Eleven States Join To Support California Game Legislation In Supreme Court

[mike_intellivision]

Here are the last four paragraphs of the Gamasutra piece (the OP is hard to read and cuts off in my browser). If you read it you will see why the CT AG is involved (he is running for the Senate) and how little he understands (he wants a system like movies and music -- which would actually be a step backward for video games according to the FTC).

In addition to his participation as an amicus curae, Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who hopes to move to the U.S. senate after this year's midterm elections, issued a press release explaining his state's involvement.

"Protecting children from digital danger requires proactive parents -- but they need and deserve help," Blumenthal said. "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."

In fact, the video game industry already maintains "self-imposed restrictions" in the form of the Electronic Software Ratings Board, which was recently praised by the Federal Trade Commission.

According to the FTC, the "video game industry outpaces the movie and music industries" when it comes to "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."

This is all pure politics. Which makes it so unusual is that is crosses party lines.

Mike from Morgantown