October 11^th, 2005 (6:05pm) - Last week we reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, signed a bill proposed by the state legislature to ban the sale and rental of violent video games to children. While this decision seems completely understandable due to the controversy caused by the "Hot Coffee" scandal, Hal Halpin, president of the IEMA (an organization that represents videogame retail outlets), expressed his disappointment in the decision.

"We were disappointed that Governor Schwarzenegger signed A.B. 1179 into law. Given his tireless speeches about taking the politics out of lawmaking and prohibiting government waste of valuable taxpayer dollars, this decision seems counter to that message. It is clear that this course will lead only to this law, like all previous efforts to alter the First Amendment regarding violent video games, being overturned - yielding no significant change and squandering much-needed resources.

IEMA retailers are already voluntarily committed to inhibiting the sale of Mature-rated games, not unlike the successful self-regulatory efforts of the motion picture business. We would have hoped that legislators would work proactively with the industry to help educate parents about the ratings system, and are disheartened to learn that this politicization of the issue is instead becoming an opportunistic trend. We remain supportive of the ESRB and stand ready to aid the ESA in their lawsuits, as we have done in the past."

Similar bills are expected to be passed across the United States over the next few months and years.