leland-yee
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Senator who crusaded against game violence arrested on corruption charges
California state senator Leland Yee, a Democrat best known in gamer circles for authoring Assembly Bill 1179 that sought to prevent the sale of violent titles to minors, has been arrested on public corruption charges. SFGate reports that the predawn raid of Yee's San Francisco office involved hundreds of federal and local authorities. The ongoing investigation also "targeted notorious former gangster Raymond 'Shrimp Boy' Chow who was once sentenced to 25 years in prison on gun charges." Senator Yee was previously arrested for shoplifting a bottle of suntan oil and was twice stopped by San Francisco police officers who suspected him of "cruising the Mission District in search of prostitutes." Yee made headlines in the wake of the 2013 Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting by telling gamers to shut the heck up. "Gamers have got to just quiet down. Gamers have no credibility in this argument," he said. "This is all about their lust for violence and the industry's lust for money. This is a billion-dollar industry. This is about their self-interest."
Report: Anti-games Sen. Leland Yee arrested on bribery, corruption charges
California State Senator Leland Yee, noted anti-video games official, was arrested this morning on charges of bribery and corruption, SF Weekly reported. The FBI conducted a raid of San Francisco's Chinatown district, and KCRA reported that agents took "computers and other documents" from Yee's office in the state capitol. Yee previously urged the Supreme Court to review the violent games bill AB-1179 his office authored in 2005, which failed at the Circuit Court level before being pushed through by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' ruling, deeming the law a violation of First Amendment rights. Yee responded to the decision, declaring that it "put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children" and that the games industry continued to profit "at the expense of our kids' mental health and the safety of our community." The news of Yee's arrest brings to mind anti-violent games attorney Jack Thompson's disbarment by the state of Florida in September 2008. Thompson's body of work included multiple failed Utah games bills. [Image: Leland Yee]
Senator Yee: SCOTUS ruling puts corporate America ahead of 'our children' [update: full statement]
After today's Supreme Court ruling, which declared it unconstitutional to ban the sale of violent video games to minors, California State Senator Leland Yee -- sponsor of the bill at the heart of the case -- is understandably disappointed. According to PC Magazine, Yee stated that the ruling "put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children." Yee added that the game industry would continue to profit "at the expense of our kids' mental health and the safety of our community." While the bill was struck down, Yee is "certain" that the court battle made more parents aware of violent games and that it "forced the video game industry to do a better job at appropriately rating these games." Considering that ESRB ratings already decorate both sides of every retail game box -- with further details available online -- we can only assume the next step is to begin broadcasting rating information at a frequency only parents can hear. Update: Senator Yee's full statement on the SCOTUS ruling can be found after the break. Yee praises Justice Stephen Breyer, who authored the court's dissenting opinion. The statement also noted that, within the 7-2 verdict, two justices of the majority opinion believed that a revised version of the law could pass muster, implying that the final decision was narrower than it might appear.
Analysis: What today's Supreme Court decision means to us
In 2005, California state legislature passed Assembly Bill 1179, a law penned by Democratic state senator Leland Yee which prohibited the sale of violent video games to minors. The law mandated the application of special stickers to titles deemed too violent, and slapped retail employees who sold those games to anyone under the age of 18 with a maximum $1,000 fine. The law was signed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but was struck down by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California before it could be enforced. Following an unsuccessful appeal of that decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the law's progenitors petitioned for a hearing in the United States Supreme Court. The petition was successful, the case was argued last November and, earlier today, seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices decided to uphold the decision of the lower courts: California Assembly Bill 1179 violates the First Amendment rights afforded to all forms of media in the United States. This decision obviously doesn't just affect Californian teenagers with a penchant for video games above their maturity level. It represents a vote of confidence in games and the non-governmental agency (see: The ESRB) which regulates their sale.
