(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)
Earlier today, seven out of nine Supreme Court justices once again struck down a case regarding the sale of violent video games to minor. The case that originated in California has been the subject of discussion among legislators, critics, and gamers alike.
The court's majority opinion is as follows:
"Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas-and even social messages-through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player's interaction with the virtual world). That suffices to confer First Amendment protection. Under our Constitution, "esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature . . . are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority."
With this decision, it's all for certain that we'll be hearing more from the Entertainment Software Association in the next few hours about this news. Without a doubt though, video games and the first amendment have secured an important victory.
The court's majority opinion is as follows:
"Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas-and even social messages-through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player's interaction with the virtual world). That suffices to confer First Amendment protection. Under our Constitution, "esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature . . . are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority."
With this decision, it's all for certain that we'll be hearing more from the Entertainment Software Association in the next few hours about this news. Without a doubt though, video games and the first amendment have secured an important victory.
