Spector's fears for US violent game ruling

Junction Point boss Warren Spector has highlighted the need for the games industry to battle political efforts to bar the sales and rental of adult-themed videogames to perceived minors.

"November 2nd could be the start of a timeline where we're the first entertainment medium denied first amendment protection," the Deus Ex and Epic Mickey creator claimed at the PAX conference.

Although the motion from assorted states, including Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenneger, has previously been denied, a further Supreme Court ruling is due in November.

11 states are believed to be pursuing tighter regulation.

Major games industry figures fear that tagging violent titles as adult-only will lead to their removal from store shelves.

Spector claimed that it was important for the games industry and gamers to embrace the mainstream (perhaps referring to his own Mickey Mouse project for Wii) in order to achieve social acceptance and become "an art form worthy of study."

"We spent 20 years trying to convince people that we were cooltrying to show them just how cool games were ... and we won," he claimed of traditional gamers and fellow developers.

"But we need to get past not wanting to let other people in the club. We won, and we feel bad about it."

Despite this, he felt gaming was moving into something of a golden age. "When your grandmother and little sister are playing games, it's harder for people to look at it as a way to make political points."

Warren Spector's full PAX keynote may be viewed here.