Consoles are for kids, since they don't allow 'Adult Only' rated games

[ph0b0s123]

Now I don't believe this for a second. But the argument against this mis-conception is not helped by all of the big 3 not allowing games certified as 'adults only' on their consoles.

I never quite understood this attitude as in other regions games with the highest certificate rating, like 18+ in the UK are allowed with no problems. I know the M rating (which is allowed) is 17, so there is only a year in it, but it does mean devs have to tone down a product to make sure it does not get the dreaded AO rating and not allowed on consoles. Though the new Mortal Kombat got through with just an M rating so maybe 17 is the new 18.

And before you ask AO rating does not equal only porn and I am not advocating for an influx of this type of game, but some more adult themes in games should not be a problem

If the average age of video gamers now is 37 is this restriction a bit out dated and leads to the mis-conception of consoles being child platform in comparison to say PC's that don't have a restriction like this.....

Also don't get me started on retailers who have the same restrictions. As long as the box art is not to over the top this should not be a problem.

 

[Babitz]

From my experience, PC gamers are usually more experienced and older, though that gap is getting smaller with each passing year.

I don't really understand the purpose of this topic. It's not like you're losing content over this or anything. Also, it's only natural publishers don't want their games to be AO since it means a smaller audience.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

And don't forget that most AO games appeal the most to the 12-17 year old demographic because they still go wild over boobs and/or gore.

 

[Hagi]

Mature by the ESRB:
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Adult Only by the ESRB:
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

Adult games aren't very likely to get AO ratings. Because the only games getting AO ratings literally are porn or gore-porn. Games dealing with adult matters in an adult way will never get an AO rating. They will get a Mature rating.

 

[ph0b0s123]

From my experience, PC gamers are usually more experienced and older, though that gap is getting smaller with each passing year.

I don't really understand the purpose of this topic. It's not like you're losing content over this or anything. Also, it's only natural publishers don't want their games to be AO since it means a smaller audience.

The purpose is to ask whether the AO rating restriction is a good idea or not, and does it give the impression that consoles are for kids?

As far as limiting the audience, if the average age of your audience is 37 (i.e more of your audience is over 18 than under), why would you not cater for them?

Mature by the ESRB:
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Adult Only by the ESRB:
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

Adult games aren't very likely to get AO ratings. Because the only games getting AO ratings literally are porn or gore-porn. Games dealing with adult matters in an adult way will never get an AO rating. They will get a Mature rating.

Adult games aren't very likely to get AO ratings. Because the only games getting AO ratings literally are porn or gore-porn. Games dealing with adult matters in an adult way will never get an AO rating. They will get a Mature rating.[/quote]

With those descriptions, still don't know how Mortal Kombat only got an M, but then again it is only a year, which is odd in comparison to other territories who's ratings at least vary by more than a year like 16+ then 18+, or the UK's 15+ then 18+.

 

[madwarper]

And before you ask AO rating does not equal only porn

Oh, really?

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?titleOrPublisher=&rating=AO&ratingsCriteria=AO&platforms=&platformsCriteria=&searchVersion=compact&content=&searchType=title&contentCriteria=&newSearch.x=43&newSearch.y=9

All games, except for Peak Entertainment Casinos, had "strong sexual content".

 

[MaximillionMiles]

The only way to get an AO rating is either "Strong Sexual Content" i.e. sex, or real gambling. Out of the 24 games rated such by the ESRB only three are not for PC/computer (Thrill Kill for the PS1, GTA San Andreas for the PS2 thanks to Hot Coffee and The Joy of Sex for the CDI). So yeah... you're right about the consoles getting nothing

But then again most games with that sort of content don't bother with the ESRB in the first place. The only reason to be rated by the ESRB is to be able to sell your games at retailers (they generally refuse games without classification) but since they refuse all AO games as well, what's the point?

I don't know if allowing more AO games would be a good move though. The reputation of videogames really could do without the great amount of porn that will definitely show up and I'm not sure if any artistic games will actually show up. I mean, how many movies have you seen that have graphic depiction of genitalia that were still meaningful and deep?

I've no idea why porn and all other forms of entertainment have become so separate, but that's how it is. I doubt that will change any time soon, ratings or not.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Umm.. I play both console and PC games. What does that make me? A older fellow that doesn't know how mature he is?

