Minnesota game bill signed into law

In recent years, a number of states have passed laws regarding violent games, most of them looking to fine retailers who sell violent games to children. Now Minnesota has a law that fines children for buying violent games from retailers.

Minnesota's Republican governor Tim Pawlenty has signed into law SF 785, which imposes a $25 fine on minors who purchase games rated M for Mature or AO for Adults Only. While it doesn't punish retailers for selling such games to children, it does require them to post a sign notifying customers of the fine.

[UPDATE]: The bill is scheduled to go into effect August 1, but it could be pushed back or struck down entirely. The Entertainment Software Association today has announced its intent to file suit against the state. A statement from ESA president Doug Lowenstein expressed deep disappointment in the actions of the Minnesota governor and legislature.

"We believe that SF 785 is unnecessary and will restrict the First Amendment rights of Minnesota's citizens," Lowenstein said in a statement. "To enact 'feel good' bills knowing they're likely to be tossed by the courts is the very height of cynicism."

In this case, one person's cynicism can be another's idealism. Last week, the law's co-author was interviewed, Minnesota state Senator and member of the Democratic Farmer Labor party Sandra Pappas. When asked why she believes this measure is constitutional when so many others have not been, Pappas said, "Legislators don't worry too much about what's constitutional. We just try to do what's right, and we let the courts figure that out."

I've been playing CS since I was 8 years old (It's rated M or 17+ or something like that) and I'm not a violent guy - what a stupid law to pass. Good thing I don't live in Minnesota.

How can you fine children?

Well, I have yet to come across a shop that actually cares about the rating on the computer games. In the USA, youth violence is a major problem, which explains why some measures are taken (although I don't know why a state like Minnesota would care).

I've seen GAME go by game ratings many times; turing a six year old kid away with GTA Vice City in his had, but I think there are two kinds of ratings. The PEGI (Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games) ratings are widely ignored (they are a grey square), but some games, like GTA have the 19 or 15 in a red circle, they are the bbfc ratings. British Board of Film Classification, the independent regulator of the film and video industry in the UK.
The BBFC provides statements of evidence in support of Trading Standards and other enforcement agencies such as Police and Customs.

PEGI Game ratings look like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI

BBFC Ratings look like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Board_of_Film_Classification

Almost all of the games that I own are rated by ESRB, with the occasional Australian game (only Rome TW, I think) being rated by an Australian censor.