The state of California believes children are becoming too desensitized to videogame violence, and they have taken their case to the Supreme Court of the United States, which made the decision Monday to review the case.
According to CNN, the Supreme Court will review a 2005 California bill banning the sale of violent videogames. If the bill is passed, it could penalize retailers for selling excessively violent videogames to minors.
As an experienced gamer, I believe the ambiguity of the law will prove to be detrimental to the gaming industry, and government regulation of sales could impede the First Amendment rights of developers and retailers. Since California is a major center for game development, this bill, if passed, will ultimately affect the content of all videogames.
According to a petition for judicial review from the California attorney general’s office, the bill in question will be based on a very loose definition of what content is in “violent videogames,” especially games that portray “killing, maiming, dismemberment and sexual assaulting an image of a human being.”
The bill also states that neighboring communities will regulate the standards on videogame violence. However, each community’s principles are different, making the proposed system difficult to implement across the entire state.
Areas like Los Angeles are more likely to be lax about videogame violence than smaller areas, such as Glendale, which could be problematic for enforcement because a teenager living in a suburb like Glendale could just go into the city to purchase the game instead of visiting the stricter store near his or her home.
Another issue is the treatment of videogames versus other forms of entertainment, such as film, television and music. Though most of these mediums have their own rating system, participation in the system is voluntary, without government regulation. Examples of these voluntary rating systems are the Motion Picture Association of America and the parental television guide.
Even though most game developers already participate in the rating process, the proposed California law will force game developers to subject their work to government censorship not experienced by other media.
The sale of some particularly violent videogame franchises usually rated “mature” like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto will be restricted from sale to minors by the California bill. Other games that may fall into a “teen” rating might also be singled out for restriction based on their violent content, such as Final Fantasy XIII, which contains images of main characters shooting at soldiers.
Eventually, government regulation will cause the gaming industry to dilute content so they are allowed to sell their games to target audiences. Censoring the industry will adversely affect the videogame market and tax revenue, causing a large drop in sales and overall quality.
The proposed law is not meant to pressure parents into making informed decisions about what their kids play. Rather, the law still permits parents to purchase violent videogames for their children. The purpose of this law is to force videogame retailers and developers to limit the creative content in games.
Tiara Dees is a junior majoring in music and visual journalism.
