Article:
Gamers “Backroom”

My heart sank yesterday, while wading through my normal series of online message boards, blogs posts, and news sites. I came across an article that lit a fire in me, as a gamer, an artist, and a citizen; I worried for my gaming future. The Supreme Court hearing involving the sale of violent video games to minors in the state of California.

The law states that two things must happen to any video game that "describes in a patently offensive way sexual conduct and which, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors" to be offensive. Furthermore, anything considered offensive must take two actions. First a fine of $1000 to anyone caught selling adult material to minors. While this seemed harmless at first glance I began to dig deeper into the story only to discover the restriction it is placing on the gaming industry. By banning the sale of violent video games to minors it asks to do more than simply shun minors from video game stores.  For the second step it asks that adults, consumers, to partake in “backroom” sales, the product must be hidden from view and clearly marked for 18+ only. Knowing full well the effects of that request I began to look further into the case. As a citizen this scares me.

The conscience of this is direr then the actual act of banning minors from reaching violent video games. Many of our local game shops and big businesses have a strict policy against 18+ materials, eliminating revenue the industry thrives upon. Not only effecting youth, or simply California, but affecting the entire gaming industry. I honestly believe this could cripple gaming and the long strides it has been making into our home for a long time to come. As a gamer this scares me.

But for something that hits me harder, something that can truly make me shed a tear, if this was to pass by the Supreme Court it would mark games as simply a product no longer to be considered as an art form. I’ve had games make me cry, I have had games I could not finish out of fear, I have even had game characters I have fallen in love with, (as a game element of course) I would like for someone to feel the full emotions put into, and taken from games and not label it as an art form. Finally as an artist this scares me.