"Games as Porn" Supreme Court Case Not Looking Good for California (Updated)

I myself am a California resident, and I'm pretty sure I'm rightly pissed off about this. There are better things the Supreme Court could be doing with their time, outlawing just one more thing on the long list of personal items that already are illegal should not be going on. I'm seriously starting to think they're just bored and are going after whatever they possibly can at this point.

Oh, also, I'm a minor for another year. I already can't buy a M game without my mother present. Seems like I'll have to start sending her in alone to buy Dead Rising 2 or Condemned.
That'll look convincing.

its easy to blame games for violent goings on, but as they said fairy tales are quite grim, and cartoons promote a lot of violence. Geez they are trying to soften everything. They got the WWF, they are getting to TV and movies. Please leave games alone!

I might have misunderstood this case since I'm Norwegian and don't understand your legal system, but isn't selling violent games to minors "wrong"? You wouldn't let your child watch Saw, would you? This debate boils down to the question "Are violent video games bad for kids?", which is a question I hate. Sure, there have been people who have done bad things because of video games, but there are millions of gamers that don't get affected for each person who does. But if I worked at a video game store in Norway, and 12-year old came in and wanted to buy Call of Duty, I would say no just to be "sure". However, If a kid who I know knows the difference between video games and reality wanted to buy CoD, I would have no problem with it. I myself am a "minor" and play violent video games, but I know the difference.

What I'm trying to say is selling violent video games to kids is not something that I would do, and I doesn't hurt the kids to wait a few years.

Well, it's very good to hear the Supreme Court has at least some common sense going into this. It's still sad that the state is even arguing this case.

The Governator will not be pleased...

But seriously, its good to see that the legal system has evolved alot in their feeling towards videogames in the past few years. I wonder what it will be like when THIS generation is in office in twenty years or so...

As a California resident, I must say this is a pretty big waste of tax dollars that could of gone to School Districts. Before graduating High School, they had to remove a LOT of bus routes due to budget cuts. I had to walk 2 miles to get on the bus for 2 weeks before graduating, it's BS. California State Government has shown me time and time again that they have no clue what they are doing.

Just to give Joystiq some more love because this was just brilliant: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/02/our-favorite-scotus-quotes-with-commentary-from-the-nba-jam-guy/

Mulling over the full transcripts now but the excerpts are looking good for us.

This case does seem like a waste a time for a Supreme Court to handle. Though if the State does end up winning, hopefully we'll hear less ten year old kids trash talking on Call of Duty.

I seem to remember this Schwarzenegger fellow being involved in quite a few films that held violence at their core. I don't know where people get off doing this kind of stuff. The Supreme Court should have just walked in, shouted "Freedom of Speech!" and walked out. I understand selling M rated games to minors is wrong, but that is nothing that any state or federal government should be able to control. So many companies already take a strong stance against the act and are fully capable of conducting internal investigations should this type of thing happen.

While I agree a minor should not be able to walk into a store and purchase a game meant for older audiences (and my experience says they can't) but the content that goes into any game should be at the sole digression of the person or persons creating it and should fall under no regulations what so ever.

Wow those transcripts were actually pretty interesting to read through.

I still cant believe people think they can make video games their bitch and always label them as an excuse for violence.

God it makes me want to drive a wiimote down their throat. !!!

God, I'm so happy that Sotomayor is from New York, makes our state look good after.... *shivers* Palladino.

They better not take away my baby torture game!!!

(Note: California constantly brings up some kind of baby torture game that is apparently really popular in the US.)

Yeah…I thought nobody bought Postal 2. Schwarzenegger just doesn't know what video games are and how to handle them.

I heard a quote yesterday from the court "Reading about [violence] is one thing, seeing it is another and doing it is another" … Apparently pushing a button is equal to throwing a human into meat grinder. BUT! If the button is on TV remote it is perfectly okay!

> Roberts asks whether Smith would object to a rule that said all the most violent videos "have to be on the top shelf out of the reach of children," noting they already do that with cigarettes. Smith replies that "cigarettes are not speech, your honor." Roberts snaps back: "I know that cigarettes are not speech, Mr. Smith." Silently adding "Because. You. Can't. Smoke. Speech."

This is ridiculous. Really, Parents are just too stupid to blame themselves.
"Oh what is this game called again? Grand Theft Auto? what is this rating M? for Mature? Little Johnny wants this game, OK"

Really I see more PARENTS buy violent and mature games for their children, then children. If anyone should blame anyone, is Parents blaming their shitty parents senses. If common sense when you see a Rating for 17+ isn't the game you 12 yr old should be playing.

Parents need to fucking stop bitching about shit and do something. They are the ones who have the money, the car, the authority as they pay the electric bill.

This subject just pisses me off to no end.