Gamepolitics has covered this extensively http://www.gamepolitics.com/category/topics/california?page=1 At the end of that article they link to a pdf of the judge's ruling.

Similar laws have been passed and ruled unconstitutional in numerous places including Indianapolis, St. Louis, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The NYTimes also has an article that includes some explanation http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/arts/television/21vide.html

this law is specifically about the form. it is saying videogames are so bad that they need special laws that other forms don't have. In the case of alcohol there is proof that it can be bad for you. There is no conclusive proof that videogames are bad for anyone.

This law is not unconstitutional because people are forcing morals on people. It is unconstitutional because it violates the first amendment. There have been lots of very similar laws that have all been overturned on first amendment grounds. There is little reason to doubt that this law will be any different.

the title of your post asks "and this is different from r-rated movies, how?" the answer is that film ratings aren't enforced by laws. So why should videogame ratings be enforced that way?

However, film ratings are enforced by the movie industry not the law. If a kid can't get into an R-rated film then it is because the theater won't let the kid in not because there is a law prohibiting it. Videogames are the same in this regard. Are there kids buying M-rated games? yes but there are also kids getting into R-rated films. Some undercover stings have found it easier to get into an r-rated film than to buy an m-rated game. There's no reason to single out games.

The question is why is this law needed when there are no similar laws regulating the sale of films music books or comic books? There are existing pornography laws which would presumably already apply to any pornographic games -- which aren't widely available anyway. There's no substantial evidence that there is any need for this law. It is ineffective at best and reactionary at worst because it singles out videogames when there's no substantial evidence that there needs to be a law and since it is based on voluntary ratings manufacturers can just take the movie route and release "unrated" editions of games which would circumvent the law.

Sexually explicit things are covered by pornography laws. IAMAL but I would guess any pornographic game would probably be covered by existing porn laws since there have been cases when comic book stores have been involved in court cases involving porn and they probably didn't make laws specifically about comics.

In the USA film ratings are self-regulated just like videogame ratings. If a kid can't get into an R-rated film it is because the theater is enforcing the policy.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62617 Valve has released a series of images in the style of well known Apple ads including a TF2 Heavy in an Ipod-like image, a TF2 sentry gun with the words "I'm a PC" next to a Portal sentry gun, a "Think Different" style ad featuring L4D's Francis with the text "I hate different" and an old Macintosh ad with text about bringing a gaming download system to another operating system.

Because youtube doesn't offer movies and television shows. Youtube tried but it never really caught on. You think that hulu wouldn't love to make an iphone app?

No matter what excuses Apple comes out with or what other people say, the real reason is that having flash on the ipad or iphone would cost apple money. What is the main thing people use flash for? Watching video and playing games. What does Apple want to sell you through itunes? videos and games.

In the USA those games would be rated AO -Adults Only and they would never get approval from Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo to be on their consoles and no mainstream retailer would carry them. So those games would only be available online or from niche retailers.

I would guess that it isn't that CNET, ZDNet, and The Reg only care about JS but that the press release Opera sent out bragged about JS and they just cut and pasted from it.

nice work if you can get it...

HP got rid of a lot of that when they spun off Agilent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agilent

Unless they have figured out how to go faster than the speed of light this simply can't work for action games. Their only hope can be to get bought by a cable company that would offer casual games or non-action games.