Top court to rule on California video game law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Supreme Court said on Monday it would decide whether a California law banning the sale and rental of violent video games to minors violated constitutional free-speech rights, the first time it will consider a video game case.


The justices agreed to hear an appeal by the state after a U.S. appeals court based in California struck down the law, which also imposes strict video game labeling requirements, as unconstitutional.

Click to expand...

What I don't understand about this case is why SCOTUS is going to rule, based on a First Amendment argument. IMHO, what this boils down to is one simple fact - Who do the kids belong to? In other words, who are the parents?

1) The parents

2) The State

Knowing the answer to this question is to know why the California law is being ridiculously argued as a First Amendment case. There are certain areas where the government should not have any control whatsoever, and that is in the area of child rearing. Sure, some of these video games are not good for children, but it is not for the government to decide. It is for the parents to determine if these games are right for their kids. Government should never be in the business of bringing up kids. With all due respect to the First Amendment, what parents teach or fail to teach their kids is none of the government's damn business. They should just keep their nose out of other people's business.

If the government doesn't want to that, then perhaps they can pay the bills too. Better than that, let there be a governmental Department of Child Rearing, where bureaucrats can be assigned to watch kids play their first baseball game, attend birthday parties, change dirty diapers, and do everything else that goes along with parenthood. It must be nice for our government nannies to claim ownership on families, without having any of the responsibilities that go along with ownership. Such is our government, whose desire is to be the best absentee parents in the entire world. And, don't forget, they are doing it for your own good, of course. LOL.

Discussion?

Article is here.

It really doesnt matter if they make this ruling, I know plenty of parents that even though they knew stuff like GTA was graphic and you killed hookers, they still got it for their kids.

The problem is that people in this country freak out about big scary gubmint taking away parental rights, indoctrinating our children, etc, while simultaneously demanding that SOMEBODY step in and DO SOMETHING because WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?

Which is it? Do we want the government to parent our children for us or not? If not, take some responsibility and be the parent for once!

Well as far as I'm concerned, this is already handled. The ESRB is already built in without government interference. It rates the games and details the type of content inside. The stores and rental places agree to adhere to the rating, and thus do not sell say M rated games to 13 year olds. The parents can still buy it of course, but that's their choice. As for not selling it being a violation of free speech, I think that's a bit out there. There's a system in place and the retailers seem to obey it well enough. If a store doesn't want to sell a child a M rated game, then that's their business.

The law should be stricken down because it doesnt actually solve anything. Parents are usually the ones that BUY these games for their kids.

Do some ****ing research before you agree to buy little Timmy a videogame

Hoplite said:

The law should be stricken down because it doesnt actually solve anything. Parents are usually the ones that BUY these games for their kids.

Do some ****ing research before you agree to buy little Timmy a videogame

Click to expand...

In other words, be a parent, and don't allow the government to do it.

Wait don't they already handle this with the game ratings. You can't buy certain games without being a certain age. This law seems redundant to me.

soccerboy22 said:

Wait don't they already handle this with the game ratings. You can't buy certain games without being a certain age. This law seems redundant to me.

Click to expand...

Of course not. It was the voluntary actions of the resellers to make that determination. The ESRB was merely an act of stamping on a letter or accompanied number on the box.

Sure, some of these video games are not good for children, but it is not for the government to decide. It is for the parents to determine if these games are right for their kids.

Click to expand...

Precisely why it is up to the parents to make the purchase, not the youth in question.

I think those prosecuting for a ban are just tired of being destroyed on COD by 12-year-olds with too much time on their hands.

Areopagitican said:

I think those prosecuting for a ban are just tired of being destroyed on COD by 12-year-olds with too much time on their hands.

Click to expand...

I'm just tired of having to put up with listening to children on xbox live.

They probably say the same thing.

Fiddytree said:

I'm just tired of having to put up with listening to children on Xbox live.

Click to expand...

Especially since (as I understand from second-hand accounts) a majority of X-box live players appear to think all the rest are black people, and refer to them in a manner almost guaranteed to provoke a negative response from any person who actually has dark skin.

