Leland Yee, Activision VP to debate game sales restrictions

On November 2, lawyers on each side of a controversial California game law squared off in front of the US Supreme Court. The legislation in contention would make it a crime to sell games with content the state dubbed "ultraviolent" to minors and require such a game to have special packaging and warnings. Unlike the current voluntary age-restriction system implemented by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), the law--which received then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature in 2005 before being blocked by a judge--would fine retailers $1,000 per infraction.

Next month, the measure--called AB1179 when it was a bill--will once again be the subject of debate, albeit of a less litigious variety. The Commonwealth Club of California will be hosting a discussion on the subject called "Should Sales of Violent Video Games Be Restricted?" on Thursday, March 17 (aka St. Patrick's Day). The verbal square-off will be between three people: Stanford Constitutional Law Center director Michael McConnell, Activision Blizzard executive VP and chief public policy officer George Rose, and AB1179 author State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco).

The summary of the debate describes it as follows:

"Do violent video games present a danger to national safety? Should selling them be restricted, as with pornography? Critics argue that there is a link between children's exposure to violent video games and their increased likelihood to commit violent acts. In a time when it is very easy for individuals to carry out senseless acts of violence, the state government has passed a law that bans the sale of video games deemed "ultraviolent" to children under 18. AB 1179 was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2005 but is not in effect because of an injunction. The Supreme Court has heard arguments and will soon decide how far the government should go to protect the well-being of our children in a case that touches on free speech, national safety and the rights of video game manufacturers and retailers."

The debate is open to the public, although tickets cost $20 each. They can be purchased from the Commonwealth Club's website.