Feature
The Supreme Court will soon be hearing the most important case in gaming history. Here’s what it could mean for you.
By Steve Watts
The videogame industry will finally have its day in court, and it will be before the highest court in the United States. What began as yet another attempt at state regulation has snowballed into the most important legal battle in videogame history. But what makes this case so important, and what’s at stake for publishers and gamers?
The History
The history of videogame regulation that led to this court date didn’t start in California at all. Instead, we can trace its roots back to 2001, in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Officials had drafted an ordinance regulating arcades, hoping to keep those under 18 from witnessing the violence in some of the games, but the motion was eventually struck down by Judge Richard A. Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
