Video Game Industry Frags Assembly

The Entertainment Merchants Association is voicing its displeasure with the State Assembly for their approval of a bill today that would impose strict new laws on merchants who sell violent or sexual games to individuals under 17. The EMA is particularly annoyed that, despite similar bills having been struck down by the courts the bill still passed. They even note that multiple Assembly members pointed out the constitutional problems with the bill and voted for it anyway.

"This bill is ill-conceived and unconstitutional," said EMA President Bo Andersen. "The proposal to jail retailers and clerks for up to four years for selling certain video games to persons under age 17 is apparently based on misunderstandings about what retailers are doing currently. The requirement that video game consoles include parental controls ignores the fact that the new generation of consoles include them

already. Finally, nine similar proposals that have been enacted around the nation in recent years have all been blocked by federal courts on First Amendment grounds. For such an ill- conceived and unconstitutional law, ignorance is no excuse."