Video Game Voters Network Campaign

On Thursday, the Video Game Voters Network began publicizing their request for gamers to send old or broken controllers to the sponsor of the California Video Game Regulation Bill. Providing instructions and his address, the VGVN wants to send a message to California Senator Leland Yee that gamers believe in the First Amendment, and are willing to take part in a photo-opportunity worthy push-back of the government.

Is this going to do much in the long run? Well, it’s probably going to make his staffers somewhat unhappy, and it will draw attention to the cause if the gamers are able to stay polite and on message. (Pause for laughter.) Mostly, it will encourage some gamers to feel they are participating in the process by getting rid of some broken controllers, and it might not see much publicity.

The legality of the regulation is in the hands of the Supreme Court at this point, not State Senator Yee, but sending him controllers might (and this is a very loose “might”) dissuade him from backing another such bill in the near future. Other politicians will not have been affected by this campaign, unless they happen to see mention of it somewhere else, so the question becomes whether potentially influencing one state senator, and possibly getting some media attention is worth the effort.

I say, why not go for it? It gets gamers involved in the political process, and it gets broken controllers out of the house. Surely that might be worth the cost of shipping?