Skip to main content

Eleven States Claim Support for California Video Game Law

Image used with permission by copyright holder

For those who have been following the California law that proposes a ban on video game sales to minors, this news will either make you cheer with optimism or scream with rage, depending on which side you are on.

Gamesutra is reporting that the attorney generals of eleven states have issued an amicus brief – a brief filed by a party claiming to be an expert on the matter but not directly involved in the case – in support of the California law, as it heads to the Supreme Court.

The law, originally proposed in 2005, sought to ban all sales of games that were deemed “violent” to anyone under the age of 18. Retailers caught breaking the law would face fines of up to $1,000 per incident. The law faced immediate legal opposition from video game publishers and developers including EA, Disney, Microsoft and Sony.

Supporters of the law are citing existing precedence with pornography cases that involve minors, while opponents are claiming that the case is a clear violation of the First Amendment, and that video games should be protected under free speech. Supporters counter that several studies have claimed a connection between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children, but the studies have been contentious, and have since been dismissed by the courts.  Other states have attempted similar laws, and all have been defeated in court, but this is the first that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear.

“None of the research establishes or suggests a causal link between minors playing violent video games and actual psychological or neurological harm, and inferences to that effect would not be reasonable,” Judge Consuelo Callahan said in the 9th Circuit ruling that found in favor of the video game industry. Callahan also stated that there are less restrictive ways to protect children from “unquestionably violent” video games.

Now as the case of Schwarzenegger v. Video Software Dealers Association moves to the Supreme Court, eleven states have come out in support of the law, including: Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia.

“Protecting children from digital danger requires proactive parents — but they need and deserve help,” Connecticut Attorney General, Democrat Richard Blumenthal said in a press conference explaining his support. “The video game industry should act responsibly — play nice, not nasty — and agree to sensible self-imposed restrictions that block children from buying the most violent games. I am calling on the video game industry to follow the leadership of the motion picture industry, which sensibly stops unattended children from viewing violent or graphic movies.”

According to the FTC, the “video game industry outpaces the movie and music industries” in terms of “restricting target-marketing of mature-rated products to children, clearly and prominently disclosing rating information, and restricting children’s access to mature-rated products at retail.”

The case goes before the Supreme Court in October.




Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Steam Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more
Ichiban and Sujimon celebrating.

Spring is in the air, which means it's time to do some Spring cleaning. Thankfully, that doesn't mean cleaning out your wallet because Steam has launched its seasonal sale event to cut prices on tons of amazing games to some of the lowest we've seen.

Given how many incredible games were released last year and at the beginning of this year, odds are you have quite a few games on your backlog you've yet to get to. Your patience may have paid off if you've held out until now. Act fast, though, because this sale won't last forever.
When is the Steam Spring Sale 2024?
The Steam Spring Sale has already sprung and will close on March 21.
Best deals for the Steam Spring Sale 2024

Read more
All confirmed Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pokemon runing in a neon city in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

It used to be the case that every new Pokémon game would include every monster from the games that came before it. With the total list now approaching 1,000 critters, it just isn't possible to fit them all in a single game, mainline or otherwise. Following the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the next entry isn't going to be generation 10 or a remake, but a new entry in the Legends game called Pokémon: Z-A. While a lot of details are still unknown, we've been picking through all the promotional material released so far to round up a list of all the Pokémon we can confirm are going to be included when it launches in 2025.
Every confirmed Pokémon

In the initial trailer alone, over 30 Pokémon have been spotted and identified. Here's every one we were able to confirm, but we will not be including their evolutions (except for one specific Evee evolution that we spotted), which you should expect to be there as well:

Read more
When will Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth be on PC?
final fantasy vii rebirth ending analysis 7 tifa aerith cloud

PlayStation 5 players have been raving about the second part of the FF7 remake project Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As with the first part, it was made clear well in advance that this game would be a PlayStation exclusive at launch, however, we did eventually get Remake of the first part on PC around a year later. This gives PC players hope that the same treatment will be given to Rebirth, but the big question becomes how long will we have to wait this time? Is it possible to see it come to PC storefronts faster than its prequel, or will we need to bide our time avoiding spoilers for months on end? Here's our best estimate as to when you can expect to see Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PC.
What is the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC release date?

The sad fact of the matter is we don't have an official release date for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PC or any other platform at this time. But there is reason to at least hope that the wait won't be as long this time around. Our only clue is that the marketing for Rebirth states that it is a PlayStation 5 exclusive until at least May 29, 2024. That's exactly three months after its initial release.

Read more