Quotes by Douglas Lowenstein

“It is not up to any industry or the government to set standards for what kids can see or do; that is the role of parents. Everyone involved with this misguided law has known from the start that it is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment freedoms of those who create and sell video games.”

“Interactive entertainment is going through a dynamic period, ... Video and PC games are becoming ubiquitous worldwide as the industry ... (creates) new technology and a range of content to keep up with growing demand from consumers.”

“Everyone involved with this misguided law has known from the start that it is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment freedoms of those who create and sell video games.”

“Top games now debut with the same hype and anticipation accorded top movies and music albums, and often outsell them. Tremendous amounts of time, money, and talent go into developing todays games. And whatever the platform, there is something challenging, interesting, and exciting for virtually everyone.”

“We are disappointed that politicians of both parties chose to toss overboard the First Amendment and free artistic and creative expression in favor of political expediency,”

“its illogical that video games be treated more harshly than R-rated movies or music CDs with parental warning labels, both of which can be legally viewed and sold to minors.”

“[The ESA called the sentencing] a clarion warning for others contemplating computer and video game piracy, ... sentences of this magnitude send a clear message to game retailers that selling pirate products has serious consequences, including prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

“In 2004, the average game buyer was 37 years old and the average game player was 30. Knowing this, our industry creates a wide range of content for a diverse consumer audience, just as other entertainment industries do. And, its illogical that video games would be treated more harshly than R-rated movies or music CDs with parental warning labels, both of which can be legally viewed and sold to minors. How can you treat a video game based on James Bond any different than a book or movie based on the same subject matter?”

“If this law is implemented, it will not only limit First Amendment rights for Michigans residents, but, by virtue of its vagueness, it will also create a huge amount of confusion for Michigans retailers, parents, and video game developers. Im confident the court will affirm our position given the rulings on similar statutes in other jurisdictions; indeed, the facts, the science, the law, and the U.S. Constitution have not changed since those decisions were handed down.”

“The combination of these new controls, the existing ESRB rating system, and voluntary commitments by retailers not to sell Mature and Adult Only games to minors strikes the right balance between strong self-regulation and the ultimate responsibility of parents to take charge of the media their kids consume.”