Supreme Court Set To Rule On Banning Violent Video Games

The Supreme Court is finally set to decide whether states can ban minors from buying violent video games. Oral argument for Arnold Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association is scheduled for Tuesday, November 2. This case involves a California law which prohibited minors from buying or renting graphically violent video games.

[hiredhelp]

does that inc banning the mothers buying them for the under aged kids. personally i say deal with knife crime first and drugs. these perthetic soo called gangs. that basicly kids.

as dundee said. "Thats not a knife THIS IS A KNIFE"

[HolyOrangeCows]

LOL Knife crime
Are they still trying to ban knives from having sharp edges in the UK?

I'll just have to make a business out of buying games for minors, lol.

[irepbtown]

Are equally, if not, worse than games (My opinion). Films like SAW that are just pure torture are alot worse than a game like GTA.

[RockmasteR]

I hope this will apply to the whole world!
GTA IV, Crysis, Dead Space, Dead Rising 2, etc... these games are not meant for kids, age restrictions are printed for a purpose!

[Neckbear]

And they're there for SOMETHING. It's people's fault they don't pay attention to them.

Also, I played quite a few Mature games in my kid and teenager days- hell, it wasn't even THAT bad. "OH NO DERZ BLOOD, OH NO DEY TALKING SARCASTICALLY, THINK OF THE CHILDREN MOTHER OF GOD" is nothing but stupid bullshit.

Hell, the government is overstimating children. ALOT of kids are actually CAPABLE of knowing WHAT'S WRONG AND WHAT'S RIGHT. Hell, HAVE WE FORGOTTEN that we were kids, and how we acted and thought back then? We weren't little, pure angels, for one.

Banning is nothing that taking away a part of your freedom- just because the goverment overstimates you, and because they think parents aren't smart enough to know what their kid should do.

[Monolith]

exactly, its all just a means to control. thats it

[Eamon]

If I had children, I wouldn't let them touch GTA until they are at least 15.
Although, every child is different.

Neckbear, this isn't really taking away freedoms. It's because MOST kids ARE NOT capable of thinking for themselves they are putting an age limit. The same for voting. Imagine if they let kids vote. Wow.

Although, here in the UK, GTA age limit is 18 years. I think 16 is about right. The 2 years make no real difference in my opinion.

But in reality, the final decision should ultimately be left to parents since they know their children the best.

[morganfell]

Look, it's the Hypocritinator. All those violent movies Arnie, shame shame.

[bananlol]

The problem isnt kids playing violent video games, its the amount if time they spend with computers in general. Watching violent stuff isnt going to mess up the development of your brain, the stress and lack of sleep that comes from to much gaming will.

[Dan50]

If games are classified as porn in America then they would get content censored from them to not be given an 18 and up rating by the government. This would make developers tone their games down and there will be ONE censored version. I can't see developers making a censored US version and an uncensored European/Canadian version. I know Germany gets censored games because of their censorship laws but the size of Germany is small compared to the US so that's why developers make censored games for that country. I can see America getting the same content censorship that Germany has if this passes.

[Eamon]

Stop over dramatising. There are loads of amazing games out there that aren't too violent.

And this won't stop anything mainly because a parent can just buy the game for their kid if they want or a kid can just buy off the internet.

This ruling would simply make those retarded activists stfu for a while.

[Ocelot525]

"There are loads of amazing games out there that aren't too violent"

but the pegi commitee are a bunch of nazis, look how they rate non-violent video-games:

FF13: 16+
uncharted: 16+
mototstorm: 12+

(dunno who rates the games in the USA but I heard they are also led by nazi/ultra-religious/delusiona l/no-life pricks )

bu bu think of the children, the children! if california really wants to protect their children they should ban Macdonalds, this is the real threat to the american youth: obesity.

[Dac2u]

@Dan50: First off, this is only one state asking to make a law to prohibit the sale of adult rated games to children. Second, if you check the cinemas in the US, you'll see a fair share of violent, rated R movies where children under 17 aren't allowed without a parent. That sounds like the same thing we're seeing here.

[Dan50]

BUT ITS NOT A GOVERNMENT BACKED RATING!!! This law will strip video games of free speech and be the ONLY MEDIUM that is under government control.

