The big question in the world of video games is how to effectively keep adult rated games out of the hands of minors? To effectively get a universal method in place would help to quiet the arguments of many activists who bemoan the ease with which young gamers get their hands on titles intended for mature adults. The Canadian province of New Brunswick is giving a whack at legislation that will help curtail the sales of inappropriate titles to minors.

They’re creating a license which retailers must obtain in order to legally sell video games. This sort of arrangement is already in place for DVD retailers and will make it easier to ensure that various retailers are following the age ratings put in place by the ESRB. Unfortunately even if this works it’s not a model we could adopt in the USA as the US courts have thus far upheld the decision that governmental enforcement policies cannot be based on private ratings systems such as the ESRB. It would be relatively simple of course to create a governmental regulatory body that rated games independently, but with an ailing economy and various other issues, it seems unlikely that President-Elect Obama will be addressing video games in the first years of his presidency.