A new University of Missouri study claims that playing violent video games causes players to become more aggressive as their brain gets less responsive to violence, predicting an increase in aggression.

Common Sense Media released the results of a nationwide parent poll that revealed nearly three-quarters of adults would support a law that prohibits minors from purchasing ultraviolent or sexually violent video games without parental consent.

A California law that would ban the sale of violent video games to minors does not violate the First Amendment and ensures parents can exercise their authority to determine what content is appropriate for their children, according to an amicus brief written by Columbia Law School Professor Theodore Shaw.

The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), the non-profit membership organization that represents gamers, today revealed a list of new partners that have offered their support to the ECA and the gamer petition campaign.

In 2005, the California State Assembly approved legislation to limit the access of extremely violent video games to minors (anyone under 18), which was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger but immediately appealed by the VSDA and ESA, and has now finally been overturned by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which deemed it unconstitutional.

A new research project by Middlesex University psychologists Miss Jane Barnett and colleagues on 292 male and female online gamers playing the game World of Warcraft concluded that people who play violent games online actually feel more relaxed and less angry after they have played.

Medical News Today has published a research paper based on tests of 2,500 kids by psychology professor J. Ronald Gentile and his son Douglas Gentile, assistant professor of psychology and director of research for video game critic National Institute on Media and the Family. The document claims that frequently playing violent video games produces hostile actions and aggressive behaviors.

On Oct. 7, 2005, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation banning the sale of violent video games to children. The video game industry filed an appeal few days later, and since the law was on hold until Judge Ronald Whyte had a chance to review the facts. According to Gamepolitics the Judge has now thrown out the law as unconstitunional saying, "The evidence does not establish that video games, because of their interactive nature or otherwise, are any more harmful than violent television, movies, internet sites or other speech-related exposures."

The State of Michigan must pay the video game industry $182,349 in attorney's fees and costs as a result of successful litigation challenging an unconstitutional effort to enact a law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, Judge George Caram Steeh, US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, ruled yesterday.

Yesterday US District Judge Robin J. Cauthron handed down a preliminary injunction halting Oklahoma’s law which prohibits the sale of video games depicting inappropriate violence to minors, claiming it unconstitutional in various ways.

United States District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly ruled yesterday that the state of Illinois must pay the video game industry $510,528.64 in attorney's fees for its unconstitutional effort to enact a law banning the sale of violent video games.

Reuters reported that a federal judge has agreed to an appeal made by video game industry groups, thereby prohibiting Louisiana from implementing its new law, which prevents sales of violent games to children under the age of 18. The legislation, which fined violators up to $2,000 and/or one year in prison, was signed into law last week by Governor Kathleen Blanco.

Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco has signed bill HB1381, drafted with help from anti-video game activist Jack Thompson, into law, prohibiting the sale or rental of games with violent content to minor by retailers. Not skipping a beat the ESA filed suit in the Federal District Court of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to overturn the state's new video game law.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has signed a violent video game bill into law as SF 785. Under the law, which goes into effect on August 1, 2006, minors under 17 who rent or purchase M- or AO-rated games will be fined $25. Additionally, retailers will be required to post a sign notifying customers of this practice.

Indiana Democratic State Senator Vi Simpson and Republican State Senator Dennis Kruse introduced SB 135, a bill that would fine retailers who rent or sell violent and/or sexually explicit games to minors. It also would have required a sticker with an 18 age requirement to be put on violent games. Unfortunately for the senators they couldnt muster enough of their colleagues to even give it an initial vote within the deadline, which ended today, and is now consdiered dead (thanks Gamepolitics).

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a new California state law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, saying a lawsuit challenging the measure was likely to prevail on grounds of free speech.

Back in May Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich introduced a bill to ban violent video games, which was then later approved and had to go in effect January 1st. On July 25, 2005, a lawsuit was filed challenging the law, claiming it violated the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. Today, Federal District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in Chicago, IL agreed with the plaintiffs and ruled that the video game restriction law is unconstitutional, and issued an order permanently enjoining the law's enforcement. You can read the full, 53 page, ruling right here...

To better prepare parents buying gifts for their kids, especially with the holiday season coming up Family Media Guide has prepared a list of the Top 10 Most Violent Video Games released so far this year. Trained video game analysts capture and document instances of profanity, sex, violence, and substance abuse using a database-driven technology.

Today a federal judge put a temporary hold on the violent video game law banning sales of violent video games to minors which was to go in effect December 1, 2005. The Entertainment Software Association ands several other organizations challenged the law and Judge George Caram from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted a preliminary injunction stating that the state had failed to show what harm could result from selling games to minors. Instead the judge claimed stifling free speech could cause more obvious harm.

On October 25 Florida state Rep. Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla introduced a bill that would ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, a near clone of legislation recently signed into law by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who himself is featured in several video games based on his action film roles.

The Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) and Entertainment Software Association (ESA) filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn the recently passed California law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.

Interactive Entertainment Merchant's Association (IEMA)'s president Hal Halpin reacted today to the recent signing by govenor Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of the A.B. 1179 bill making it illegal to sell Mature rated games to minor.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ignored strong lobbying from software makers and signed legislation on Friday that bans the sale of violent video games to children.

The trade association representing the industry's leading retailers of computer and video games, the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) requested that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger veto Assembly Bill 1179, which would criminalize the sale of video games that depict certain types of violence. The controversial bill was passed by the California State Legislature and the governor now has thirty days to either sign it in to law or veto.

Shortly after California passed the first bill banning sales of Mature or Adult Only rated games to minor, the state of Michigan follows suit. Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today signed legislation that that will make the sale or rental of mature or adult-rated video games to children illegal. The new law applies to children age 17 and younger and will take effect on December 1, 2005 (thanks Blues).