Lawyer: California Law Could Destroy Videogame Industry

[Greg Tito]

Lawyer: California Law Could Destroy Videogame Industry

A lawyer said that, if upheld by the Supreme Court, the California law could rip the videogame industry apart.

Patrick Sweeney leads the videogame division at Reed Smith LLP, a law firm that argues for clients like EA, THQ, Sony Online Entertainment, and Nintendo. He said that the fate of the videogame industry will be decided next week by the Supreme Court. If the Court decides to uphold the California law which proposes to regulate videogames like the government currently does pornography, liquor or cigarettes, then videogame industry as we know it could cease to exist.

"Certainly less games would be produced and there would be a corresponding job loss," Sweeney said. "But I expect the impact will likely be significantly deeper. I believe the independent development community would be severely impacted. Innovation, both from a creative and technological aspect, would also be stifled. The companies, brands and individuals that we should be embracing as the visionaries of this creative and collaborative industry will migrate their talents to a more expressive medium."

Sweeney believes that job loss and less videogames is only the tip of the iceberg, and that the real impact will be the fact that auteurs will move to producing work in mediums that wouldn't be so restrictive.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the Schwarzenegger vs EMA case on November 2nd. I, like many of you, anxiously await the results of those proceedings and how it will affect not only the hobby that I love but my very livelihood.

This is serious, guys.

Source: Industry Gamers [http://www.industrygamers.com/news/could-california-game-law-lead-to-an-exodus-from-the-industry/]

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[fulano]

Darn.

That's all I can say. The U.S keeps letting me down. At least Canada's still there...okay, bad joke.

 

[Thumper17]

Uhm, as far as I know. The law they are talking about just means violent videogames wont be able to legally be sold to minors. They do that in Canada already. Nothing has changed.

People need to calm down.

 

[teh_Canape]

what's with this sudden interest by fossiles to take down the video game industry

I mean, shit, they're making such a big deal about them and I fail to see the point of why

sure one of the reasons is because they still see videogames as "entertainment for kids", which, if you think about it, never was exclusively for kids

I dont know how will this affect in Argentina and shit, but man, I can only hope this turns out favorable for us...

or else, shit will really hit the fan

 

[Mr. Omega]

Expect twenty responses from anti-gaming groups to call this man an "Un-American disgusting man who seeks to aid in corrupting our innocent children."

 

[Nouw]

As long as other states, countries and continents still strive and keep free of this law; this won't 'destroy' the Video Game industry. Good thing I live in NZ, or I'm moving back to South Korea!

 

[T-Bone24]

Gosh dangit to heck, this sure sounds bad.

Here's hoping for the best... for all of us.

 

[Gxas]

This is not fucking cool. At all.

This is the worst thing that could happen. We're attempting to create new jobs, so what do we do? Pass a law that will essentially lay-off thousands of workers. Good job government and over-protective parents, you're the reason our country is such a shithole right now.

Whats up 1984? I thought you happened twenty-six years ago.

 

[Sovvolf]

Uhm, as far as I know. The law they are talking about just means violent videogames wont be able to legally be sold to minors. They do that in Canada already. Nothing has changed.

People need to calm down.

If that's true then well, that's also how it goes in Briton and as been like this for as long as I can remember so... I don't see the big deal.

 

[The Austin]

Whats up 1984? I thought you happened sixteen years ago.

Twenty seven years ago. Sixteen Years ago was '93.

OP: NO!
I support the first amendment, and as such, this law must not pass!

 

[Champion Argos]

The case is said to decide if video games will be considered an artistic medium. This means that if the court decides it has no artistic value then it will no longer be protected by the first amendments right to free speach and expression. This means that laws can be placed on video games, regulating what content can and cannot be placed on those shiny discs we all cherish so much. Pray for us all.

 

[Zannah]

Good thing I managed to get far, far away from the Us. Well, the country I'm now in, banned black ops (D'ou)

 

[Marsell]

swatz is dead to me.

 

[Lillowh]

For those outside the U.S. that don't understand that our constitution is pretty much the single most important thing in our country and don't think that this law isn't a big deal and won't cripple the industry and won't remove Video Games' rights, it is and will. Restricting the sale of video games to minors is what this law will allow people to do because the law is contesting the First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech and Expression by making it restricted. The knee-jerk reactionaries will see to it that it goes much farther than this because this will give power to the states to decide legislation on video games making it hard to determine which states will find this appropriate if any at all, and this means that Mature or even Teen rated games will most likely stop being made because the state governments will decide what is "violent" or "obscene". Plus the U.S. is basically the biggest market for Video games and is also home and prime market for some of the biggest and/or best companies and publishers [Bioware, Bilzzard, Epic, Bungie, Rockstar, Take 2, valve, the list goes on...] and they make games primarily intended for the U.S. Market. If we restrict this medium in any way that takes away it's it's rights, people will go even further than just restricting sale of video games to minors, most likely going to such extremes as to end the medium due to lobbyists and special interest groups having a lot of power over legislatures. Interest gropus who want to "protect" their children or come from other industries (Parents Television Council and from the Film industry).

People comparing this to the rating system in your country being legally binding and that it's just fine if we get one too, it's not because of the difference in our societies. The U.S. is full of lazy parents who don't want to accept responsibility for their child because they, like many people don't have the maturity level because they party most of their time before they get married and don't have enough responsibility to watch their kids so they want the government to do it for them. Look at the general public we have here. There is NO reason Jersey Shore should be on TV at all, yet it's a high rated show and most of America loves it. Most people in America are the same kinds of idiots you see on that show, but they're too stupid too admit it and will deny being anything like them. These people are the ones who become irresponsible parents (which is most people) who blame that industries are responsible for their kids seeing violent or "offensive" media on TV or Video Games because they're too lazy or too stupid to put Child Blocks on their TV or Game System, don't realize that the Mature on the box means not for your 10 year old, and just leave their kids to watch TV or Video Games so they don't have to be responsible for them. The only reason this law is happening is because these stupid people are too irresponsible to even take 30 friggin seconds to check in on what their kids do.

I'm sorry this wall of text is so long it's just so frustrating to me how my Country's general population is THIS damn stupid, ignorant, and irresponsible. I'm only 18 and I'm more mature than most people under 40 in the U.S. To me, that's scarier than any terrorists or WMD's.

 

[Pingieking]

Good thing I managed to get far, far away from the Us. Well, the country I'm now in, banned black ops (D'ou)

Given how much development is done in the US, and how large of the total market that is, this is very significant.
The lawyer guy is right, unfortunately. I'm quite pessimistic about this. Should start looking for jobs in Japan, so that I can counter this with a massive dose of crazy and sexual deviance.
Anyone know of people looking for a grad student in material science, experimental condensed matter, or experimental physics in general? I'll also take any kind of industry job if it's in any way related to material science or optics.

 

[Gxas]

Whats up 1984? I thought you happened sixteen years ago.

Twenty seven years ago. Sixteen Years ago was '93.

OP: NO!
I support the first amendment, and as such, this law must not pass!

<.<

Math is apparently not my strong suit when I'm pissed off...

Thank you for that.