California: All Your Ratings Are Belong to Us

Pogo Ball withstanding, some things just never go out of fashion. While the youth of America continue to confound adults with their smart-mouthing, long hair and internet magic, adults are continuing to try and slam shut the gates of corruption through legislation. It's not easy being the new kid to Scape Goat High, but even video games have to be a little puzzled at the attention they are still getting.

In 2007 a federal judge struck down California's attempt to pass an anti-violent-video-game law, but even today, the fight to "save the children" rages on. The law is coming up again in a federal appeals court on Wednesday, October 29th. If the law passes it would require video game publishers to affix an "18" sticker on games that "appeal to a deviant or morbid interest of children and are patently offensive to prevailing community standards." It would also impose a $1,000 fine on retailers for selling these types of games to minors.

Currently, the ESRB rates pretty much any game you're likely to get your hands on. The ESRB's site lists 23 games as being "AO" as they "have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older." These 18 and over games include such hits as All Nude Nikki, All Nude Cyber, and Water Closet: The Forbidden Chamber. Pardon me, but if you're a kid trying to score a copy of Water Closet: The

Forbidden Chamber, well sir, GOOD FOR YOU! If all this lawmaking is for 23 crappy games, I find that crazy . Conversely, if this is to add a whole new level of subjectivity and confusion for people trying to understand game ratings, well, that is even more crazy.

Getting folks educated about the content in video games is a tough task. Much like the music and movie industry, the voluntary regulatory system in place has been wholly adopted by the industry and it seems like it is working out well. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo won't let games that don't have an ESRB rating anywhere near their systems and retailers refuse to sell them. The fact that there are only 23 AO rated games speaks to the fact that most retailers won't carry them and that console manufactures won't certify them for their system. A developer is not going to make an AO game when it is the kiss of death, and I can see the same thing happening to games that are threatened with this proposed "18" label. This also doesn't cover buying games online, which to my knowledge, only requires a credit card and the occasional click on the "I'm over 18" button.

While those who oppose the law say it infringes on First Amendment rights, Deputy Attornery General Zackery Morazzini has the following rebuttal:

"It defies logic to suggest that our founding fathers intended to adopt a First Amendment that would guarantee children the right to purchase a video game wherein the player is rewarded for interactively causing a character to take out a shovel and bash the head of an image of a human being"

It's true, never doubt our founding fathers. Now where the heck did my slave go, so hard to find a good 3/5th person.

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