Two Months From Supreme Court Hearing

We're slightly more than two months away from the Supreme Court hearing the case of Schwarzenegger v. EMA.  If you're unfamiliar with this case, it stems from California's long time assault on video games in the state.  The state of California contends that the ESRB ratings system is not enough, and that more regulation is needed for mature video games, while the courts have told them to get bent on numerous occasions citing the First Amendment.  This will be the first time in history the Supreme Court has heard a case related to gaming, and is a landmark moment in history for gaming.  If the Supreme Court sides with the lower courts, legal precedent is set that games are treated as any other form of media and are protected by the First Amendment.  If they differ, gaming will certainly change as we know it.  All manner of new regulation may be imposed, restricting the creativity of those making the games we love.  Books, music, TV, and movies all enjoy unrestricted freedom of creativity during creation.  There are ratings systems for all of these mediums except for books.  These ratings systems have come to be the standard for regulating the respective industries with respect to access to materials by those who weren't the target audience.  Gaming is no different than any of these other mediums.  It can evoke emotion.  It can be violent.  It can be sexual.  It can be positive.  It can be negative.  Yet it is the only one of these mediums that is continually assaulted criticized with the ferocity we see in California.  The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) is submitting an amicus curiae brief to the court on behalf of the gaming public.  This briefing will contain the (electronic) signatures of the gaming public supporting EMA.  If you wish to sign this petition and help defend gamers' rights, head on over to the petition page and get to signing!