Leland Yee and Activision VP to debate if games should be restricted
Thursday, Thursday, Thursday, March 17! Make your way down to the San Francisco Commonwealth Club to see two titans of the "violent games" debate square off in an argumentative deathmatch. We're speaking, of course, of Activision vice president George Rose and California state legislator Leland Yee, who authored the infamous AB-1179; the mature game ban bill that made its way up to the Supreme Court in November. The two men will be debating the bill alongside Stanford Constitutional Law Center director Michael McConnell, with San Francisco Chronicle editor John Diaz serving as moderator, in a panel appropriately titled "Should Sales of Violent Video Games Be Restricted?" If you're in the Bay area, you can grab your tickets now. You're not going to want to miss it. We hear there's gonna be points and counterpoints.
ESA General Counsel lays out game industry argument to the Supreme Court
When the clock strikes 10 a.m. tomorrow morning in Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in the case of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association. By now, you know how the results of this landmark case will affect the video game industry and its consumers -- but who's actually going to bat for the industry in tomorrow's hearings? More importantly, how does that litigatory sausage get made? Entertainment Software Association general counsel and senior vice president Kenneth Doroshow is one such batter (or sausage-maker, depending on which of the previous metaphors you followed). A media law heavyweight in his own right, Doroshow has served as an executive for the Recording Industry Association of America and as senior counsel the U.S. Department of Justice before joining the ESA in September 2008. Tomorrow, he'll be one of the legal representatives for the Entertainment Merchants Association, responsible for helping it make its side of the argument to the Supreme Court. Doroshow broke down the specifics of that argument for us earlier today. To learn about the case the ESA is presenting in court tomorrow -- as well as the possible repercussions of the Supreme Court's decision -- check out our Q&A with Doroshow after the jump.
How tomorrow's Supreme Court violent game case could affect consumers
Tomorrow, the United States Supreme Court will convene to hear oral arguments for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association -- a case most gamers are likely familiar with. The court will decide whether or not to overturn the decisions of the Northern District of California Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals -- both of which found California law AB 1179, which bans the sale of "violent" video games to minors, to be unconstitutional. According to Entertainment Consumers Association vice president and general counsel Jennifer Mercurio, there's a lot more at stake in this case than whether or not mature titles will be legally withheld from Californian teenagers. Much, much more, in fact -- should the Supreme Court overturn the ruling of the two lower courts, certain First Amendment protections currently afforded to video games (and, by association, other forms of entertainment media) could be abolished, completely changing the landscape of the industry. Mercurio sums it up nicely: "I'd say it's clearly the most important and influential decision that the video game industry has ever faced."
Senator Yee's office recommends you mail him Kinect, not 'dated controllers'
In a cheeky response to the Video Game Voters Network initiative to bombard California senator Leland Yee's office with old and broken controllers, Yee's chief of staff Adam Keigwin told GamePolitics, "I think the Senator would appreciate a Kinect add-on rather than those dated controllers." That wasn't his only zinger. "I can only assume these broken controllers must represent the broken promises of the video game industry to parents," Keigwin quipped in his reply to GP on the matter, before firing off a list of "free speech awards" Sen. Yee has earned for his apparent commitment to the First Amendment. "In fact, there is not a California legislator who has authored more bills to promote speech rights than Senator Yee." Sen. Yee is the author of Caifornia's law AB 1179, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2005, which bans the sale of certain "violent" games to minors. Two years later, the Ninth District Court of Appeals found AB 1179 to be a violation of the First Amendment and effectively terminated the law. However, the Governator fought back, leading us up to November 2, 2010: the day the U.S. Supreme Court will hear opening arguments in the case -- and two days before any of us can actually send Yee a Kinect unit. Would the senator settle for a Move in the meantime?
