- [Image taken from:http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-soapbox-game-journalism-is-not-journalism-yet/
But I was sorely disappointed.
Going down the list, Ken Levine, Creative Director and Co-founder of Irrational Games, had this to say about the California law:
It could have effectively made ALL games M-rated games, because publishers would have been rightly nervous about "under-labeling" their titles and facing the wrath of the state (or, more precisely, states, because a California law would have no doubt spawned up to 49 deformed siblings). A cartoon plumber lands on top of an anthropomorphic mushroom and crushes it to death? Hmmm. Better label it "M".So, prohibiting minors from buying games that depict a player, "Killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being," or "[enable] the player to virtually inflict serious injury upon images of human beings or characters with substantially human characteristics in a manner which is especially heinous, cruel, or depraved in that it involves torture or serious physical abuse to the victim," leads ultimately to the all games becoming M-rated. Makes sense.
I see where Levine is coming from. One person's stomping on a Koopa is another person's "Killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being." Clearly, the line between these two barely exists.
Levine goes on,
"The Emancipation Proclamation and Das Kapital are both simple collections of words. One led to the freeing of an entire race of people in one country. The other led to the effective enslavement of a population under a brutal dictator. But who has the vision to see where these collection of words might lead? The greatness of the American experiment derives from the humility of the First Amendment. Why am I a better judge of where these collections of words lead than you are? I am not. Therefore, the law remains silent on them and lets the words take us where they" will.Yes, video games are very much like the Emancipation Proclamation. And restricting the sale of excessively violent video games to minors is pretty much just like censoring the above document. You speak the truth Ken Levine...next time one of your games frees millions of slaves it won't be censored now. Hallelujah! The Union is saved!
And then there's John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, who had the following to contribute,
"Everybody wins on this decision – the Court has affirmed the Constitutional rights of game developers; adults keep the right to decide what's appropriate in their houses; and store owners can sell games without fear of criminal prosecution."Yes. Everyone does win. Because if the law had gone into effect, parents no longer would have been able to let their kids play violent video games, and store owners wouldn't have had to open GTA Speakeasies. Wait, what?
Next, we have Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, who said,
"We are pleased with ruling, which is an important affirmation of First Amendment rights and a victory against an unwarranted, selective attack on our industry. Protecting children from age inappropriate content is important and that's why we have an industry-standard ratings system that is clear and unambiguous."So it's a good thing that the industry's constitutional rights were protected so that...you could...keep on stopping minors from getting their hands on violent video games, just like the California law would have done? Great.
Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software,
"I, of course, cannot help but think about the case in light of the recent launch of Duke Nukem Forever - surely it is just the sort of game that California's law would have attempted to suppress. I think I'll play Duke Nukem Forever today to celebrate – in defiance of those who would seek to censor, restrict or destroy our medium and in support of our highest Court for confirming our liberty to be entertained even by things that would disgust the average person."So a law making it illegal for a minor to buy DNF without parental consent infringes on your liberty? And yes, I'm sure DNF is exactly the kind of game California's legislators were attempting to "suppress," if by suppress you mean...not let kids buy it without parental consent.
Really, I don't know what to say. Here are smart people who wield much power and influence in the gaming industry making grossly hyperbolic comments about a law they appear not to even understand. It's embarrassing. Remember when the auto execs went to D.C. via private jets to talk about how they screwed up their company and needed a tax payer bailout? Yea, it's that kind of embarrassing.
But then there's Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager for BioWare, with a more nuanced and thoughtful response,
"The ruling today makes a powerful statement for free speech; this decision represents a significant advance in helping to define video games as an important - and protected - art form. This is a weighty responsibility – it's up to us as developers to use it wisely."And Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, who pointed toward a similar duty,
"...today's decision is a great victory. With that said, we take our social responsibilities seriously, and are committed to producing and marketing our entertainment products in strict accordance with our industry's guidelines."Two voices that stand out for their mature tone and broader understanding. I applaud you both.
Don't worry though, Mike Dzura, Senior Vice President of Store Operations at GameStop, finishes strong with this insightful dribble,
"We are pleased with today's decision. As the leading retailer in ESRB ratings compliance, GameStop continues to believe that the video game industry's voluntary ratings system and our committed associates, not legislation, are the best ways to ensure age-appropriate video games make it into the hands of our younger customers."Pleased with today's decision because the law would have actually made it easier for minors to get a hold of inappropriate games? Seriously, I understand that we're all excited for video games to be ruled on favorably by the courts, but these "industry reactions" are a joke.
Thank you IGN for copying and pasting from the company press release...gaming journalism at it's best.