EMA Releases Statement On Supreme Court Decision

This morning, the Supreme Court struck down California's law that restricted the sale of violent video games to minors under the First Amendment (in the case of Brown v. EMA), and the EMA has commented on the situation.

Bo Andersen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Merchants Association released the following statement:

“EMA welcomes today’s Supreme Court ruling that let stand the Court of Appeals’ decision finding the California video game restriction law to be unconstitutional. We are gratified that our position that the law violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of expression has been vindicated and there now can be no argument whether video games are entitled to the same protection as books, movies, music, and other expressive entertainment."

While Andersen and the EMA took their victory lap, he isn't oblivious to the core reason for the law in the first place – the need for parents to be informed so they can monitor what their children play.

“While we appreciate this victory in the court of law, it does not obviate the concern that parents may have about the appropriateness of some video games for their children. But, as the Court noted, the ESRB rating system for video games ‘does much to ensure that minors cannot purchase seriously violent games on their own, and that parents who care about the matter can readily evaluate the games their children bring home.’”

“Video game retailers understand that they have a responsibility to help parents make informed decisions about the video games they buy for their children and to ensure that children are not able to purchase Mature-rated games without their parents’ permission. EMA-member retailers have a high level of ratings education and enforcement and, in fact, in an undercover shopper investigation released in April of this year, the Federal Trade Commission found that video game retailers turned down minors that attempted to purchase Mature-rated video games 87% of the time. Video game retailers remain committed to maintaining what the Federal Trade Commission termed their 'vigorous' enforcement of the video game ratings."