In the seemingly never-ending battle for video game freedom, the Supreme Court has ruled in a 7 to 2 that video games are protected under the First Amendment, much like music, books, and movies. Many people took action signing the gamer petition and directly filing briefs with the Court to make their voices and opinions heard.
“Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player’s interaction with the virtual world). That suffices to confer First Amendment protection.“
The decision has been a long time coming, and definitely a victory for gamers and the video game industry, although it sure won’t be the last battle. These new parameters will be continually tested in the future, but the ECA will continue to fight for the rights of the rights of us as gamers and those who provide the entertainment we enjoy.
