Georgia to Make Video Game Ratings Legally Binding?

“Four lawmakers in Georgia” have submitted a bill entitled “Violent Video Game Protection Act,” to Georgia’s General Assembly. If the bill is passed into law, the sale of video games determined to contain mature graphic violence by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to any consumer under the age of 18 would be a criminal misdemeanor.

At the present time, ESRB ratings are a voluntary, self-imposed system created by the American video game industry and are intended only as a guideline for consumers similar to the not legally binding, voluntary and self-imposed MPAA ratings on movies and recording industry’s 1985 adoption of parental advisory stickers.

Gamespot has published additional information about this potentially tremendous precedent setting bill.