Governor signs controversial law
New York Governor David Paterson has signed a controversial law which will require the prominent display of age ratings on game packages and mandatory parental controls on game consoles by 2010.
Richard Taylor of the Entertainment Software Association told ABC News that the bill unfairly "singled out the video game industry over all other forms of media". Taylor also voiced concern that the government could eventually shift its focus to other content such as "books, theatre and film."
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, criticised the bill as little more than "moral preening". Norquist told ABC News that the bill was legally "unconstitutional" and noted that it had been struck down by numerous US states.
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman concurred. "New Yorkers do not need the State judging which video games are appropriate and which aren't.” According to Lieberman, "parents, not government committees, should be responsible for making those judgments."