IDSA Files To Block Violent Gaming Law

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Yahoo/Reuters story indicating that the IDSA games trade body has filed a lawsuit against the Washington state videogame violence law. The law, restricting the sale to minors of games featuring violence against police, was passed a few days ago, and the IDSA are filing to have it struck down, saying "..while we share the state's objective to restrict the ability of children to purchase games that might not be appropriate for them, we passionately oppose efforts to achieve this goal by running roughshod over the constitutional rights of video game publishers, developers and retailers to make and sell games that depict images some find objectionable."

Comments

Hmm

[Lshmael]

"I'm confident our common-sense law will be upheld. Unlike the St. Louis ordinance recently struck down by the Eighth District Court of Appeals, our state law is narrowly focused on the compelling state interest of protecting the safety of law enforcement officers and firefighters," Dickerson said.

Firefighters?! Where did they come in? Are there even any games that involve the killing of firefighters?

Re:Hmm

[Babbster]

Even more amusing about that quote is the idea that the law "[protects] the safety of law enforcement officers..." I haven't seen studies showing that people who kill police officers in video games are more likely to waste a real police officer. While it is indeed a "compelling state interest" to protect public servants engaged in dangerous jobs, shouldn't laws designed to serve that interest be based in reality?