Is legislation against Narc doomed?

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Video games

Video games involving intense action and violence, such as Grand Theft Auto." San Andreas, Narc, Killzone, and Doom, have caught the attention of legislators. Since 2003, nine states have passed laws that make the sale of violent video games to minors unlawful. The video game industry, however, has successfully challenged the laws on First Amendment grounds.

Federal courts in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington declared the laws unconstitutional. Illinois' statute was struck down by a federal court in 2006 citing that it was unconstitutionally broad. The statute restricted a minor's access to a game based solely on the violent nature or sexually explicit content of the game. Michigan and Minnesota's laws were overturned in 2006 also. Washington's law, which prohibited the sale of video games that depicted violence against law enforcement officers, was overturned in 2004.

California, Louisiana and Oklahoma have been prevented by the courts from enforcing their statutes. Maryland and Virginia passed laws in 2006 that have not been challenged to date.

Additionally, in 2006...