Critical Hit: The Violent Video Game Law

There has been a lot of fuss about the proposed California law that would make it illegal to sell mature or violent games to minors. If this law passes the scrutiny of the U.S. Supreme Court (which I'll bet money that it will not) then that means huge trouble for gamers, the video game industry, and Americans as a whole.

If this law passes then younger gamers will miss out on the great games that just so happen to have a Mature rating from ESRB. Before I was 17, I played my fair share of M rated games and look at me, I'm a non-violent student in college with a whole future planned ahead of me. I never felt the urge to shoot up a car like in Grand Theft Auto, or shoot up anything really or take out my anger on something because I was taught that in a video game. No. And most children who grow up in families that actually teach them the difference between right and wrong would never be influenced by video games, movies, music, or books. People tend to go straight for video games when perhaps the parents should be to blame.

If you purchase an M rated game, the clerk already asks for I.D. to see if you are over the age of 17 and if you're not then they will not sell it to you. If you bring a parent, they will tell them that this game is rated M and if they really wanted to buy this for their son or daughter. The video game industry already keeps itself in check on the whole 'violence in video games' matter.

Now most gamers are in their teens or younger than 17. What would happen to publishers like Rockstar who focus on M-rated material if these teens no longer bought their products? They would tank and the entire video game industry would take a major hit. The industry would lose money, games would be incredibly limited, and eventually the entire industry would deflate.

Now, when considering this subject you must ask yourself; Do we really want the government deciding what we can or cannot purchase or view? It's a dangerous slope that would lead to a bleak future.

The courts have until Summer of 2011 to make a decision but I don't think they will take that long to decide that this law is unconstitutional and has no place in American society. It's just about the fact that this law was created in the first place. It's an issue that is unnecessary and had no place being heard at the Supreme Court.

Full trancript of the hearings.

Background on the matter.