Video Games on Trial

X-Play Supreme Court Coverage - Extended Ted Price Interview »

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If you've been following G4's coverage of the Supreme Court case you know how serious the upcoming decision is. If you haven't been following along, shame on you! Adam Sessler went on CNN today to talk about what tomorrow's decision means to gamers like you.

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The big day is almost upon us, folks. On November 2nd, the Supreme Court of the United States will consider whether video games should be afforded the same First Amendment rights as other forms of entertainment, as presented in the case of Schwarzenegger v. Electronic Merchant Association/Electronic Software Association. As you’d expect, G4 will be bringing you all of the latest from Washington D.C. with regards to this landmark case, so break out those day planners, and hit the jump, because here’s what G4 has in store for you.

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Next week, the Supreme Court of the United States will begin hearing oral arguments in the case of Schwarzenegger vs. Entertainment Merchant Association/Entertainment Software Association, the case that will decide whether the government has the right to regulate video game sales to minors. If you’ve been following the case at all, especially over the past year or so, then you know that this case marks a significant moment in the history of video games, and as such, G4 will be bringing you all of the latest developments from the nation's capital as they happen starting on November 2.

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Political action is awesome and all, but it usually requires standing up, or marching or something -- you know, effort. And I'm just not about that. Video game activists at the Video Game Voters Network understand my needs though, and have declared today a day of action. But it's action that doesn't require me to leave my keyboard! Perfect!

Here's the deal: To spread the word about what's going on with the battle between The State of California (hereafter referred to as "The Man") and the gaming industry, Video Game Voters is urging you to man your preferred social network and post about what's going on. Here's how:

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The state of California on Friday filed its reply brief to the United States Supreme Court in the case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association/Entertainment Software Association, aka the case that will determine whether a California law prohibiting the sale of “violent” video games to minors is indeed unconstitutional.

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This week, we’ve examined both sides of the upcoming Supreme Court case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchant Association and Entertainment Software Association, the case that will decide whether California’s law prohibiting the sale of “violent” video games is in fact, as deemed by lower court rulings, unconstitutional. The restrictions proposed in Assembly Bill No. 1179 appear straightforward, but as we’ve seen this week, those restrictions raise many serious First Amendment issues, not only for minors in terms of their rights, but most significantly for the video game industry as well.

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In part three of our on-going series examining the upcoming Supreme Court case Schwarzenegger v. Electronic Merchant Association/Entertainment Software Association, we will be looking at the arguments presented on behalf of the video games industry by the EMA and ESA (aka Respondents). If you need a refresher, be sure to check out Part One and Part Two to find out more about the bill that sparked this whole debate and California’s arguments in the case.

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In part one of our four-part feature on the upcoming Supreme Court of the United States case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Associations/Entertainment Software Association we walked you through the contents of Assembly Bill No. 1179, the bill responsible for sparking the upcoming Supreme Court case in the first place. For part two, we’ll look at California’s arguments in defense of the bill and how those arguments attempt to address the Ninth Circuit court of appeals decision, which upheld the decision that found the Act to be unconstitutional.

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As many gamers are aware, the Supreme Court of the United States will start hearing oral arguments in the case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Associations/Entertainment Software Association on November 2. At issue is the constitutionality of a 2005 law prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.

The EMA and ESA appealed the law after it was signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which eventually led to a permanent injunction being issued to block the law from taking effect. The state of California then challenged the injunction in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in late 2007, and in 2009, the court ruled the law was unconstitutional, prompting Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to take the case to the Supreme Court.

In part one of our four-part feature on the upcoming Supreme Court case, we will examine the contents of Assembly Bill No. 1179, aka the Act, to see, not only how it defined violent video games, but what it proposed be done to keep them out of the hands of minors.

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