 

[ph0b0s123]

And before you ask AO rating does not equal only porn

Oh, really?

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?titleOrPublisher=&rating=AO&ratingsCriteria=AO&platforms=&platformsCriteria=&searchVersion=compact&content=&searchType=title&contentCriteria=&newSearch.x=43&newSearch.y=9

All games, except for Peak Entertainment Casinos, had "strong sexual content".

Should have probably said AO does not equal just porn, which your link bears out. Basicly you have a violent game you get an M rating. You add in something sexual, you get an AO rating.

 

[Justin Gooch]

And before you ask AO rating does not equal only porn

Oh, really?

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?titleOrPublisher=&rating=AO&ratingsCriteria=AO&platforms=&platformsCriteria=&searchVersion=compact&content=&searchType=title&contentCriteria=&newSearch.x=43&newSearch.y=9

All games, except for Peak Entertainment Casinos, had "strong sexual content".

Neither did thrill kill, thrill kill had ANIMATED blood and gore and ANIMATED violence. But not the point of this post. I don't think consoles are for kids, you could use the same argument for pc games as well though.

 

[ph0b0s123]

Most major movie theatre chains in the US do not allow NC-17 rated films.

Therefore, all movie theatres are for kids.

Did not know that, that put's it into perspective.

And before you ask AO rating does not equal only porn

Oh, really?

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?titleOrPublisher=&rating=AO&ratingsCriteria=AO&platforms=&platformsCriteria=&searchVersion=compact&content=&searchType=title&contentCriteria=&newSearch.x=43&newSearch.y=9

All games, except for Peak Entertainment Casinos, had "strong sexual content".

Neither did thrill kill, thrill kill had ANIMATED blood and gore and ANIMATED violence. But not the point of this post. I don't think consoles are for kids, you could use the same argument for pc games as well though.

How could you use the same argument for pc games as well? There are no restrictions there.

 

[madwarper]

Neither did thrill kill, thrill kill had ANIMATED blood and gore and ANIMATED violence. But not the point of this post. I don't think consoles are for kids, you could use the same argument for pc games as well though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrill_Kill

Thrill Kill is a cancelled and unpublished 1998 fighting video game for the Sony PlayStation. While the technical feat of allowing four players to fight simultaneously in the same room was to be a major selling point, this was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the game's depictions of violence and sexual content. Examples of this content include BDSM and fetishistic costumes and acts, limb dismemberment, and violent special moves with names like "***** Slap" and "Swallow This".

Any questions?

 

[Justin Gooch]

according to the esrb rating, it did not have sexual content, that's taken directly from the esrb website. And that's not strong sexual content. That is simply sexual content. You can hardly play any game now a days without some sort of sexual content anyways.

 

[TyrantGanado]

The thing I, as a Brit, find funny about the ERSB system is that there is this perception of there being a massive disparity between M and AO rated games to the point where getting a AO rating is akin to the death penalty for the game and yet M games are everywhere...yet the age requirement is a year apart. 365 whole days of maturation are required for a bit more violence or some boobs. Oh god not the boobs, we can't have our young uns seeing them!

It might be an American cultural oddity against boobs but in favour of violence or it might be sheer moronic behaviour on the part of the media but it honestly does baffle me how such a massive schism in the perceived "acceptable material" mark can apply to such a narrow age gap.

 

[mireko]

I actually didn't know there were policies preventing publishers from releasing AO games on the major consoles (well, except the Wii, that would just be awkward). How does that work with titles released in nations that don't use the ESRB or PEGI's ratings? They obviously allow titles with a Z from CERO.

Oh, and while you don't have to license for the platform, it's still nearly impossible to retail AO-rated games for the PC. They can't sell them in stores and they never show up in Steam, Impulse, GoG or anywhere they can easily be found. While this (and going unrated) is manageable for some indie games and some pornography, for anything with any actual money behind it it's a death sentence.

I'm not saying people NEED to put more nudity and violence into games, I'm just uncomfortable with an industrial model that makes such things impossible. What if it fits perfectly in context? What if it would make the game a thousand times better? It should, at the very least, be allowed to fail.

No matter how you look at it, the AO rating is a ban on anything the ESRB finds objectionable.

[sub]And the ESRB gave P3P an "M" when the PEGI gave it a "12". Isn't it worrying to consider the possibility that they're fucking crazy?[/sub]