If you were to ask me if it was necessary for video games to be legally enforced by the state government, I would say it has not reached the justification for it as of yet. If you were to ask me how I think many gamers, particularly children view this, I would say for the most part, their response would be disingenuous at best.
The gaming community is like a hive-mind. They are encouraged to follow some strange party line no matter the situation. Apparently the defense of video games must be done at all costs.:roll:

Fiddytree said:

If you were to ask me if it was necessary for video games to be legally enforced by the state government, I would say it has not reached the justification for it as of yet. If you were to ask me how I think many gamers, particularly children view this, I would say for the most part, their response would be disingenuous at best.
The gaming community is like a hive-mind. They are encouraged to follow some strange party line no matter the situation. Apparently the defense of video games must be done at all costs.:roll:

Click to expand...

To be fair, often attacks on videogames are done from very shaky ground, see Jack Thompson. The attacks are also often political in nature and used to justify a crusade of some form.

Attacking video games is a favored tactic of an up-and-coming politician who wants to make a name for being "socially conscious" without alienating potential voters (although this is becoming less and less true as the average gamer is 35 years old).


It must also be mentioned that the ESRB has a truly ridiculous rating system

To a degree, yes. I remember the Jack Thompson controversy for many years, and the community reacted violently as well as sarcastically, with some justification. There were some double standards that were applied to video games that were not applied toward other forms of mass media, without much thoughtful reasoning.

There came a time, however, when the push against the criticism reached to ridiculous amounts of mental acrobatics to make whatever any video game did seem justified (a great deal of the time, downplaying the seriousness of a video game), while at the same time asking for mainstream American culture to take video games seriously as an art form. It created an atmosphere that made it difficult to criticize the gaming culture or the gaming business culture in any meaningful way unless one wanted to allow the wrath of having one's article responded to with the fury of the gaming mob.

Remember the Mass Effect scandal that caused Fox News to go on a tide raid about having sex in an M rated video game? It is about god damn time people start being parents, and not buy the video for little Timmy or Suzy. It gotten to the point that Mass Effect 2 censored The Statue of David junk in a M rated Video game. :doh

And yes Video gamers do get defensive when their hobble is at risk.

RyrineaHaruno said:

Remember the Mass Effect scandal that caused Fox News to go on a tide raid about having sex in an M rated video game? It is about god damn time people start being parents, and not buy the video for little Timmy or Suzy. It gotten to the point that Mass Effect 2 censored The Statue of David junk in a M rated Video game. :doh

And yes Video gamers do get defensive when their hobble is at risk.

Click to expand...

I agree with you there.

Nevertheless, there is a tendency of gamers to take this instance or other instances of "unjustified criticism" of video games, and automatically apply it to future episodes of criticism in order to muddy the waters in order to continue perceiving themselves as victims.

Deuce said:

The problem is that people in this country freak out about big scary gubmint taking away parental rights, indoctrinating our children, etc, while simultaneously demanding that SOMEBODY step in and DO SOMETHING because WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?

Which is it? Do we want the government to parent our children for us or not? If not, take some responsibility and be the parent for once!

Click to expand...

Can't speak for other parents, but this one certainly has never sat around and never will sit around waiting on any government or any person to step in and raise her children. That would be MY job thank you very much. :2wave:

Fiddytree said:

I agree with you there.

Nevertheless, there is a tendency of gamers to take this instance or other instances of "unjustified criticism" of video games, and automatically apply it to future episodes of criticism in order to muddy the waters in order to continue perceiving themselves as victims.

Click to expand...

I agree thought I consider them radicals myself. I however critique them when they do something that I hate in the video game, or I think the story needs improving. However, I get your point entirely that a lot of us perceive gamer as a victim.

This topic is MOOT!!!!!

What question SHOULD be at hand.... "is someone allowed to procreate!?!"

There are sooooooooooo many HORRIBLE parents, they need labels put on THEM! NC = No Children

ITs not a gene problem. Its the lack of bringing up a child to an adult as a successful part of society. What can the parent bring to their children?

Raise a child properly and they wouldnt be getting these games before a time where they are mentally mature enough to understand it is a GAME and that you dont go off and act like that.

I should have been a nun.
But Im a man. Great disguise though. I would get one sweet ruler too! I would make my own out of a log. Whittle it down. hee hee hee :2razz: