that the MPAA rating system is a voluntary system not enforced by law, it is one of various motion picture rating systems used to help parents decide what movies are appropriate for their children. really it is voluntary and not enforced by law? let a theater sell an R-rated ticket to a 15 year old and see what happens if someone complains.

still is a dumb idea. just another way to let lazy parents keep on being lazy.

I highly enjoy the MPAA rating system (except for it being used by the industry to push certain films away from box office success) in comparison to it being enforced by the law. Nevertheless, anyone who has worked in the movie theater industry knows the number of times a parent complains about a rated-R film being shown to they and their children....despite the fact that it is rated R.

It's a lose-lose situation.
 
I highly enjoy the MPAA rating system (except for it being used by the industry to push certain films away from box office success) in comparison to it being enforced by the law. Nevertheless, anyone who has worked in the movie theater industry knows the number of times a parent complains about a rated-R film being shown to they and their children....despite the fact that it is rated R.

It's a lose-lose situation.

I just got a mental image of some 14-15 year old kid strolling up to the counter and telling the clerk. "the rating system is voluntary and I ain't volunteering. Now sell me the ****ing ticket" :lol:
 
Lol. Plus, parents taking their kids in to seeing a movie with them that is probably inappropriate...and then being absolutely shocked that it was inappropriate...and then complain about it. That's especially what I meant. I didn't word that correctly at all. I woke from a nap. My mistake.
 
Lol. Plus, parents taking their kids in to seeing a movie with them that is probably inappropriate...and then being absolutely shocked that it was inappropriate...and then complain about it. That's especially what I meant. I didn't word that correctly at all. I woke from a nap. My mistake.

yeah, dumbass parents that take their kids to an R-rated movie and then freak out when little Timmy sees a big pair of bouncing bettys or hears someone curse.

that's like jumping in the pool and then complaining that you got wet.
 
I agree with chevy.

Leave it to California to pass crappy laws :roll:
You have to give it to em', though - they're usually spearheading the attempts to pass laws no one else would touch without someone else trying it first.
 
Now, if there was a way to segregate minors from adults in Xbox live and other gaming servers, I would be a happy guy. Kids ruin the gaming experience.

old man voice Back in my day, if we wanted to play video games, we did so without bothering the grownups! Now with the internet, it has all been downhill!

But now you're a grownup.
Aren't you, then, actually bothering the kids? :)
 
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