The ESA wants YOU (to send in your broken controllers)
With oral arguments set to begin on November 2 in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA/ESA Supreme Court case, the ESA, via its Video Game Voters Network (VGVN), is looking to send a message to the proposed law's chief proponent, California senator Leland Yee. As part of a campaign against the anti-game legislation, which the ESA terms "unconstitutional, unwarranted and unnecessary," the VGVN is asking gamers to send their old or broken controllers to Yee. Additionally, the VGVN asks that gamers inscribe the message "I believe in the First Amendment" onto said controllers (we've illustrated the concept using an old ColecoVision steering wheel; pictured above), hoping Yee will understand that games should be protected as free speech -- and, perhaps more importantly, that game players are voters too. The VGVN adds that game accessories and cables are acceptable as well, making this the perfect time to finally put that GBA-GameCube link cable to good use. Head over to the VGVN website for more details on how to send off your controllers and join the cause.
California seeks US Supreme Court review of 'violent game ban' [update]
The state of California is asking the United States Supreme Court to review a US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision from February regarding its 2005 "violent video game law," declaring it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. According to GamePolitics. the law would require an additional warning label on games and slap retailers who sell violent games to minors with a $1,000 fine for each offense. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed Assembly Bill 1179 into law, said of today's action, "By prohibiting the sale of violent video games to children under the age of 18 and requiring these games to be clearly labeled, this law would allow parents to make better informed decisions for their kids. I will continue to vigorously defend this law and protect the well-being of California's kids." Update: Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin has weighed in on California's plea to the Supreme Court. His comments can be found after the break.
California video game law fails again in Circuit Court
The 9th Circuit Court has affirmed that the California game law is not going to fly -- so, state tax payers better prepare to write the Entertainment Software Association another check. This latest appeal was pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after a lower court had seemingly killed the law by placing a permanent injunction on it. ESA president Michael Gallagher believes this is a "win" for California's citizens, stating this is a "clear signal" that this type of "reckless" legislation is an "exercise in wasting taxpayer money, government time, and state resources." GamePolitics reports that Leland Yee (D) is pushing for California to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. Wonder how much money the ESA would get back from fighting that?
Behind the Curtain: Don't be ashamed
Picture the scene – you're at a family gathering, or maybe you're meeting your significant other's friends and family for the first time, and the conversation turns interrogative. Questions are asked about your hobbies; what you do to relax and how you spend your spare time. What do you do? When put on the spot like that, it's natural for gamers to feel trapped, to feel like admitting to playing MMOs would be tantamount to admitting to a rather kinky fetish or confessing that you've got a rather embarrassing disease – it might not be catching, but there's a chance that you'll get some funny looks, and you may just lose some credibility points. What about job interviews and applications? These invariably have a point where questions are asked about you hobbies and leisure time. While there are good arguments that putting down strong examples of guild leadership might work in your favour – owning up to the fact that you play an MMO upwards of 15 hours a week might not be the smartest thing career-wise. Don't get me wrong – I am proud and happy to be a geek and a gamer, and I've never wanted to be anything else; the wall above my desk sports a rare Akira poster I picked up on holiday France a while back; I own the complete boxed set of the original Transformers series; and much of my wardrobe consists of t-shirts from ThinkGeek and the Penny Arcade store. People ask me what I do in my spare time, and I look them straight in the eye and tell them that I'm a gamer, and while I'm not ashamed of it, I can't help but wince a little when I see most people's reaction to it.
