Gamertell

The California state law prohibiting the sale or rental of “violent video games” to minors has officially been stopped by the courts. The law, originally proposed by now Senator Leland Yee (then an Assemblyman) would have gone into effect would have gone into effect on January 1, 2006, but was temporarily stopped when Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) and Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) sued to stop the law.

According to GameDaily, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed the original law, responded:

“I signed this important measure to ensure that parents are involved in determining which video games are appropriate for their children. The bill I signed would require that violent video games be clearly labeled and not be sold to children under 18 years old. Many of these games are made for adults and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents,” he said. “I will vigorously defend this law and appeal it to the next level.”

It is rather ironic that Schwarzenegger, who has starred in several violent movies that have then been turned into video games, is essentially banning kids from playing (sorry, buying or renting) his games. Those movies may have had “R” ratings - which means kids 17 and under are not permitted without a legal guardian - but the Terminator franchise has certainly been popular with many teenagers. Again, the ESRB’s rating system is intended to provide an informed guideline for parents who purchase games for their kids without the need for legislative intervention.

Read [GameDaily Biz] Also Read [Kotaku]

Keep up with the latest Gaming news! - Subscribe to our feed →