As expected, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed a notice of appeal to the recent decision of courts that declared California's video game violence law unconstitutional. According to the said bill signed back in 2005, the sale of video games is restricted to anyone below 18 years of age. The Governor explained:

Many studies show the link between plagying ultra-violent video games and violent behavior. We have a responsibility to our kids and our communities to protect against the effects of games that depict ultra-violent actions. We protect our children from buying inappropriate movies and ought to be able to protect them from buying inappropriate video games as well.

In a counter move, the Entertainment Software Association or ESA has filed a motion to Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the Northern District of California for the reimbursement of attorney fees and other expenses during the trial from Schwarzenegger. The amount bring asked by the association totals US$ 324,480. ESA President Michael Gallagher had this to say:

California citizens should be outraged at their elected leaders. Hard-earned tax dollars were spent on defending this law that California's state leaders knew was unconstitutional... From early on, the industry warned Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Yee that this bill was unconstitutional and would be thrown out by the courts and that California taxpayers would pay the cost.

Both the ESA and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) believe that the governor's appeal is going to be a disappointment as other rulings on prior similar cases are consistent with the decision of the California courts. EMA President Bo Andersen gave this piece of advice to Governor Schwarzenegger:

The court's ruling is consistent with rulings that have barred eight similar laws around the nation, and we fully expect it to be upheld on appeal. Rather than wasting more public funds in trying to defend a patently unconstitutional law, we believe the state should invest in helping parents make informed decisions about the video games brought into their homes.

Guys, it is now official. Entertainment Software Association (ESA) finally confirmed today the rumors circulating about the resignation of Doug Lowenstein as the organization's president. The rumors, that began before the weekend, were also true about Lowenstein starting a new trade group.

Furthermore, ESA mentioned that they have began looking for someone to replace Lowenstein. While no prospects were named yet, everybody knows that the group's ex-president certainly left a big void that is hard to fill in. Twelve years ago, Lowenstein founded ESA together with a companion. Today, he left it with 32-strong employees and a strong reputation regarding anti-piracy enforcement, domestic and international intellectual property policy, government and media relations as well as research.

Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) President Bo Andersen reflected on the void the resignation created. He reiterated how the guy slaved and built ESA into a positive and influential institution in the videogame industry. Finally, Lowenstein leaves everyone in the industry this message:

I have been honored to represent the amazing companies of the ESA, to serve as their advocate and to be part of an industry which is having such a profound and positive effect on our culture and the world of entertainment. Like our industry, the ESA has grown and matured and is now stronger and more robust than ever before. The future of video games and its trade association is very bright indeed.