We said this would happen. We warned that attempting to pursue "feel good" yet "patently unconstitutional" legislation by certain states around the country was not only folly but potentially costly.

And lo, it came down today that a judge has ordered the state of Michigan to reimburse the Entertainment Software Association $182,349 for expenses it incurred fighting Michigan's failed anti-violent gaming law.

Despite clear warnings that the law was unconstitutional at the time, a judge in April said the law violated the First Amendment and threw it out. That opened the door to the ESA to pursue recoving their costs for fighting it.

This comes a day after the ESA announced it would also sue for legal fees against the state of Louisiana, which similarly passed anti-gaming legislation and was also ruled uncontstitutional.

Right now, the ESA has collected or owed about $1.5 million in such fees.

I'd like to offer condolences to the state of Michigan et al, but to be honest, I can't feel sorry for stupidity. This was the ultimate and very predictable end of the path that misguided legislators decided to run, headlong and with arms flailing like an epileptic playing Wii.

Who I will offer my sorrow for is the taxpayers of these states, which were irresponsibly taken on this ride and who will ultimately foot the bill. This is, was, and always will be a waste of precious public funds that are much better served for doing important things, like funding libraries and schools and filling potholes.

Instead, it was pissed away in a fool's folly and doomed effort at "do-goodiness."

So gratz to the ESA for fighting for our rights to paaar-taaay and a big, fat Bronx cheer to stupid lawmakers for wasting a stupid amount of money on a stupid -- and expensive -- Quixotic session of windmill tilting.

[From Gamesutra]