Gov. Schwarzenegger distances self from Conan games
While he might be a big shot politician these days, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be associated with his breakthrough movie role as Conan the Barbarian. So it's not horribly unfair for the ABC7 Sacramento news team to ask the Governor's office how his public opposition to video game violence gels with THQ's new, extremely gory Conan video game. "The Conan character existed far before the governor portrayed him in the movies, and it still exists in different forms of entertainment," said Aaron McLear, the governor's press secretary. "The governor has no association with that game."Fair enough, but we're a little disappointed the ABC7 reporter didn't go the extra step and ask Schwarzenegger how he felt about the violence in the Conan movie -- the one he was associated with. Surely some children were exposed to the movie's wonton brutality and turned into broadsword wielding murderers, right? So why the double standard? And why no Kindergarten Cop video game? Inquiring minds want to know![Via GamePolitics]
Calif. Sen. Yee urges parents not to buy M-rated games
California State Senator Leland Yee gave a little poke to parents saying they shouldn't buy M-rated games for their children. But, like a good politician, he made the statement on Monday, three days after the official start of the shopping season, so we figured we'd follow his lead and report it a few days after that. As is typical of Yee, his heart is in the right place, but his message always sounds a bit too Thompson-ish.Yee says 60% of children ages 8 to 17 list M-rated games as being their favorite (we don't doubt that) and says parents should consider the content of the games before purchasing them (we agree!). That all sounds very reasonable. Then he goes on to say Manhunt 2 has "accessible content designed for an Adults-Only (AO) rating." There's a half-truth. He also says that Manhunt 2 is on many children's wish lists. That's a lie -- and if true, is merely a sign the parents need to seek counseling for their child. He also says that in many top-selling games, players are "rewarded for violence, including killing police officers, maiming elderly persons, running over pedestrians, and torturing women and racial minorities." Looking over a list of the top-selling games in October, and even the last few months, we don't have a clue what he's talking about.
Xfire Debate Club, uh, debates video game censorship
Should video games be expurgated for perceived obscene and/or indecent content? At 4:00 p.m. EDT today, Xfire Debate Club will be hosting talks concerning video game censorship. The heated exchange of words will be moderated by Henry Lowood of Stanford University. Other participants include: California State Senator Leland Yee ECA CEO Hal Halpin Game Politics Editor (and Joystiq contributor) Dennis McCauley Russ Pitts of Escapist Magazine Video game researcher Matteo Bittanti Dan Isett, Parents Television Council Those interested in participating in the debate can contact Xfire directly (Xfire account is required), although you may not be able to reach them this close to the start. A transcript is forthcoming.Update: the transcript is now available.
Fictional story about violent video game causes real censorship
San Francisco's Art Institute of California administrators confiscated copies of a magazine due to one piece. The offending work was Simone Mitchell's story Homicide, a tale of three black youths who go on A Clockwork Orange-style romp. The big twist ending is that it was all a video game being played by three white boys in the 'burbs. That's a better ending than M. Night Shyamalan's last piece of schlock.Mitchell, who is black, says, "There are so many stereotypes in games, of African Americans as thugs, for example. Video gamers are exposed to this kind of violence and offensive language all the time and need to think about what they are doing."Teacher Robert Ovetz (pictured) who protested the censorship was fired. State Senator Leland Yee, who actually wrote California's controversial game law, attacked the school for the censorship and for firing Ovetz.How can an art school, typically a bastion of free thinking, censor a piece of work? The school even went so far as to not allow a copy of the magazine be kept in the school's library archive. We'd rage and scream, but we've seen Leland Yee in action and we're sure he'll do a perfectly good job. Maybe defending a violent story, about a violent video game, will help Yee finally tie the two things together in his mind. Mitchell's work may have more ripple effects than originally expected.
Leland Yee @ GDC: a missed opportunity
We attended the GDC panel entitled "Murder, Sex and Censorship: Debating the Morals of Creative Freedom." The panel was notable for the presence of Leland Yee (pictured above), Democratic candidate for California State Senate, and notable anti-game crusader who passed a law that makes it a crime to sell to minors any game in which a player kills, maims, dismembers or sexually assaults an image of a human being. Yee's fellow panelists included Brenda Brathwaite, Jason Della Rocca, and James Paul Gee. For the most part, though, the audience had assembled to hear Yee defend his position on games. I'll cut through the niceties and get to the meat of it: this panel was a missed opportunity. Jason Della Rocca, who should have been able to ask Yee some good questions, behaved petulantly and unprofessionally (at one point, he loudly sighed into his microphone while Yee was making a particularly nutty point). I expected more of the Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). Get him some media and debate training, stat!
