California Violent Game Bill Passes

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Industry Assn. Responds to Violent Game BillThe IEMA urges Schwarzenegger to veto a California ban on violent games.

by David Adams

September 12, 2005 - Late last Thursday the California Legislature passed a bill which would provide stiff penalties to retailers selling violent games to minors, as well as require that mature games be clearly labeled as such. The legislation, Assembly Bill 1179, awaits approval or veto by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Today, the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) responded to the news, once again describing the legislation as unnecessary and threatening to freedom of expression.

"The IEMA remains opposed to AB 1179 for many reasons," said IEMA president Hal Halprin, "not the least of which is that it is impractical -- in essence creating a California-only class of products requiring retailers to buy, warehouse and distribute California video games separately from other inventory -- it is unnecessary, in that our member companies have already voluntarily committed to carding policies to inhibit the sale of Mature-rated games to minors, and it is clearly unconstitutional. Time and again courts have uniformly held that video games, just like books, movies, and music, are expression that is fully protected by the First Amendment."

Halprin and the IEMA ask Governor Schwarzenegger to veto AB 1179, making its case in pragmatic terms.

"We hope that Governor Schwarzenegger understands and appreciates the lengths to which our members who conduct business in the State of California have gone to fulfill their social obligations on a voluntary basis. It was disheartening to see the bill pass the house and senate, but we refuse to believe that the Governor will allow this matter to become further politicized and divisive -- leading only to a course which would inevitably cost the taxpayers valuable resources, and an unceremonious fate that has been played out in the court system. We instead hope that he will veto AB 1179 and ask that the State work more closely with the games industry in much the same way that it does the music and movie businesses."

The Governor has 30 days from Assembly approval to either sign or veto the bill.

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I stand by my original statement that if the Terminator himself signs this bill, it will be the most ironic thing ever.