Calif. law about violent games

California's legislature just passed a bill that requires violent videogame packaging to carry a sticker restricting sales to minors, The Inquirer in the UK reports, "in the same way as adult movies are." The bill now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing. California would be the second state to pass such legislation, after Illinois. According to The Inquirer, "this means that while the intended purpose of the bill, to stop children from being able to get hold of these games, will be carried out, it also means that large retailers such as Wal-Mart will probably not carry the games." So the gaming industry will be protesting the bill. The Inquirer makes an interesting point about this impending "kerfuffle," though: "The videogames industry really should have moved faster to address these concerns itself." The article points out that Japan's industry was self-regulating to avoid such legislation, "entering into a deal with retailers to ensure that over 18 games were sold only to over 18s or minors with their guardians present." Meanwhile, the New York Times suggests that Illinois was only the beginning (actually a milestone): federal-level politicians, led by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) of New York, are "ramping up" efforts to regulate videogames.