When Games are Sold Like Guns: An Interview with the ECA's H

[GSZX1337]

n April of this year, the United States Supreme Court announced that they had agreed to hear a case submitted by the State of California over whether or not to legislate the sale of videogames to minors. The case, being called "Schwarzenegger vs. EMA," is set to be heard later this year.

Court cases of this kind are not unusual; lawmakers have been attempting to legislate federal control over game sales for years. What is unusual is that a case of this kind, which have all previously been easily and immediately dismissed for Federal courts as being in direct violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, is being heard by the highest court in the land.

The Escapist spent some time with The Entertainment Consumers Association's Hal Halpin at this year's E3 talking about what's at stake in this landmark court case, and why gamers - all consumers, really - should be concerned even if they agree that children shouldn't play mature-rated games.

The interview's pretty long so here's the link.

There's also a petition. (For some reason it's buried in the middle of the interview.)

[Hatta]

Scary that they even accepted the case. This should be an obvious win for the first amendment. But being blatantly unconstitutional hasn't stopped the supreme court in the past.

Not sure a petition will do much good. If the supreme court doesn't care what's in the constitution, they won't care what the people have to say either. But I signed it anyway.

[lisalover1]

I signed it, too. As citizens, we can't let this shit happen.