Violent Games Win – That’ll be $1.2 Million, Please

The Germans call it “Schadenfreude”, which means “pleasure experienced at the misfortune of others.” And because the EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association) not only won its huge case against Brown (aka Schwarzenegger) — who unsuccessfully sought with parents to ban the sale of violent video games from stores (hypocritical maybe just a little tiny bit?) — but this also week asked that CA cover the cost, it’s hard not to give a gleeful little cackle.

Naturally the debate over whether violence in video games inspires violence in reality is under perennial debate, despite the Supreme Court’s decision this past June is a victory for the anti-censorship crowd.

And with about 1.2 million dollars in legal fees, EMA feels it’s only fair if they ask California Taxpayers to cover the bill. On the other hand, it’s not like California doesn’t have serious debt problems, and it’s also not like the EMA couldn’t pony up some of it either (the EMA represents an industry with over 33 billion dollars in sales). Senator Leland Yee and even some members of the Supreme Court have vowed they will continue to seek other ways to enact similar bans.

The Ninth Circuit will now be the ones to hear over this mess, and help decide who is going to pony up the cash.

At this juncture we’re seeing the physical cost of the video game and violence debate. It’s always been tenuous, and inherently nebulous to define, but the more politicians continue to fight it, the worse things are becoming FINANCIALLY. Every argument on video games and violence only shifts the focus away from other issues, like education, immigration, and taxes to name a few, while concurrently adding to the debt by extending legal costs.

The more the case continues to stretch, the worse it leaves the state of California, both economically and politically. Both sides can continue to bicker about who pays what, and argue over who is right or wrong, all while making the tax-payers the ultimate loser, or they can treat the ruling for what it is. A ruling.

(via Joystiq)

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