The ESA Unveils Video Game Rally App For Facebook

The Video Game Voters Network has put together a new Facebook app called the Video Game Rally which lets people sign a petition to defend videogames, encourage their fellow gamers to join in and even win a prize in the process.

Users who join the Video Game Rally will be prompted to sign the "Petition to Defend Video Games," which notes that efforts to regulate videogame sales are unconstitutional and wasteful, and that inappropriate games would be better kept out of the hands of children through a focus on parental education instead. Users can earn points by signing the petition and then following up with other actions like recruiting friends to join the effort; whoever has the highest point total as of April 16 will be awarded his or her choice of an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii console.

"We believe all public officials should oppose the government regulation of video game sales and/or content, and we urge them to consider supporting effective self-regulatory programs to educate parents about the ESRB game ratings and parental control tools," the petition says. "Just like movies, books, and music, video games must remain an entertainment medium that is self-regulated, without government intrusion."

Founded in 2006 by the Entertainment Software Association, the Video Game Voters Network is "a movement of American gamers of voting age who are protecting free speech and defending video games from intrusive legislation and regulation." The group currently boasts over 150,000 members and has been involved in numerous grass-roots efforts to combat unconstitutional restrictions on videogame sales.

Click here to install the Video Game Rally application to your Facebook page. (Assuming that's one what does with Facebook apps; I joined Facebook about 15 minutes ago just to see this thing in action, sadly reducing the number of people on the planet who still haven't signed up to roughly six.) To learn more about the Video Game Voters Network and how you can stand up for your political rights as a gamer, check out videogamevoters.org.