California governor and action-flick guru Arnold Schwarzenegger is having a conflict of minds over pending legislation in San Francisco. The legislation (if passed) would prohibit retailers from selling or renting violent or sexually explicit games to minors. Arnie can vetoe the bill, but this may present him as some sort of lap-dog owned by the video game and entertainment industry lobbies. If he does indeed sign the bill, games with a rating of "M" (mature) will be limited to minors, forcing kids to opt for "T" rated games instead, like Arnie's Terminator 3: The Redemption game.This kind of leaves the former Terminator in somewhat of a catch-22 situation.
The controversy surrounds the pending video game legislation of Assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco). Yee's bill would prohibit retailers from selling or renting violent or sexually explicit games to minors. The bill is currently stuck in committee, although Yee hopes to push it forward. The Assemblyman plans to hold hearings on issues surrounding hidden content and video game ratings later this month.
Critics see the ethical dilemma for Schwarzenegger as follows: If he vetoes the bill he will be seen as a pawn of the video game and entertainment industry lobbies, which are very powerful in California. If he signs Yee's bill, it will most likely limit sales of "M" rated games, theortetically driving those consumers to buy "T" rated games - like Terminator 3: The Redemption - instead.
In other words, the Guv is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.
Governator Zinged for Conflict of Interest over T3 Game
Study finds no link between video games and aggression
EA Announce "Teaching With Games" Study
Discussion >>
