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Yee denies being anti-videogames, as California court date approaches

California Assemblyman Leland Yee has given an assurance that his bill designed to prevent the sale of violent games to minors will be his last involvement in the sector, in the wake of his appearance at GDC last week.

California Assemblyman Leland Yee has given an assurance that his bill designed to prevent the sale of violent games to minors will be his last involvement in the sector, in the wake of his appearance at GDC last week.

Speaking with US website GamePolitics, Yee - who is often cited as one of the industry's most outspoken and implacable critics - said that he didn't see GDC as "enemy territory" and described the industry as "partners in trying to make things better for our children."

However, addressing the legal challenges being mounted by industry trade bodies against his Californian legislation, he told the site that "we believe that we will prevail." Final arguments in the case are expected to be heard in May.

Yee was speaking in the wake of a panel discussion in San Jose last week where he took the stage along with university professor and author Dr James Paul Gee, IGDA chief Jason Della Rocca, and game designed Brenda Brathwaite, who leads the IGDA's special interest group on Sex in Games.

He was keen to emphasise that his law, which places restrictions on retailers in California regarding the sale of violent games to minors, is not part of a wider crusade against videogames.

"This [current California law] is all that I'm going to be doing with the gaming," he explained. "I think the other concern that many people have was that this was a slippery slope. 'Are you going to go after other things,' and so on. The honest truth right now - I don't see myself doing anything now or in the future on this gaming thing."

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Rob Fahey avatar

Rob Fahey

Contributing Editor

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.