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ECA Calls For Gamers To Assist And Defend The Industry

As gamers, its time to stand as one and make a confident, intelligent declaration of unity.

The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), a non-profit membership organization that represents gamers, has confirmed they will be submitting a "friend of the court document (amicus brief) to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the upcoming violence in video games case, Schwarzenegger v EMA." To assist in the endeavor, the ECA has worked up a petition that just about every gamer should sign; this petition will be attached and submitted along with the aforementioned brief, so it will certainly have a very important purpose. Said Vice President and General Counsel for the ECA, Jennifer Mercurio:

"The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the State of California's infamous 'violent video game case' later this year, or early next. At that time, the Court is going to listen to oral arguments on whether to agree with previous federal court findings or not. Agreeing would mean that they believe that video games are, and should continue to be, First Amendment protected speech; just like movies and music. The Court disagreeing would mean that video games should be treated differently, which the ECA strongly believes to be unconstitutional and could lead to new bills and laws curtailing video game access in states across the country."

The petition "establishes an authoritative collective position by American consumers of interactive entertainment and it enshrines each and every signatory's participation in the court documents and records." ECA President Hal Halpin says this case may indeed be "the single most important challenge" the gaming industry has ever faced in the US, and that "anyone who cares about gaming should feel compelled to both sign the petition and encourage their friends and family to do similarly." So-

Sign The Petition Now

If you don't…I'll find you.

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eLLeJuss
eLLeJuss
14 years ago

I dont get whats going on. But whatever! I dont want Ben to hunt me down so ill petition. lol

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

eLLeJuss,

Some self-appointed safety-nanny's want to take take away every American's personal rights, our personal liberties, our personal freedoms, and our personal right to the pursuit of happiness to play any video game that "THEY" alone deem violent.

If you're American and you put a high value to all those right's above like I do, then you need to act now & sign the petition ASAP, & then also pass it along to every other gamer you know.

For those of you that aren't in America, I still say, "show your support" for us by signing this petition too, if for no other reason other that if this freedom-busting bill get's passed, this could snow-ball into other countries too(I'm sure Australia's "no-18" Attorney General will be closely watch what happens to this bill too).

Vitron
Vitron
14 years ago

aMEN bIKER

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Amen.

mustang750r
mustang750r
14 years ago

I have no idea how I missed saying this but….

ROW ROW FIGHT DAH POWAH!!!

Underdog15
Underdog15
14 years ago

I'm not American, but I will sign. Obviously, beyond just simply supporting my gaming brethren, this would have an impact on the gaming world as a whole since the US constitutes a huge portion of game sales.

I live just north of the border in Canada, and I would be daft to think that American policies on video games would not affect our access here… especially since the three main markets in terms of the way games are released are considered to be Japan, Europe, and North America. Canada and the US are the same market, more or less.

They don't need to ban particular games. They need to find better ways of informing parents what they're buying. Also, minor retailers pretty much never care about ratings. The store down the street from me rents out and sells M rated games to 13 year olds all the time. There's ratings, and people never pay attention. I know some parents out there don't care about getting their kid an R rated movie, but it's astonishing how many parents morally against R rated movies for kids will get their kid an M rated game…

Just sayin'…

Killa Tequilla
Killa Tequilla
14 years ago

Can Anybody Please Send Me The Link So I Can Sign It Myself Please?
I Want To Keep VIOLENCE In Games Or GOW Would Be NOTHING w/Out VIOLENCE. My Ps3 Is My Happy Place.

Vitron
Vitron
14 years ago

Dude, at least read the whole article before placing your comments.

manofchao5
manofchao5
14 years ago

" if you don't… i'll find you" lol love this sites humor

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Did this earlier, like quick, fast, and in a mf'ing hurry too!!!


Last edited by BikerSaint on 5/12/2010 9:57:49 PM

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

Love the new pic BikerSaint

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

I'm getting right to it! And I'll spread the word to my friends too!

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Dancemachine55,
That's demon Dog's new squeeze of the week,

Miss ThreeD Doggie heard that the PS3 was going 3D , so she just had to hooked herself up with Demon

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

LOL

Demon Dog found a techie. Good for him.

piratedrunk
piratedrunk
14 years ago

Signed. This would be absolutely absurd if they disagreed.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

You bet your sweet monkey ass I'm going to be signing this, the gaming world will not end while I'm around.

Snaaaake
Snaaaake
14 years ago

The world has spoken!!!

I_defenestrate
I_defenestrate
14 years ago

Considering that it ends with you, I would hope not!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

That's why they'll hafta kill me!

Qubex
Qubex
14 years ago

I am sure the majority of us here World, would never let you just die… defend the man with sword, so he will defend us…

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

They can take our lives, but they can never take our Gaming!

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

The World is an awesome thing!!!

… but political, religious and parental groups may misconstrue your pic and think all gamers are sword wielding ninjas who hide behind virtual identities.

Silly politics…

bridgera
bridgera
14 years ago

Blocking content from video games definitely violates first ammendment rights. Not sure why they deserve any special treatment.

Ratings systems, restricted age selling, no problem, content blocked by law, that's a problem.

Will sign soon.

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

Good point.

If movies can get away with extreme realistic gore using actors and real people (and kids have even easier access to that than some video games), then why on this mixed up world we live in do video games get blamed when its violence is virtual and clearly artistic!?!?!?!