[Dac2u]

This is not restricting free speech at all, no matter how you try to spin it. If the state was forcing these companies to not make violent games, it would be an issue. Also, as long as the federal government has no authority over these laws(aside from enforcing them), it's not an issue for me. States have the right to make their own laws as long as they don't interfere with the Constitution.

For the record, I don't think the government needs to interfere here. I think the industry can and should control themselves by not selling M-17+ games to minors under 17. But, if a state passes a law you don't like, become active and help vote your gubernator out and someone else in.

As for your other response to me: "Thats not the law its a recommendation. Like the ESRB's ratings. The movie, game and CD warnings are NOT GOVERNMENT BASED!!!!! "
Whether it's a law or a recommendation isn't the point, the industry as a whole follows their set guidelines and prevents most minors from viewing 17+ material. You still see movies like Hostel making millions. So, it's not the end of the world for gaming.

[Lightsaber]

Isnt this kind of pointless ? We already having a rating system that doesnt allow lil kids to buy them. These kids just make their parents buy them anyways

[phosphor112]

Anyone complaining about these bannings are obviously a kid themselves.

Cry me a river, and stop bitching about not being able to buy crap like Gears and Halo first day because your mommy wont get it for you.

[Terarmzar]

This is stupid, then ban violent movies and everything violent too if thats the case. The majority of games today are violent so they just need to get over it and stop crying about games being violent.
Ohh Boo Hoo my lil boy timmy was playing a violent video game that i bought him and did not look at the age restriction and why it was rated that.
I swear People cry about every damn thing now

[BYAAHHH]

Known for ruling on Civil Rights, abortion,and now.... video games?

[Eamon]

Misleading title. For a second I presumed they were banning violent video games for good.

But what I don't understand is that there are already age limits. Here in the UK, you can't buy GTA IV without showing identity of age.

[Hudahudahuda]

No more underage retards playing online thank god.

[Dirk Benedict]

took the words from my fingers.

[Eamon]

hah, that would be bliss but unfortunately this won't really make much difference.

[Dan50]

Have fun playing only Jesus approved video games if this passes.

[Hudahudahuda]

Sorry kid, unlike you my voice stopped changing mid-sentence a long time ago and I can buy whatever damn well I please. I have nothing to worry about.

[QuantumSponge]

Yeeeeaaaahhh... that's not gonna happen. Underage kids will find ways to get into these games, like it or not. Just mute them.

[TardcoreGamer]

Life is violent. My birth was violent. just ask my mother. Oh and did you hear about the latest game to cause a murder....Farmville.

[rrw]

early 2011: a game called skynet is been released and become the biggest selling game of all time.

April 2011: turn out because the game is inteligent. it successfully spreading trough internet and go to USA missile base to launch every nuclear misalle and killing over a billion people. surviving mankind called it Judgment Day

2011-2012 : huge war between mankind with skynet and terminator

December 2012: mankind nearly perish, they only hope is to send Arnold Schwarzenegger back to past using time machine to banned video game before it to late.

[TheColbertinator]

LMAO

[CaptainPunch]

Lol that made my morning, have a bubble.

[bananlol]

I know this is kinda ot but why the fuck did skynet launch all the nukes? Wouldnt the resulting emps pretty much fry every piece of technology on earth, including skynet itself.

[Magris]

I'm all for preventing minors from purchasing and playing M-rated games, but this is bullshit.

If they go and restrict minors from purchasing "graphically violent videogames", then games like Mario and Megaman will also be restricted, two games that give children wonderful experiences for them to enjoy.

Just punish the bad parents who allow their kids to play Halo and Gears of War, and leave the current system alone.

[phosphor112]

Sonic, all these classics aren't considered "graphically violent."

[bananlol]

Mario squishes turtles ffs! Now if thats not violent then what is?

[W831Liquidsnake]

Schwarzenegger, should start by banning any sales from any movies he played in that had viloence. Then maybe he could start banning games. Until then he's a hypocrite.

[Dac2u]

What are you talking about? Kids are already prohibited from buying his R rated movies.

[Dan50]

Like the ESRB's ratings. The movie, game and CD warnings are NOT GOVERNMENT BASED!!!!!

[brettski]

Hey gov't leave me alone. Let me live my life without shoving your nose in everything I do.

