Lawyer: California Law Could Destroy Videogame Industry

[Perhaps]

If you are under 17 just get your parents to buy the mature rated games, problem solved.

 

[Manicotti]

Yeah, I can't say I'm not extremely worried as well. This could decimate the industry just by chasing away budding developers and studios into working within a medium that doesn't have the same inherent risk as trying to market pornography. My main consolation is that the Supreme Court has a perfect record of not letting bullshit laws like these get passed; I'm going to hope that they're intelligent enough to realize that isolated incidents do not prove that gaming needs to be destroyed as a cultural cornerstone.

 

[Rakkana]

The fact that it's even got this far is a joke. America... be ashamed.

 

[Towowo2]

Meh. I hope it does die in the US; maybe then the fuckwits will realise at last how much money they are pissing across the Atlantic to Europe and Asia.

Except it will affect more than just the US. In a chain reaction there might be significantly less developers around. Think before you speak.

 

[Korten12]

I just asked my Mom who is an English teacher to read this and she says it is pretty stupid.

 

[Exile714]

Lawyers have a tendency to... exaggerate things. I should know, I am one.

But the argument is pretty laughable. I mean, the government regulates liquor and pornography... but neither of those has been stamped out of existence.

That said, as a constitutional law focused person, I really hope that this law is struck down by the Supreme Court. But if it's not, the video game industry isn't going anywhere.

 

[Arcadial]

And they wonder why voting numbers among youth are dropping like stones.....

 

[Ayjona]

I must say that this is one of the great advantages of only taking an interest in indie game development, and the games produced in that context. Not that I want the video game industry to go the way described in the article, but the computer games that I do enjoy are rarely affected by any legislations.

I'm surprised by Sweeney's claim that the independent development community will be impacted. The indie devs that I communicate with as a journalist have already expressed their sentiments that neither their possibilities nor their motivations to develop games will suffer significantly because of this law.

 

[Casual Shinji]

*sigh* Nice...

And I was already feeling depressed after having played Fable 3.

 

[sturryz]

does this bill affect Digital Distribution?

 

[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!

America is console central. If America falls consoles will DIE completely and this time, unlike the 1980s crash, it won't come back. PCs can survive, but consoles will be dead. It will be an effective reset of the entire industry back to square one when pong.

But would this affect other states?

 

[PinkiePyro]

nonnonononononononoNO!
*runs around in panicked circles*

 

[dalek sec]

At this point I can only hope the courts will realize what a fucking stupid law this is and will smash it to bits in front of that prick senator. If not, try and get your hands as many M-rated games as you can before they vanish from the stores.

 

[El Poncho]

If you are under 17 just get your parents to buy the mature rated games, problem solved.

...and idiots like you are why this is happening. Take a bow.

I don't see how it is because of people like him, he just knows a solution to what happens, the people who think video games are bad for kids is why this is happening.

Also, I am told that most game stores do not sell mature games to minors anyway.

 

[Macgyvercas]

If this law passes, I'm moving to Canada. I hear the government is less stupid up there.