With the battle for video game regulation is coming closer, it seems that an odd ally has joined the ranks of gamers and developers everywhere.
As many informed gamers know, the Schwarzenegger vs Entertainment Merchant’s Association case, more commonly known as the “Violent Video Game Case,” will be start opening statements the Supreme Court on Tuesday, November 2nd. Figures such as Insomniac Games’ Ted Price have called out gamers “Step up” and fight for our rights under the law. Taking this call to action quite personally, I called in to the Rush Limbaugh program on Friday to get the host’s opinion on the matter. Limbaugh immediately stood up for the gaming industry, speaking about how the government is trying to manoeuvre its way into the lives of the people.
Join me any time the government tries to impinge on anybody’s speech. Join me when the government tries to tell you can’t eat trans fat. Join me when the government gets involved in all these other behavioural and speech things that they try to tell you and control us we can’t do: What kind of car we have to drive, whether or not we’re responsible for global warming, the kind of lightbulb we have to have, where our thermostats are. Get on board, my buddy. If it’s taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I’m glad to have you on our side, ’cause I agree with you. Leave your game alone. The people that put together these video games are artists in their own right. If you’re gonna start saying that video games are raunchy, then how the hell do you leave cable television alone?
While Limbaugh is certainly one of the most powerful political players in America at this time, this particular pundit is also one of the most polarizing. It’s wonderful to know that while we may not agree on the same type of politics, gamers band together with one of the unlikeliest of allies to stand up for our love. You can read the rest of my conversation with Limbaugh over at his website. Hopefully this call will increase the awareness of how serious an issue this really is. It’s not just about video games, but it’s about our First Amendment rights.