Movies are often times worse with violent content!!!! Saw! Hostel!!! Smoking Aces!!! Kill Bill!!! The Warriors!!!

How are they any different or better than its video game counterparts like Madworld? Or God of War? Or Gears of War? Or Ninja Gaiden? Or GTA? Or Manhunt?

If films like Saw and Hostel can make it out to cinemas and DVD, then why can't video games, restricted or not, make it onto store shelves either?

Ludicrous!!! Absurd!!! Baffling!!!

Politicians, mothers and religious figures still see video games as electronic children's toys, and we need to help them move out of that mind frame.

ChesterT
ChesterT
14 years ago

NERD RAGE!!!!

Bugzbunny109
Bugzbunny109
14 years ago

No more video game oppression! *Does fist pump* 😀

P.S. I filled form out.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Alright, I signed it mother fackers. Now let's get some protesters outside that court room. Who can we surreptitiously put a Hitler mustache on?


Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 5/12/2010 10:17:55 PM

frylock25
frylock25
14 years ago

what about that baby hitler guy? hes perfect just maybe a bit young.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

The courts have been pretty good about free speech issues. I have faith they will make the right decision. The Elitists think they know best, Arnold can stick it….


Last edited by Jawknee on 5/12/2010 10:21:59 PM

gumbi
gumbi
14 years ago

unreal… games have a rating system, just like movies. wtf is the difference? why is this such a big deal? We really, badly, need to shed this whole 'video games are for little kids' stigma.

Violent games don't make people do violent things, violent people do violent things. games, movies, music, television… these media forms do NOT cause violence. If someone emulates video game violence it's not BECAUSE they saw it in a game, it's BECAUSE they ARE violent and could just as well have done something they saw on the news. I see way more horrific acts of violence on the daily news than I ever see in video games, and that sh*t is real! at least the stuff in games is fictional.

gah, i'm just getting angry now… petition signed!

OtisFeelgood
OtisFeelgood
14 years ago

Are you turning green too? Are you going to be a Hulk/Gumby hybrid?! ;o

gumbi
gumbi
14 years ago

haha, you wouldn't like me when i'm angry 😉

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

Wow. I just read the source article and I had no idea the gravity of this issue before I did so. Games not protected under the First Amendment!? This is an insult to thousands of artists and designers spread out across the world.
I couldn't believe anything like this would ever happen in today's world but I guess I was wrong. Back when fictional lieterature was first introduced, people thought it would rot your brain, and apparently today's society has just as dire a need for a scapegoat as they did in the past.
Vote this down like the plague, my friends. They want a war? We'll damn well give it to them. With our controllers in hand we will march, united, in the quest to end this preposterous legislation!


Last edited by Kowhoho on 5/12/2010 10:33:45 PM

Snaaaake
Snaaaake
14 years ago

"Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about Rock 'N' Roll." -Shigeru Miyamoto.


Last edited by Snaaaake on 5/12/2010 10:35:06 PM

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
14 years ago

I still remember that quote, from the Master of games himself…

So true!

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Signed.

And if you don't sign, and Ben doesn't find you, TheHighlander will. And as we all know, TheHighlander is immortal…so no hiding from TheHighlander…there can be only one!

King James
King James
14 years ago

done.

mustang750r
mustang750r
14 years ago

Done and I even posted the link to the petition on my facebook.

mustang750r
mustang750r
14 years ago

I've been posting the link everywhere on my FB page and have been sending the link to my PSN friends.

I want them… Scratch that! We NEED every gamer to know what's going on in the big world of ours.

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
14 years ago

You guys remember my ideas for a Silent Hill sequel, right?

It goes a little something like this:

-New ways of killing enemies such as setting up traps (digging holes for them to fall in, drenching a room with gasoline and throwing a match in there when you lure a bunch of enemies, etc.)

*Using your portable radio to confuse the enemy (will cost you battery life though, so if you waste it you'll be clueless as to if there are enemies nearby). But this technique is deadly and will save you in the most dire situations

*Build weapons from stuff you find around the SH world (pipes, nails, etc.)

*co-op play in story mode (higher difficulty and insane teamwork stuff you could do)

-New kinds of enemies who will SLOWLY find you no matter where you are (they will keep following (depending on the area or building you are)

*Enemies which are only defeated with a combination of burning their skin with fire, and then stabbing or shooting them (overall more depth to how enemies are defeated)

etc.

So make sure you sign this

I_defenestrate
I_defenestrate
14 years ago

*And bring Team Silent back.

You forgot one.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

What about Metal Gear Sunny?

sunspider13
sunspider13
14 years ago

I like those ideas very much.

Vitron
Vitron
14 years ago

too bad I can't sign…

FxTales
FxTales
14 years ago

Same here I woulda done it in a heart beat.

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
14 years ago

Why can't you sign?

Gabriel013
Gabriel013
14 years ago

It says American Gamers only.

I was going to sign too.

Shame really as I think this is actually a global problem, just the first battle is on American soil.

I wouldn't want to do something 'morally' wrong and for that to somehow count against the case.

I wonder if I could get away with using the State my head office is located in 😀


Last edited by Gabriel013 on 5/13/2010 1:14:43 AM

Vitron
Vitron
14 years ago

But I'll support this activity in any way I can.

FxTales
FxTales
14 years ago

"If you’re an American gamer, and you care about gaming and your rights, stand up and be counted" Also it asks for your state and has an * beside it.

mustang750r
mustang750r
14 years ago

Do you have any fam here in the States?

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