ERSB: love it or hate it?

[fierydemise]

Whether or not we like the ESRB shouldn't be the issue because no matter how much we dislike the ESRB we would likely dislike a government run ratings board even more. While the Jack Thompsons and all those other organization whose sole reason for existence is to be offended can complain all they like under the current system they can't actually impose their morality on us through the ESRB. However under a government run system they could with their lobbyists who charge more per hour then most people make in day. If you need an example of what might happen if the ESRB didn't exist just look at the absurdity that is the FCC decency standards.

Sure we may quibble with the priorities they set (sex is worse then violence!?!) but those are the priorities of all the US ratings associations. We may not like that developers have to cut games down to get the M rating but just think how much more they'd have to be cut down if the government was in charge.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

You'd hate it in the UK then. It's illegal for retailers to sell games to people younger than their rating; it carries a very hefty fine I believe.

I'd hate it for much more than that trust me... The UK is the total Nanny State, you can't do anything that can harm or insult yourself or anyone else. Today I read that the three-legged-race was deemed too dangerous for children. They might fall on the soft grass.

I'm fairly sure it's illegal here (America) too-- or at least that's what they used to tell me back when I worked at Gamestop. They made me card everyone, even old ladies... which was extremely embarrassing.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

I was under the impression that your first amendment currently protected video games from being restricted in that way.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

I was under the impression that your first amendment currently protected video games from being restricted in that way.

Is that the one about guns?

I'm not sure if the law actually "exists", but can't think of a retailer that doesn't card for M+ games around here.

 

[Copter400]

First off, you and your terrible grasp of human languages can go and fark yourselves sideways.

Secondly, the ESRB sure beats having games being restricted by conservative jack-snoffs like Michael Atkinson.

Is jack-snoff a word?

 

[Anarchemitis]

Well considering the amount of little kids i see and hear playing GTA IV online it seems nobody pays much attention to it.

This'ud change their little minds.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

Add: We'll Know.

 

[ZenMonkey47]

"Here in the US, we are so schizoid and deeply opposed to government censorship that we insist on having unaccountable private parties to do it instead."
-Bill Cole

 

[brabz]

I dislike the ESRB. Game designers are frequently forced to cut content or alter parts of their design in order to squish their product into a desirable rating.

This is just me, though-- I know that the rating system is extremely helpful for parents and other people who want to avoid mature content. I just don't like it. Phooie.

I think the ESRB was the step the video game industry had to take to be considered a legitimate medium, like movies or television. Although my hatred for the sensationalist way Tipper Gore and the government approached it remains.

Ultimately, "M" games and "R" movies both lose business because it can't draw the under-17 crowd. Very often, you'll see movie makers cut and tweak their works to drop the rating down to "PG-13", etc. to achieve a more friendly rating and be able to appeal to a larger audience. I believe we're seeing more of this with "Manhunt" dropping content to avoid the "AO" rating as video games simply becoming more mainstream and heavily regulated.

Bottom line though, kids are always going to play the games, either because their parents have made to decision to allow them to play it, or because a friend of them has it. It's ultimately on the parents to decide what's appropriate for their hellspawn.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Why dont we scrap rating and make the punishment for ignorant purchases be explaining to little timmy why pulling that trigger caused the mans kneecap to explode and him to plead for mercy and shit himself in fear.

problem solved. Parents learn quick to investigate what the hell their kids do and developers can make what they want and sell it to an audience more mature by default.

 

[LisaB1138]

The ESRB doesn't censor, it just gives a rating so that buyers can no the kind of content they might find in the game.

However, it's whack in that there's a laundry list of things that really have no bearing on context or whether the content is active (player actually doing) or passive (watching a cut scene.) As far as the ESRB is concerned, the only thing that separated Manhunt and Onimusha 3 is "strong language".

There should be a ratings system, but I only use it as a broad guide to see which games I should investigate more thoroughly through reviews or gameplay vids. Context makes a huge difference to me.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Bah, if you want to talk about silly things the ESRB does, what about their policy of rating content not actually in the game, such as the Oblivion topless texture or the infamous hot coffee mod?

 

[Spleeni]

I think it's crazy in how much blood is allowed to be showered upon the head of the players...but they can't show a revealing photo without being ***** slapped up to M ratings. I'd say about 1/4 my games are M rated. I mean seriously, a game like Fable?!

 

[countrysteaksauce]

I think the gaming industry actually set up the ESRB to get heat off their backs, I've read somewhere that they set it up when everyone (swayed by the opinions of high-profile people) thought the new generation of Americans would turn into sociopaths after playing DOOM.

 

[wgreer25]

The ESRB is industry regulated, so it can be considered to be much like the movie industry. However, we have seen the effect that this has had on the movie industry. Movie makers cut controversal sceens to get away from an R rating and bad liberal press. Games are going to feel the same sting, but their stigma is the A rating. The biggest problem with the ESRB has nothing to do with them (here in the states that is). The uber liberal media will blow things out of proportion (Mass Effect) for thier own political agenda. If there is a human being alive who beleives more than 10% of what they hear on the news, please bury your head in the sand. The ESRB is just a sticker notification, there is no link to government fines. This means that currently it is up to parents. If you think the government should step in, then please allow the government to make all future parenting decisions.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

You'd hate it in the UK then. It's illegal for retailers to sell games to people younger than their rating; it carries a very hefty fine I believe.

I'd hate it for much more than that trust me... The UK is the total Nanny State, you can't do anything that can harm or insult yourself or anyone else. Today I read that the three-legged-race was deemed too dangerous for children. They might fall on the soft grass.

I'm fairly sure it's illegal here (America) too-- or at least that's what they used to tell me back when I worked at Gamestop. They made me card everyone, even old ladies... which was extremely embarrassing.

nope there is no law, all laws that have been passed by various state legislatures to ban the sale of m rated games to minors has met their good friends the ACLU and the First Amendment, the one about free speech

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

i do not feel it is a societies responsibility to collectively protect children from objectionable material. i don't like the idea of society making a subjective call for my family.