http://www.fourplaygames.com/786/news/u-s-supreme-court-strikes-down-violent-game-law/ The U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 that California's former law that prohibited the sale of violent video games to minors was unconstitutional, violating the right to freedom of speech. This is a big step forward for the game industry, as it has made clear that games are no different from any other medium and are protected under the First Amendment. What are your thoughts on the ruling?
I'm not too hot on US law, but I definately support games been considered in the same light as film now
I don't think kids (under the age of 18) should be able to buy rated M games. Some can handle it but there are too many individuals that are immature.
It should be up to the parents to decide what games their kids play. They're the ones that know best whether their kids can handle M-rated titles or if they're too immature, and the law isn't a substitute for proper parenting. Kids aren't allowed to buy M-rated games anyway - while it's not a codified law it's still enforced at pretty much every store. Parents are the ones that buy the games and give them to their kids, and nothing's going to change about that if the ESRB ratings were made law. Nothing would be stopping them from just buying the game and giving it to their kid after they got home, and if they feel that their child is mature enough to handle it then that's their prerogative.
Like you said, parents will just buy the game and give it to their kids if they feel they are mature enough for it. I don't think the supreme court's decision will make a huge impact really. I kind of feel the entire case was hyped up.
I think the biggest impact is that the Supreme Court has solidified that games are protected under First Amendment rights just like any other medium or form of expression.
Like Geoff said, the law isn't a babysitter for slacking parents. Parents should know what is and isn't acceptable content for their kids and how impressionable their kids are.
Parents should know but you also have to keep in mind there is a large group of children that didn't have somebody raise them or if they do, don't do their job properly. So I say it's pretty much a piece of tap in case their is a kid in that situation.