[SmashBrawler101]

Hasn't this bullshit rule already gone into effect? A few weeks ago, my grandpa brought me to Kmart to buy Halo: Reach. I went into the store while he sat in the car. I'm 19, I go to the electronics counter, request the game, then all of a sudden, I'm asked for my I.D. I left it at home. I'm thinking "Really? There's barely even any blood or swearing in Halo!". So naturally, I got pissed, walked to the car, got my grandpa, and we paid for it inside. While paying for it, I even said to the cashier "If you only knew just HOW MANY little 5yr. old mouthy brats play this game online..." and she just laughed. *sigh*

[ElementX]

I know that in MN it's the law that you have to carry an ID at all times if you're over the age of 18.

[Bass_fisherman]

Well i do think violence should be alowed for kids but those kids have to be controled if they start doing stupid things.

[Garnett]

They're trying to censor the internet (Think China) now they wanna ban violent games?

Hey assholes ban all those violent movies, TV shows, anything related to violence, ect..

Killuminati!!!

Edit- Misleading title, fuck you who ever posted this! get your fucking titles right!

[duplissi]

um doesnt the supreme court have better things to do?.... this law would be irrelevant considering nearly all retailers have policies in place to prevent such an act, so this endeavor is a waste of time and money tax payer money even...

[dinkeldinkse]

I don't really have a problem with this except it is an irrelevant ruling either way and a complete waste of time.

[ElementX]

Minors can go purchase mature titles without the knowledge of their parents, that's what this is about. Parents may not want violent games in THEIR house! They can't follow their kids around 24x7 while they're out with friends who may own a car and can drive to any game store where they can purchase stuff their parents don't want them having. If the parents are ok with mature rated games, they can accompany their children to the store.

You can't get into an R rated movie unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, some thing with these games. It's not really a big deal. Stop calling out rights violations and censorship because that is not the case!

[radphil]

@ElementX

They already made it a Felony to do that in North Carolina. People don't even look at the long-term ramifications of this whole situation. I don't get how you guys don't notice of CA being the "guinea pig" of laws happening around.

It's not that there's rights violation, it's the fact that they can put a foothold into what goes on within said industry. Have you even read the entire statement of what they put? With the way how they worded it, they can essentially make it so that they decide what is deemed too violent for games as well, so not only will that affect M rated games being sold, but that would mean that T rated games would be bumped to M, and so forth. ESRB has been against this situation.

Again with the way how some people are putting this out to be, they're exaggerating badly. However, by this going through, that's just 1 more stepping stone they need to continue on forth.

[ElementX]

Are you a minor? What do you have to lose personally if they don't sell M games to minors?

[radphil]

"Are you a minor? What do you have to lose personally if they don't sell M games to minors?"

The point just completely went over your head....
And for the record I'm 30.

[Karum]

Ban kids from being able to access content that is R rated or whatever is fine.

Banning that content altogether is quite ridiculous and wrong.

[SoulMisaki]

Heheheh. I'm fine.

[Dan50]

There will NOT be an uncensored Canadian version since Canada and the US get the SAME VERSION. You will be getting the censored NTSC version.

[irepbtown]

Heheheh. I'm fine.

[SoulMisaki]

They will restrict the sale of them to adults, and treat them like porn movies, drugs, or alcohol. Nowhere does it say that publishers will change what they put in the game. and there is no way this law will pass either way.

[fucadastates]

hopping for this. like porn/adult shit, cigarets and alkohol.. you need be at a serten age to get this. i belive its the same with games.

[DuneBuggy]

"Join me any time the government tries to impinge on anybody's speech," he said. "Join me when the government tries to tell you can't eat trans fat. Join me when the government gets involved in all these other behavioral and speech things that they try to tell you and control us we can't do: What kind of car we have to drive, whether or not we're responsible for global warming, the kind of lightbulb we have to have, where our thermostats are. Get on board, my buddy. If it's taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I'm glad to have you on our side, 'cause I agree with you. Leave your game alone. The people that put together these video games are artists in their own right. If you're gonna start saying that video games are raunchy, then how the hell do you leave cable television alone?"

[QuantumSponge]

Good to see the fat bastard knows when to latch onto a popular movement for personal gain, proving said activity isn't just for lawyers and politicians.

Listening to Limbaugh is like asking Dr. Henry Holmes to design your house.

[Swiftfox]

No good can come from a ruling to restrict the sales of video games to minors.

I can't believe there are people that are ok with the loss of their own personal rights.

Laws like this must be apposed and it's sad that people will sit back and let it happen because they think it doesn't concern them.