The Wargamer

The Entertainment Software Association (or ESA) has reacted to a Federal Appeals Court decision that overturned a California law regarding age restrictions on video games.  The California law, passed in 2005, restricted sales of "violent" games to minors.  The Video Software Dealers Association filed suit claiming that the law was unconstitutional based on the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

In a statement released on the ESA's website, Michael D. Gallagher, President and CEO of the ESA said, “This is a win for California’s citizens. This is a clear signal that in California and across the country, the reckless pursuit of anti-video game legislation like this is an exercise in wasting taxpayer money, government time, and state resources. In the end, common sense prevailed with the court determining that, after exhaustive review, video games do not cause psychological or neurological harm to minors. And, that the ESRB rating system, educational campaigns and parental controls are the best tools for parents to help control what their children play.”

Bo Andersen, President and CEO of the Entertainment Merchants Association added

“We are extremely gratified by the court’s rejection of video game censorship by the state of California. The ruling vindicates what we have said since the bill that became this law was introduced: ratings education, retailer ratings enforcement, and control of game play by parents are the appropriate responses to concerns about video game content.

“Retailers are committed to assisting parents in assuring that children do not purchase games that are not appropriate for their age. Independent surveys show that retailers are doing a very good job in this area, with an 80% enforcement rate, and retailers will continue to work to increase enforcement rates even further. The court has correctly noted that the state cannot simply dismiss these efforts.

“I understand that some government officials will push for the state to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review this decision. The state should not acquiesce in this demand, particularly in light of its budget difficulties. The state has already wasted too many tax dollars, at least $283,000 at last count, on this ill-advised, and ultimately doomed, attempt at state-sponsored nannyism.”

Additional details on the issue can be found on the Entertainment Merchants Association website. 

The full text of the press release from the ESA can be found here.