Stop Schwarzenegger Now!

Write the Governor

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED: Write Gov. Schwarzenegger and Stop His Appeal to Supreme Court on Anti-Video Game Law

He's Back and Despite Two Courts Terminating His Law, He is Considering Going to the Supreme Court.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering filing an appeal to the Supreme Court to bring California's Anti-Video Game Bill, AB1179, back from the dead. This is despite the fact that a Federal District Court and a Federal Circuit Court declared this law unconstitutional due to 1st amendment violations.

Terminate His Appeal - Write the Governor Now

Your help right now is critical.

If you and other Californians speak up on behalf of video games, we can help bring this hypocritical legislative assault on video games to an end. The LA Times criticized the Governor in an editorial arguing, "Having made a career off fantasy violence, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an odd advocate for the regulation of violent video games. After all, his face (and, sometimes, his voice) helps to sell a number of electronic kill-fests."

To date, federal courts have already required the Governor to pay almost $400,000 in taxpayer dollars to the ESA to cover its legal fees for contesting this video game law. He should remain focused on the real problems facing the state, instead of wasting much needed money, his valuable time, and limited state resources on this unnecessary fight.

As gamers, parents, voters and taxpayers, we need to stop him.

Write the Governor - Because Our Games Deserve the Same 1st Amendment Protections As His Movies

Write a letter in your own words, and tell Governor Schwarzenegger that California does not need to do the work of the ESRB. Instead, he should focus on educating parents about parental controls and the ESRB - and leave video games alone!

Thank you,
The Video Game Voters Network
http://www.videogamevoters.org

 
Submitted By: Elliott Thomas
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The Origins:

Feel the Magic: XY/XX, known in Japan as Kimi no Tame nara Shineru ("I would Die For You") and in Europe and Australia as Project Rub, is a minigame video game compilation developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and was later released in Japan, Australia, and Europe.

Feel the Magic: XY/XX was originally announced at E3 2004 under its code name, Project Rub. Then-executive managing director Yuji Naka said the title would place "an emphasis on controls using a Touch Screen, which will allow us to achieved the concept of 'rubbing,' a unique and fun gameplay mechanic made possible by the DS. We will investigate a wide-range of gaming elements unique to DS, so look forward to future SEGA titles." Game details and previews came much later, in October.

FTM the attempts of a young male protagonist to impress a young woman, aided by a group of people known as the "Rub Rabbits" into completing a series of minigames related to the plot. These minigames are all controlled by the touch screen and microphone, and often involve tapping, scribbling, and blowing into the microphone. On February 2, 2006, the game won the "Best Concept" award at the 2006 Imagina Games Awards. The game has been dubbed as one of the top ten weirdest of all time.

The Game:

Feel the Magic: XY/XX is played solely with the stylus and microphone, and features a voice recognition system through both speaking and breathing. It is composed of several minigames that are loosely linked, as the player tries to impress the girl.There are three main modes of play. Story mode is the main mode which contains the minigames in each chapter with three levels

of difficulty, 'Normal', 'Hard', and 'Hell'. Memories is a gameplay mode where one can play any of the previous minigames previously beaten. Stars can be collected in Memories, that can unlock certain pieces of clothing. The third mode, Maniac, is where one is able to take all the articles of clothing earned during the game to dress up the girl.

There are other features in the game. It can be played in English or Japanese, allowing it to be import friendly. 'Hidden Rabbits' can be collected in the cutscenes through Story mode, and after collecting enough, clothing can be unlocked. There are 60 Hidden Rabbits. After completing the game, the Sound Test is unlocked, where the sound effects and music can be listened to. Feel the Magic: XY/XX has automatic saves.

The Sequel:

A followup titled Where do Babies Come From? (Akachan wa Dokokara Kuruno? ?) was released on October 20, 2005 in Japan. The North American (and European) version was titled The Rub Rabbits! and released in February 2006 (February the 10th in Europe). It does not star the protagonist of this game; rather, the game focuses on the Rub Rabbit leader as the main protagonist, with the story taking place before he forms the Rub Rabbits.

Stop Rep. Joe Baca's Bill Before it Gains Traction

Tell Your Representative - Don't Sponsor Rep. Baca's bill H.R. 231

URGENT: Stop Your Representative From Sponsoring Federal Bill to Mislabel Video Games

As you read this, your Congressperson may be considering co-sponsoring the newest regulatory assault on video games - Rep. Joe Baca's (D-CA) bill H.R. 231 "The Video Game Health Labeling Act."  Baca's bill mandates that video games rated Teen or higher receive the following warning label:

Baca's bill is misguided, unnecessary, and simply unconstitutional. In a letter seeking co-sponsors of this bill, Rep. Baca points to research claiming a causal link between video games and aggressive behavior, even though this very same research was rejected as faulty by a majority of federal and state courts.

Let's fight back, and stop this political bullying of video games. Check out the bill, and send a letter to warn your representative now. Don't wait for the courts to put an end to it - let's stop this bill before it starts.

Tell Your Congressperson - "Do Not Sponsor Baca's Bill"

The Reasons Why Your Congressperson Shouldn't Sponsor H.R. 231:

• No Causal Link Between Real - Life Violence and Video Games - Rep. Baca is promoting a link between video games and real-life violence that is based on disputed research which was rejected by many federal and state courts as flawed, speculative, and unreliable.
• It is Unconstitutional - Since 2001, there have been twelve decisions finding that video game regulation statutes were unconstitutional. Video games are entitled to equal treatment. For instance, the government can't force labels on the video game "The Godfather," while "The Godfather" movie is unregulated. Also, courts have found it is unconstitutional for the government to adopt the ESRB system.
• It Misleads by Mislabeling - This bill would mislabel some games rated Teen or higher as violent when they contain no violent content. Under this bill, music-based games would be mischaracterized as violent even though they are rated T for potential objectionable lyrics for younger ages.
• It is Unnecessary - Self-regulation is already overwhelmingly effective. The Federal Trade Commission's study showed 87% of parents are aware of the ESRB ratings and are "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with the ratings system. The National Institute on Media and Family (NIMF) gave the ESRB an "A" for its ratings and education efforts in its annual report card last year.
• Violence is Down, While Use of Video Games is Up - Violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s. During the same period of time, video games have steadily increased in popularity and use, exactly the opposite of what one would expect if there was a causal link.

Help Stop this Bill and Write Your Representative

Unless you take a few minutes and send a letter now, video games will continue to be an easy political punching bag. You can make a difference just like the hundreds of VGVN members in Utah, who wrote their governor last month, resulting in the governor's vetoing of an anti-video game.

Thanks for your help,
Video Game Voters Network
http://www.videogamevoters.org


 Submitted By: Elliott Thomas
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