The other shoe has dropped in Oklahoma.

As expected, the EMA (retailers) and ESA (publishers) jointly announced yesterday that the video game industry has filed suit in Oklahoma to challenge the state's new video game law on constitutional grounds.

"Legislators have sold parents a bill of goods for political expediency," said ESA President Doug Lowenstein in a press release. "They know the bill will be struck down, they know it's based on bad science, and they know it won't help parents do their jobs. What they won't tell voters: we just picked your pocket to the tune of a half million dollars, the amount the state will have to reimburse the ESA after the inevitable decision is made to strike down the law."
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It's a "dodge."

That's the position taken by the Parents Television Council (PTC) regarding Wednesday's ESRB Capitol Hill unveiling of its Commitment to Parents campaign.

In a highly critical press release, Tim Winter, executive director of the PTC termed the ESRB initiative, "Yet another dodge by the video game industry to avoid accountability for the harm it inflicts on children. It's the same old rhetoric... This week's announcement does absolutely nothing to help families"

Winter urged passage of video games sales legislation such as that sponsored in Congress by Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)

The PTC head vowed to continue with a secret shopper campaign as well as to "continue to heighten public awareness on this critical issue of children's health."

UPDATE: The ESRB declined to comment on the PTC's criticisms.

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Lots of editorial opinion to check out today, so here goes:

Strong stuff in the Washington Post, where writer Jose Antonio Vargas offers more info on the highly-controversial Super Columbine Massacre RPG game, including the revelation of the real name of its creator, Danny LeDonne (seen at left). By the way, I think GP is first to reveal LeDonne's MySpace. The WaPo's Vargas also spoke to the widow of Columbine victim Dave Sanders, a popular teacher killed in the 1999 school shooting. Vargas reports that, upon learning that a video game based on the massacre had been created, Mrs. Sanders was, quite understandably, unable to continue the conversation.

In the Peoria Journal-Star, columnist Phil Luciano blames poor writing skills on video games. Luciano writes in part, "Many of my college students... seem to be less familiar with books than earlier generations. In part, you can blame the influence of video games in pre-teens' lives. If the choice is 'Moby Dick' or Playstation, I think we know which one a kid will pick... In other words, good writing means good salaries. Think about that the next time you choose between taking your kid to the video store or the library..."

GP: For many reasons, we think Luciano couldn't be more wrong on this point. We'd advise him to do a little research next time, and encourage him to read Marc Prensky's excellent Don't Bother Me, Mom - I'm Learning!!.
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Recently, GamePolitics reported on a compilation video of scenes from violent video games which Missouri State Rep. Jeff Harris (sponsor of HB1467) used to great effect at hearings before the Public Safety Committee of the Missouri House.

Hoping to see the video for ourselves, GamePolitics did a little digging and learned that the video used by Harris had been provided by the Parents Television Council. While declining to release the video to GP, the PTC's Gavin McKiernan agreed to be interviewed by GP correspondent Andrew Eisen.

AE: Tell us a bit about yourself, the PTC, and what you do there.

GM: I am the National Grassroots Director for the PTC. I coordinate our volunteer activists around the country. The PTC is the nation's largest advocacy group protecting children from sex, violence and profanity in the media. Our primary goal is to educate people on the state of today's media and to provide tools for parents at no cost to help them make the best media decisions for their family. We hope that once they are well informed, people will want to become active and voice their opinion on the state of media today.

AE: What's the story behind the violent games video that Missouri Rep. Jeff Harris used at the hearing a few weeks ago? Who proposed its creation and who actually put it together? How were specific games or game scenes chosen for the video?
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Aging singer Pat Boone, once known as "The kid in the white buck shoes" (GP kids you not) writes an op-ed in today's World Net Daily celebrating the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) and the Parents Television Council (PTC).

Boone notes that 2006 is the 11th anniversary of the PTC. GP notes that the PTC, which encompasses video game activism within its scope, recently urged Oklahoma legislators to vote in favor of that state's video game legislation. The bill, HB3004, passed both houses unanimously and now appears on its way to Gov. Brad Henry for signature.

Of the PTC, Boone says: "This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Parents Television Council, the organization that has led the national effort to restore responsibility and common decency to the entertainment industry, particularly television. This valiant group of dedicated people has determined to help concerned parents and teachers accomplish their goal of nurturing fine, moral and honest kids."

"Now more than 1 million members strong, the PTC has gained worldwide recognition as America's largest and most influential watchdog organization. "Watchdog"? You flinch? Has that word become a pejorative? A negative? As if we don't need 'watching'? C'mon, get real."

GP: Now GP's not saying that Boone is two-faced, but we chuckle as we recall him singing Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" on his sad, failed attempt to rock out with the 1997 album In a Metal Mood:

I got no friends 'cause they read the papers
They can't be seen with me
And I'm feelin' real shot down
And I'm gettin' mean

No more Mister Nice Guy
No more Mister Clean
No more Mister Nice Guy
They say he's sick, he's obscene...

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Prior to yesterday's vote, the Los Angeles-based Parents Television Council threw its support behind video game legislation in the Oklahoma State Senate. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Glen Coffee, passed unanimously (see GP story above).

In a press release issued Saturday, the PTC, which claims to have over one million members in the United States, called on the Oklahoma Senate to pass Coffee's measure.

"This bill will protect children from the graphic violence and explicit sex that is common in many video games without infringing on the rights of adults. Currently, retailers have no legal obligation to curtail the selling of graphic, harmful and violent video games to minors, the parents in Oklahoma want that to change," wrote PTC executive director Tim Winter.

"Voluntary compliance by the video game industry has been a failure..." Winter continued, "In addition, medical research offers overwhelming evidence that these ultra-violent games can cause damage to a child's brain."

The PTC press release goes on to say that the organization has "intensified its efforts to increase public awareness to the impacts of violent video games and their affects on children... chapter directors have called on... lawmakers to make the sale restrictions of violent video games to children a high priority. Violent video game legislation has passed in Michigan, Illinois and California, and is being considered in many states including Missouri, Kansas, and Minnesota as well as at the federal level in Congress."

GP: No mention in the PTC press release that the Michigan and Illinois laws were found to be unconstitutional, nor that the California statue may face a similar fate next month when a Federal District Court judge is scheduled to rule on the video game industry's challenge.

Plus, a tip of GP's hat to regular Fandel Mulkey for letting us know about this one!