September 10^th, 2005 (1:00am) - The people of the state of California have spoken, or rather their elected officials have. In bipartisan vote of 65-7 it has been decided that violent video games can no longer be sold to minors.

Any retailer caught in the act of selling a "Mature" themed video game to a minor is liable for up to $1,000 in fines.

This hot-button topic, which has been receiving much attention since Rockstar Games’ "Hot Coffee" fiasco early in the summer has been the launching pad for legislators to further attempt to blame the ills of society on video games.

On one hand you have California Assemblyman Leland Yee, a man who has repeatedly attempted to pass this legislation for years. In an official statement Yee claims "Unlike movies where you passively watch violence, in a video game, you are the active participant and making decisions on who to stab, maim, burn or kill. As a result, these games serve as learning tools that have a dramatic impact on our children."

On the side of truth, justice, and money are the representatives of the game industry, who believe that existing countermeasures, such as the ESRB rating system, are good enough in keeping ultra violent games from young players.

Now all that is left is to let the Governator decide the ultimate fate of this bill within the next month. More on this topic as it breaks.