The Entertainment Software Association wants Minnesotans to be outraged, and maybe they should be. After the state pursued an obviously unconstitutional video game law in 2006 that sought to penalise minors who purchase or rent M or AO rated video games, the ESA was forced to challenge the law. They were successful, and the state had to pony up $AU 68.31,000 in legal fees to the ESA for their effort. “Minnesota’s citizens should be outraged at paying the bill for this flawed plan. Minnesota’s public officials ignored legal precedent and instead pursued a political agenda that ultimately cost taxpayers money”, said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “Courts across the United States have ruled consistently that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as other forms of art, such as music and literature”.

The full press release, which can be found after the jump, is basically the ESA’s way of saying don’t f*** with the video game industry. Damn straight.