Hmm... seems I didn't read that news blurb close enough. Turns out that "the law makes it a crime, punishable by a $500 fine, to sell or rent videogames that depict violence against police officers to anyone under the age of 17".

So it's not just any kind of violence, just violence against authority figures. I wonder if that means that, say, I have a game where the boss is a corrupt cop who has taken over a bridge, say. Say I have to throw bananas at him. The game is only rented T (teen) due to depictions of banana-related violence. But since I have to take out a cop (a corrupt one at that, but a cop nonetheless) my game can't be sold to kids under 17 under threat of a fine and possible charges.

That's where it gets dumb. If they do that with games, then they should also do it with every movie that depicts cops being attacked and every show that does the same. Can you imagine if they applied that broad brushstroke to every form of entertainment? Now I have no problem with ratings being enforced (see below) but to just target one aspect of the game and make that the focal point of a law is annoying. That, and it shows that games are the scapegoat of the week, as usual, and these old codgers are doing the ol' kneejerk reaction to them.

I don't think it should be a criminal offense. The fine is just hunky-dory, but you shouldn't be able to be locked away for selling games to minors. Again, see my rant below for more reasons why.